H'Art Centre of Smiles
Elizabeth Cohoe, Andrea Fitzgerald, Katherine Porter | Elizabeth Cohoe, Andrea Fitzgerald, Katherine Porter, Martin Thomas |
Grant Amount: $1,700
The Organization
H'Art Centre is a not-for-profit, charitable, inclusive community arts hub that provides adults with disabilities and people facing barriers with the opportunity to create, study, and produce works in the arts and to collaborate with professional artists throughout their lives and as they age.
The BOX is H'Art Centre's accessible performing arts space that provides opportunities for those facing barriers to participation in the arts with the opportunity to take part in inclusive performing arts performances. The Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston has provided support in the past for resource improvements to The BOX as well as for special programs.
H'art Centre's Able Artists program provides an ongoing series of facilitated workshops and performances led by professional artists with disabilities and leaders in the inclusive arts field.
MixAbilities is H'Art Centre's new inclusive arts training program designed to help local artists/educators develop skills and confidence as inclusive artists/educators.
The Work Supported by the Grant
Loving Spoonful
Elizabeth Cohoe, Tibratā Gillies | Elizabeth Cohoe, Tibratā Gillies, Martin Thomas |
Grant Amount: $2,250
The Organization
Loving Spoonful connects people with good food across Kingston & Area. Working toward a healthier, more connected community, Loving Spoonful provides programs and champions policies affecting food security, poverty, social inclusion, and community health. The Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston has provided grants in the past for production of a "Where to Find Good Food in Kingston & Area" brochure, supplies for the GROW project that supports community gardens and gardening education in schools, and supplies for fresh food delivery. Volunteers also help with food delivery.
One of Loving Spoonful's many programs is the Open Kitchens program, which serves people with low incomes and/or experiencing poverty, particularly in the Rideau Heights neighbourhood. Recruitment for participants and the program itself happens there. People attending learn new healthy food skills, meet others, make connections and friendships, and try and enjoy new healthy foods. Weekly community kitchens workshops are hosted by Loving Spoonful's Community Kitchens Coordinator, professional chef Tibratā Gillies, with leadership encouraged from participants. New recipes are shared, new skills learned, and healthy meals are made to share and to take home to eat with families.
The Work Supported by the Grant
The Mess Studio
Elizabeth Cohoe, Sandi Dodds | Elizabeth Cohoe, Sandi Dodds, Martin Thomas |
Grant Amount: $2,500
The Organization
The Mess Studio offers provides opportunity for people to come, connect, and create art in a non-threatening atmosphere of love and acceptance. Bringing a diverse community together, The Mess aims to build relationships through art. Through community building, it strives to empower others to make healthier life choices. The Mess welcomes anyone who is interested in creating art and connecting with others. It operates in the lower hall of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Mess began in 2009 and now includes a pottery studio. The Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston has been a supporter for eight years.
All people who participate in The Mess activities are members. In addition to creating art, they help with running the program including refreshments and meals. The Mess provides opportunities to learn new skills, which contributes to healing lives that have been broken down. "Getting Messy" at The Mess restores dignity, self-reliance, confidence, and self-worth.
The Work Supported by the Grant
The grant will help to continue to strengthen the pottery program, including cost of firing, which is done off-site. New to the program will be a series of three two-hour instructional classes for up to six of the community members, provided by Amaranth Stoneware. The sessions will provide much-needed knowledge that will ensure the continued success of the pottery studio. Amaranth has recently asked to display in one of their stores the work of one of The Mess members.
Melos Choir and Period Instruments
Elizabeth Cohoe, Angela Stewart, Holly Gwynne-Timothy | Elizabeth Cohoe, Angela Stewart, Holly Gwynne-Timothy, Martin Thomas |
Grant Amount: $3,884
The Organization
The Work Supported by the Grant
Once vocal and respiratory function has improved, participants begin singing as a group, and are given the option of performing in Melos' Christmas concert, “In Dulci Jubilo”. While participants will rehearse and perform with us publicly, they will not be identified as "cancer patients" but as “Holly's students from her vocal rehab class.”
Lunch by George
Elizabeth Cohoe, David Gordon | Elizabeth Cohoe, David Gordon, Martin Thomas |
Grant Amount: $2,000
The Organization
Lunch by George is a social centre welcoming people of any background who need a comfortable place, warm in the winter, and food. People who are in desperate need, including the hundreds of homeless people in Kingston, can come in and relax a little. Lunch by George opens every weekday at 9 a.m., with coffee and snacks. There are moveable seats which is really important to people. Some people read newspapers; some play cards; some talk; and some just sit and think. There’s a clothes rack with warm clothes. There are also personal supply items available. At 10 a.m., soup is served. At 11 a.m., there is a nutritious hot meal. The food is prepared by coordinator Jenny Hurd, assisted by 30 volunteers. A huge feed is offered at Christmas, which Rotarians help to support. The program has been going since 1985, serving an average of 40 meals a day plus soups. Often 70 to 80 people come, and those numbers have been increasing.