Effie Triantafilopoulos recognizes Non-Profit Appreciation Week
The MPP for Oakville North-Burlington visited the Oakville Community Foundation, Habitat for Humanity in Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin and Shifra Homes
BurlingtonToday Staff
Feb 19, 2024, 3:12 PM
OAKVILLE NORTH–BURLINGTON MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos, who is parliamentary assistant to the minister of economic development, job creation and trade visited the Oakville Community Foundation, Habitat for Humanity in Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin, and Shifra Homes as part Ontario’s third annual Non-Profit Appreciation Week to present certificates of appreciation to the staff and volunteers, thanking them for their work and dedication.
Ontario’s Non-Profit Appreciation Week, is a time to recognize the work done by Ontario’s 58,000 non-profit charities and non-profit organizations, who deliver programs and assistance that improve the quality of life for so many people in Ontario.
Non-Profit Appreciation Week became an Ontario law in 2021. Triantafilopoulos spoke to the bill when it was debated in the Ontario Legislature and took that opportunity to recognize the work non-profit staff and volunteers have done to contribute to our communities and our economy throughout the years.
The non-profit sector is the largest in Canada, with over 58,000 registered charities and non-profit organizations that offer a wide range of services to children, families and seniors including mental health support, seniors’ services, homeless shelters, services for people who have experienced violence, skills development, specialized help for children, support for people with disabilities, and family support services to programs that promote arts and culture, environmental sustainability and recreation.
Last year, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services provided about $5.6 billion to non-profit institutions including developmental services agencies, Children’s Aid Societies, Violence Against Women shelters, Indigenous centres, and Family Services organizations to help more Ontarians connect to these important services.
Further, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario, awarded $31 million to 295 non-profits through the Resilient Communities Fund and $39 million to 448 non-profits through the Capital grant stream in 2023.
FAST FACTS
- Ontario is home to over 58,000 registered charities and non-profit organizations;
- Ontario’s Non-Profit sector in contributes 7.9% to the province’s GDP, constituting $65.4 billion in economic impact;
- Our Non-Profit sector employs 844,000 people, 77% of whom are women;
- 41.5% of Ontario residents volunteer, contributing a total of 612 million volunteer hours annually.
QUOTES
“Recognizing the work non-profits do is important to me because I see the good work they do in each and every day in our community. They are part of the lifeblood that keeps our province and our communities together and make life better for millions of people across Ontario.” – Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP & Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
“We are grateful for MPP Effie Triantafilopous’ recognition of the Foundation and the Foundation’s Board Chair for our work to build community in Oakville through local initiatives like Give Oakville, Community Classroom, and our Community Education Awards Hub to name a few.” – Wendy Rinella, CEO, Oakville Community Centre
“Shifra Homes was honoured to have been recognized during the 2024 Non-Profit Appreciation Week. It is the wonderful staff and volunteers that dedicate themselves to our success in empowering young, homeless, pregnant women in breaking generational cycles of poverty to be strong independent and contributing members in our community. We would like to offer our sincere gratitude and thank MPP Effie J. Triantafilopoulos, who took the time to visit Shifra Homes, interact with our residents and babies, and honour the remarkable contributions of our volunteers. Her recognition highlights the importance of our mission and the positive change we are creating in the lives of vulnerable women and children.” – Nancy Romic, Executive Director, Shifra Homes
“We would like to thank MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos for joining us today to recognize and celebrate our volunteers during Non-Profit Appreciation Week. We are fortunate to have a strong volunteer base from diverse backgrounds. They are the heart and soul of Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin, and their passion for our mission of empowering working families to build strength and stability through affordable housing is truly inspiring.” – Eden Grodzinski, CEO, Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin
ABOUT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HALTON-MISSISSAUGA-DUFFERIN
Habitat for Humanity empowers working lower-income families to build strength, stability, and independence by providing affordable housing that enables financial equity and lasting change.
Since 1999, Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga has been working together with their corporate, community, and construction partners and marshalling the efforts of legions of volunteers to provide affordable housing options to families in Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, Milton, and Halton Hills.
ABOUT SHIFRA HOMES
Deacon Randy Matters of Burlington, Ontario started Shifra Homes after learning about the prevalence of youth homelessness and teen pregnancy in Halton from one of his parishioners. Their service as a maternity home was the first proposed and the only one to date operating of its nature in the entire region of Halton. Their necessity in the community and creation is predicated upon statistics which indicate that annually there are over 200 teen pregnancies in the Halton region.
ABOUT OAKVIILE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
The Oakville Community Foundation believes that the future strength and prosperity of the Oakville community starts with long-term investments made today. Their job is to keep an eye on Oakville’s needs and put resources where they are needed.
For over 30 years, the Oakville Community Foundation has been an integral part of the Oakville fabric and understands the local issues to ensure it can collaborate with the right people and organizations to make change possible.