Arts, Culture and Heritage

CCAH programs, services, events and initiatives are grounded in their core values - The Four Pillars: Education, Culture, Community and Harmony.

CCAH provides cultural education that develops understandings and knowledge of:

• Other cultures, including but not limited to programs on culture, history, art, literature and music of Black and Caribbean cultures

• Discrimination and the impact of racism on the community.

CCAH promotes inclusion, mutual respect, acceptance, and harmony among community members.

CCAH increases communication by breaking down barriers and building bridges of understanding between ethnocultural groups, institutions, and the community. CCAH provides resources for public education programs.

Oakville Choral is the longest running choir in Oakville. We are committed to an inclusive philosophy and expanding our program to members far beyond our immediate community. Our Spring 2025 Season's theme Voices of our Land will explore natural beauty of landscapes through the Canadian music of Indigenous composers, young composers, French Canadian repertoire, and folk songs.

We will be taught linguistics, cultural history and background, new music techniques to enrich our choral experience, expand the repertoire we are learning, allow experimentation and continued growth of our singing abilities, and deepen our understanding of the history and context of the music for singers and our audience.

Oakville Galleries is an award-winning museum for contemporary art. It focuses on exhibiting contemporary artists from across Canada and around the world and providing quality public programs and arts education to the local community.

Over the past 30 years, Oakville Gallery has built a collection of over 10,000 works by contemporary Canadian artists, which is shared in public buildings throughout Oakville. Guided by professional studio artists and seasoned educators, the education programs at the gallery encompass a wide range of hands-on activities, each designed to make art accessible to every community member.

The Oakville Symphony is a vibrant community orchestra that has been enriching the lives through music for over 50 years. We present a wide range of inspiring performances and outreach initiatives that engage and unite audiences of all ages.

With a strong commitment to artistic excellence and community connection, the symphony nurtures both emerging talent and seasoned musicians, providing a platform for growth and creativity. The Oakville Symphony brings the transformative power of live orchestral music to Oakville, fostering a deeper appreciation for the arts and ensuring that this cherished cultural tradition continues to thrive for generations to come.

We have inspired over 4,000 young musicians to achieve excellence through a love of music, while also helping them develop skills of self-esteem, discipline, teamwork, leadership and performance. We have four separate music ensembles including three orchestras and one youth band ensemble.

From our 2023-2024 Graduates, "This program isn't just an orchestra—it's a way to forge lifetime connections, build relationships and bonds that will last a lifetime. You will laugh together, learn together, make mistakes together and finish triumphant concerts together. Together, you will grow in this community which is full of unforgettable experiences, cherished memories, and eternal bonds."

We are a community group comprised of volunteers. We are built around the values of diversity and inclusion. It underpins our every decision, guides our interactions with stakeholders, and informs our musical programming and event location choices when organizing live music events.

We aim to provide an outstanding musical organization and environment for Oakville area musicians. Our musical organization shares this passion and preservation of the arts with the community through musical presentations and collaborations with like minded groups.

Children, Youth and Family Services

BBBS mentoring establishes a consistent, supportive relationship between a young person and an adult mentor(s). It also allows development of stronger social connections that create a sense of belonging while empowering youth to be leaders and advocates for diversity and inclusion. Youth feel empowered, more confidence and develop resiliency.

Parent Testimonial - "I liked that my daughter got to hangout with positive role models from the Black community and talk about things like food, hair care and Black history with others who understands our unique experiences. There was a good balance of fun and education. The Black community is relatively small where we live, so these opportunities are important".

When a teen or young adult has experienced abuse or neglect and been placed in foster care, they are already vulnerable. Making the transition to adulthood is particularly tough for these youth, and it's even tougher today with the pandemic and rising inflation.

A number of community organizations in Halton Region have come together to help support youth through the Youth Collective Impact program, helping youth to access a variety of resources - such as mental health services, job preparation, housing assistance or applying for post-secondary education. An important part of this unique program is being matched with a trained mentor who can help guide the youth in navigating the system and forging a positive future.

Community Living Oakville (CLO) has held a longstanding reputation within Oakville and the Halton region for 70 years. Our agency supports over 300 people with developmental disabilities in supported living, community participation supports and employment services, to develop skills towards independence and participate in meaningful opportunities; striving for community inclusion.

While our organization is ministry funded, the support received only covers basic essentials. CLO strongly believes in the importance of advocacy for those that are vulnerable or underrepresented and we empower the people we support to advocate for their rights of equality and inclusion within our local community.

Dare to be Youth Charity (DTBY) empowers high school students and young people (14-24) in the Halton Region.

We believe in the power of community as a critical component of thriving and wellness, connecting youth, facilitating opportunities for dialogue, and helping them build the skills to thrive.

Through our program offerings, DTBY inspires, mentors, and creates the capacity of tomorrow's leaders. DTBY programs are designed to help youth thrive by developing resilient life skills and improving their overall wellness. Over the past three years, DTBY has supported hundreds of students from Oakville, primarily through our Youth Inspire Community Day and Leader Within programs.

The Darling Home for Kids is the only place of its kind in Canada providing a continuum of care in respite, residential and hospice palliative services to children with complex medical needs. For many families, we are their Home away from home.

In our Respite Program, children stay with us for a day, a weekend, or a week, while their caregivers get a break to rest and recharge. In our Residential Program, children live at our Home full time and receive comprehensive care. Lastly, some children leave the world far too soon and in those moments our Hospice Palliative Program helps fill those final days with peace and comfort.

ErinoakKids serves children who have physical and developmental differences, autism, communication disorders, blindness/low vision and hearing loss. Serving Halton, Peel and Dufferin County, our mission is to help our clients achieve optimal levels of independence, learning, health and well-being.

ErinoakKids works from a family-centred philosophy, and our focus is on the strengths and resilience of our clients and their families. We have close connections throughout our community, and partner with school boards, other service providers, and hospitals in the delivery of care, including SickKids and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto.

Front Line Outreach serves low income families including children, youth and seniors who live in subsidized housing. Programs include Camp Dakota- a summer day camp, outreach BBQ's in partnership local churches, child & youth programs and a number of food bank/drop in locations. The purpose is to build relationships that build bridges between people that lead to opportuities for the disadvantaged.

Many of the youth from low income communities attend our Leaders In Training program who then become inspired to complete post secondary education leading to good jobs that pay well. This proves to break the cycle of poverty.

"I was inspired to become a teacher" - a youth who started with the day camp then on to university.

HIPPY Halton hires and trains home visitors to connect with and teach parents of vulnerable children aged 18 months to 5 years vital preschool skills.

Home Visitors, who are HIPPY mothers, visit the families in their homes once a week for one hour over 30 weeks. They use role-play to provide explicit instruction so parents can teach their children vital pre-reading, pre-writing, and pre-math skills needed for success in kindergarten.

HIPPY also supports families by addressing parenting challenges through group meetings, where they can build a strong social support system. Parents also improve their English skills and their understanding of their community and its services. HIPPY Halton creates opportunities for families to thrive.

The Lighthouse for Grieving Children provides free peer support for grieving children, teens, young adults, and their families. We offer open-ended, on-going grief support groups to help families re-adjust after the death of a parent or sibling.

At the Lighthouse, they meet others like them, no longer feeling "abnormal"; children feel permitted to grieve and ask questions, find resources in themselves and through new friendships, to adjust to their "new normal" and recover, living life post-death to their full potential.

As one child stated "I'm not alone when talking about my feelings and that everyone can feel sad, mad and frustrated."

We support financially disadvantaged families by providing essential items like gently used clothing, housewares, furniture, toiletries, and diapers, alleviating their financial burden so they can focus on other needs. Our goal is to break the cycle of poverty by offering free tutoring and music lessons, delivering both immediate relief and long-term support for a brighter future.

We serve a diverse range of people, including refugees, asylum seekers, and those in the community facing economic hardships. For example, a single mother from Halton received clothes and essentials from us, allowing her to use her funds for food and housing. Today, she is self-sufficient, runs her own business, and gives her time to volunteer at Safetynet.

Every child deserves the chance to succeed. The COVID-19 pandemic may be "over", but children from low-income and equity-deserving communities are still paying the price both mentally and academically. Start2Finish Canada has a mandate–and the expertise–to bridge these gaps before it's too late.

Start2Finish was born out of the vision of BIPOC founder Brian Warren. As a CFL Grey Cup Champion and inner-city teacher, he witnessed the devastating impact poverty has on kids' health/learning. With a vision to eradicate the effects of child poverty and the conviction that no child has ever gone off the rails when someone has genuinely cared for them, Brian determined he would advocate for those who can't advocate for themselves.

Community

The Oakville & Milton Humane Society was founded to provide care and shelter to homeless, stray, and abused animals. We receive no level of government funding for our programs and services, and instead rely on the generosity of community members, corporate donors and our fundraising efforts.

Serving the community for almost 90 years, we remain steadfast to improving the lives of animals. Today we offer a variety of services for both people and pets including pet adoptions, surrender services, lost and found services, animal control and bylaw for the City of Oakville, education programs, outreach services including a pet food bank, a thrift store and more.

Oakville Public Library strives to fulfill our mission of cultivating discovery and creativity in every phase of life.

Our vision is to inspire Oakville, and create an inclusive, barrier-free environment where all members of the community can access physical and digital resources and services. We are focused on exceptional customer service to meet the needs of all customers while ensuring literacy and learning is available to everyone.

Education

We know that neurodiverse students can and do succeed when provided with the support they need. Our programs provide this critical support. Students in our math program gain 8 months' worth of knowledge and skills in just 8 weeks. Our literacy program is just as effective and based on the most current research.

A parent told us, "The transformation in his ability to read sentences is truly remarkable, and it's all thanks to the amazing efforts and dedication of his teacher. Joshua couldn't pronounce his ABCs or demonstrate letter recognition just a year ago, and now, he's reading sentences with confidence." The need for our essential services has continued to expand each year, and we need support to help support more students like Joshua.

When children lack basics like proper clothing, food, hygiene items, and school supplies, it has an impact on their ability to learn. Halton Learning Foundation provides immediate financial support to a growing number of vulnerable students and their families who are in crisis.

Annually, our Eliminating Barriers program provides thousands of HDSB students with emergency funds that help them continue coming to school, focus on their learning, and allow them to be included in school activities so they can fully participate in their education journey. Eliminating Barriers also provides students with funding for field trips and post-secondary education application fees.

Employment and Economic Growth

Work can change lives—providing shelter, food, better mental health, and self-confidence. It can uplift families and break cycles of poverty.

At Goodwill, we offer "a hand up" to those facing barriers to finding work like newcomers, racialized individuals, youth, and people with disabilities. We help newcomers with their resume and job search, support neurodiverse youth in securing their first job, train laid-off workers with new skills, and help job-seekers with anxiety prepare for interviews and settle into work.

With donor support, we can expand services to help more people, especially those most disadvantaged so they can enter or re-enter the workforce. This matters because when more people work and thrive, our community gets stronger.

A core aspect of our work is pairing Black professionals with mentors who guide them in navigating challenging corporate landscape. Through mentoring relationships, participants gain confidence, develop leadership skills, and access opportunities that might otherwise have been out of reach.

Ayo, a young professional, was struggling to advance due to a lack of representation and support in her workplace. Through BMI's mentoring program, she was matched with an experienced mentor who provided guidance and helped her build a network of allies. Ayo's confidence grew, leading her to transition into a leadership role.

BMI is committed to creating lasting change by addressing systemic challenges and building a more inclusive and equitable future.

Home Suite Hope (HSH) unites a network of vital support services for single mothers and their children experiencing homelessness; encouraging and supporting them as they journey from poverty to stability.

HSH's Homeward Bound Halton (HBH) program is a four-year wraparound program that empowers and supports single parents who are homeless or precariously housed in accessing affordable housing, gaining an education, securing employment and developing financial literacy skills to transition out of poverty, live independently in a permanent home and thrive. HSH aims to transform the patterns of poverty to a legacy of empowered prosperity by offering a hand up to help single parent families become self sufficient.

Environment

Our work includes building awareness and raising funds for environmental projects and programs in the Halton watershed. This work benefits the residents of Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, Burlington, Puslinch, Halton Hills and the surrounding area.

We work to improve natural areas by planting trees and shrubs to provide habitat and stabilize creekbanks. Our stewardship efforts aim to protect and restore environmentally significant natural areas and watercourses. Additionally, we support environmental education and hands-on learning programs like the Halton Children's Water Festival, the Crawford Lake Village, and the Mountsberg Raptors Centre.

The Halton Environmental Network (HEN) works throughout Halton to:

• Advance education for the benefit of the public by providing workshops, seminars, panels and conferences on topics related to climate change, environmental issues, and sustainable food production in the community of Halton.

• Protect and preserve the environment for the benefit of the public by reducing pollution through programs aimed at reducing, reusing, and recycling and by establishing educational programs/workshops about waste reduction initiatives.

• Conduct research relating to the environment such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, greenhouse gas emissions in Halton Region, and to disseminate the results of such research to the public.

Looking to making a difference in your community to help protect and restore nature in Oakville? Oakvillegreen creates a hopeful future for Oakville where nature thrives.

We mobilize thousands of volunteers from all ages to plant native trees to add to the urban forest canopy and to create pollinator habitat and improve biodiversity. We offer engaging hands-on environmental educational programs to students and people of all ages.

In partnership with local organizations and businesses, we have planted nearly 40,000 native trees and shrubs, engaged 15,000 volunteers, and inspired over 31,000 students, demonstrating our impactful community involvement.

Food Security

Food4Kids Halton provides healthy food packages for elementary-age kids with limited or no access to food each weekend. The food packages, assembled by volunteers, are delivered to schools each week to ensure children have nourishment over the weekend. School staff discreetly place the food bags into each child's backpack to ensure anonymity and to avoid stigma.

Our 6-week rotational menu features dietary options for Halal, Kosher, and allergies or food sensitivities. In 2023/24, Food4Kids served more than 1,100 children across Halton living with food insecurity and 382 of these children live in Oakville. We also support children and families throughout the summer months with grocery gift cards.

Halton Food For Thought was started by a group of parents who worked together to help address student hunger.

Today, about one in three youth in Halton are growing up in food-insecure households. With rising food costs and over 10 Halton schools waiting to be added to our program, we need the help of caring community members like you to make sure we can continue to offer healthy and nutritious meals and snacks to Halton students at school, allowing them to participate more and do better at school.

One of our student volunteers recently let us know, "Our Student Nutrition Program makes our community stronger because when students' minds are nourished they can flourish in class." Help Fuel the Future with us!

Oakville Meals on Wheels (OMoW) has been proudly serving the Town of Oakville for over 45 years delivering nutritious meals and providing wellness checks to individuals in our community. We deliver meals (hot & frozen) that provide proper nutrition allowing seniors and those with disabilities or critical health issues to stay out of hospital and long-term care and live more independently in their homes where they prefer to be.

Our weekday delivery of a hot meal, along with a midday visit and wellness check provides peace of mind to families and caregivers of our clients. Last year OMoW worked with over 80 volunteers who donated an estimated 9,000 hours of their time to deliver an astounding 30,300 + meals to individuals in Oakville.

Our work at the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP) is grounded in love of neighbour and justice. The five groups (known as conferences) in Oakville serve over 1,400 neighbours in need (~ 900 adults and 500 children).

We make no distinction of creed, ethnic or social background, health, gender or political opinions. No work of charity is foreign to SSVP: from grocery cards to Christmas giving, educational supports for our youth, furniture, medical aid, connecting neighbours to community and government resources and advocating for their rights.

We visit with our neighbours in their homes and we establish personal relationships by offering material assistance, as well as friendship and understanding. We serve in hope.

Health and Wellbeing

Acclaim Health provides home care and community support services to over 20,000 people in Halton each year, most of whom are older adults. Our extraordinary care includes hospice palliative care, dementia care (including Patty's Place in Oakville), nursing, personal support, bereavement support and volunteer visiting to reduce social isolation. Simply put, we help people stay in their own homes for as long as possible.

Hear from one of our caregivers, Al, who speaks about what it meant to have his wife Joanne attend Patty’s Place here.

Now more than ever, connection and compassion are essential to our community's well-being. This year, Distress Centre Halton proudly celebrates our 50th anniversary - 50 years of being #HereToHear - providing free, caring, confidential phone support to people of all ages and backgrounds. With your help, we can continue to be #HereToHear for the over 33,000 calls we support each year.

Help us to continue to build the needed compassionate connection in our community.

"Every day I volunteer, I am reminded of the beauty of human connection and the healing power of compassion. Through this journey, I have learned that by lifting others, we lift ourselves, and in helping to heal their wounds, we also begin to heal our own" - A DCH volunteer

Our mission goes beyond providing Dog Guides. LFCDG creates life-altering partnerships that empower Canadians living with disabilities to unlock a future filled with possibility. Our clients consistently tell us their Dog Guides are more than just a collection of skills. These canine companions become integral to their lives, opening doors to a future brimming with possibilities.

Imagine navigating the world with newfound confidence and independence. Dog Guides make this a reality, fostering social interaction, increased community participation and a profound sense of security.

LFCDG is leading the charge to unlock the potential of a Dog Guide. See the impact: a dog's potential unleashed, transforming the lives of countless Canadians.

SAVIS of Halton provides free, confidential, and trauma-informed 24-hour support to all survivors of sexual violence. SAVIS advocates against violence in the community at large, and promotes prevention through community intervention and access to education.

Educating at this early age is key to providing youth with the information and skills needed to understand and prevent gender-based violence. In collaboration with our school boards we will ensure a safe place to those who will access our workshops, presentations and group activities. We will reach out to newcomer organizations offering workshops, presentations and group activities for youth.as they are at high risk of cyber luring/bulling due to social isolation.

Fostering community resilience is at the heart of UWHH's mission. As the backbone of a vast network of support, UWHH drives meaningful impact through collective action, addressing the most pressing needs facing our communities.

UWHH's work starts with identifying critical needs in Oakville communities and mobilizing resources to address them.

To amplify our impact, we forge strategic partnerships with local agencies, government bodies, and community organizations, ensuring a unified approach to addressing complex social issues.

Beyond immediate solutions, UWHH is dedicated to facilitating long-term transformation by investing in capacity building, leadership development, and innovation within the social services sector.

Wellspring provides critical support to individuals and families facing the challenges of a cancer diagnosis through therapeutic cancer care programs that improve physical and mental health.

"Wellspring gave me my life back," says Jim, an Oakville resident who turned to Wellspring for support when he received his second Lymphoma diagnosis. When cancer treatment left him without the strength to do basic activities, Jim found support at Wellspring through hearing stories from other participants, learning helpful techniques to cope with his diagnosis, and benefitting from both the physical and mental aspects of the programs.

Wellspring's programs are professionally-led, evidence-based and offered at no charge to all cancer patients in need.

The Willow Foundation is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of seniors and adults with disabilities residing in Halton Region. We provide programs such as music, art and VR Therapy, live entertainment, hands on experiences, day trips, educational programs, social events and many more.

This gives seniors and adults with disabilities the options to join, thus enhancing their lives by participating in these events otherwise not available to them. This is available to all the participants of the Halton Region's adult day programs and residents of three long term care facilities and four Assisted Living Facilities.

The Women's Centre of Halton is a dedicated space where women can learn, grow, and receive support. Our center is committed to empowering women in Halton to improve their quality of life, reach their full potential and improve their well-being. We often serve as a vital resource for women in crisis, distress or who are in transition and/or seeking a fresh start.

Our free services and programs which promote self-sufficiency and human dignity include peer support, life skills coaching, legal clinics, family court support drop-ins, trauma and abuse counseling, and employment coaching among many others. We also offer a variety of workshops that promote community building and personal development.

The YMCA of Oakville removes financial barriers to ensure children, youth and adults learn, grow, lead and live their best lives through participation in a wide variety of programs and services, such as learning to swim, attending summer camp or a skills-based sports program.

Last year the Y provided financial assistance to 1 in 7 to access these programs and the community outreach activities continue to be offered for free. A donation to the YMCA of Oakville will enable equity-deserving children, youth and adults to stay healthy in spirit, mind and body through financial assistance while gaining the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

Housing and Shelter

Everyone deserves a safe and decent place to call home.

A heartfelt message from a child whose family received a Habitat home: "Thank you for this opportunity to have a better life. We are so happy that we have a Habitat home. We don't have to worry about a lot of things now. My Dad could focus on his work and me and my sibling could focus on our studies. We have made wonderful memories in this amazing home."

Since 1999, Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin has built 83 affordable units, providing a pathway to homeownership. We're grateful for the Oakville Community Foundation's support. Help us make homeownership a reality for more families through GIVEOakville. Together, we can build safe, affordable communities for all.

HWP is the ONLY women's shelter in Halton providing emergency safe shelter and crisis services for physically, emotionally, financially and sexually abused women and their dependent children and is dedicated to ending violence against women and their children.

HWP:
• Makes emergency shelter and/or crisis services accessible to all abused women and their dependent children.
• Provides crisis services, counselling, and information to women and children living in the shelter and in the community at large.
• Informs and empowers abused women and their dependent children to make decisions about their safety, rights and options.
• Promote and provides public education to end violence against women and children.

March of Dimes Canada Non-Profit Housing Corporation recognizes that people are happiest living in a place they can call their own home. We operate a non-profit apartment building in Oakville.

We have operate the Jean and Howard Caine Apartments, a 59-unit apartment building in Oakville, including 24 apartments in which residents receive 24-hour attendant care services. These apartments are also modified for safe and comfortable living by people with physical disabilities, including wheelchair accessible showers, lowered countertops and automatic doors. The entire building has fully accessible entrances, elevators, hallways and common areas.

Oasis Youth Care provides transitional housing, life skills training, and mentorship, to black and racialized vulnerable youth facing homelessness in the Halton region.

Our programs are delivered with cultural competence and a strength-based approach to empower youth to overcome barriers, build self-efficacy, and achieve their full potential.

85% of youth in our housing program achieve positive outcomes and significant life improvements measured by:

• Housing Stability following recurrent episodes of homelessness
• Increased Self-Esteem and Social Connectedness
• Reduced Involvement in Risky Behaviors
• Restoration of Family Relationships
• Greater Engagement in Socio-Economic Activities
• Move to permanent housing and independent living

The Halton Lighthouse is an emergency homeless shelter providing immediate access to emergency accommodations and basic needs for adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the Halton Region.

Individuals coming to the shelter are provided with housing focused services that aim to resolve their homelessness as soon as possible by right-matching clients to suitable, permanent housing with appropriate supports.

The Halton Lighthouse is committed to providing trauma-informed, culturally competent service that aims to reintegrate individuals into their communities surrounded by the supports needed to maintain their housing and prevent future episodes of homelessness.

You met me at my lowest, homeless, pregnant, and very vulnerable. You chose me. You gave me the opportunity to have a home for me and my baby. Every challenge and hardship I had going on in my life you helped me fix and solve. Nothing was ever too much for you.

Thank you for always giving me grace while I embarked on this pregnancy and motherhood journey, but especially on this healing journey. You saved me from a life I didn't know how to be free from. Thank you for always encouraging me in everything and seeing my potential. I am so grateful for Shifra Homes. I look up to you for your leadership, compassion, and perseverance.

Thank you for changing my life in a way that was too big and great for my imagination.

Mental Health and Addictions

The Canadian Mental Health Association Halton is an accredited, multi-service organization that supports individuals aged 16 and older as well as their families and caregivers. We offer a continuum of services ranging from information to peer support, group programs, clinical counselling, crisis support, and service coordination.

We support people with diverse needs, strengths, preferences, and service intensity requirements through accessible, person-centred care that helps improve wellness, connection, and quality of life.

Your support will help us to continue providing accessible services and expand our impact through enhanced group learning opportunities to support growth and recovery in our community.

Heartache2Hope is dedicated to helping suicide loss grievers with the immediate impacts of trauma and their challenging grieving process. Our goal is to reduce the long-term adverse effects of suicide bereavement, strengthen resilience, and facilitate reengagement in life through a comprehensive program that includes professional & peer-led individual & group services.

We promote renewed psychological wellbeing through trauma and grief education, social connection, emotional support, teaching healthy coping strategies, and traumatic grief counselling & therapy across the lifespan.

By enabling grievers to again realize a positive future, we in turn create a stronger community. It is our vision that no one touched by suicide grieves alone.

Stride is a specialized mental health and addiction agency serving Halton, Peel and surrounding areas. We exist because work changes lives and people living in our community are best served by us because we understand their unique needs.

Stride works to support members of our community experiencing barriers to employment caused by their mental health or addiction issues. We help individuals gain and maintain meaningful employment through individualized programs, resources and connections to supportive employers in our community.

Our employment support programs offer a variety of job readiness services to individuals who are ready to either develop their careers in new areas or return to a field in which they've had previous experience.

Thrive is a family service agency providing counselling and social services as well as a community leader in addressing gender-based violence. Our focus is on both women and children who have experienced abuse or violence as well as working to change the behaviours of those who are abusive and violent to break these recurring cycles.

In addition, we provide comprehensive individual, couple and family counselling to address relationship and family issues, mental health concerns including depression, anxiety and trauma, and stressors including grief, loss, separation and caregiving. With community growth and post-pandemic impacts on mental health and families, the need for our services has never been higher.

Oakville Community Foundation

Community Classroom brings arts, culture, heritage and environmental programs to Oakville's publicly funded elementary students free of charge! Every year, students from junior kindergarten to Grade 8 have the opportunity to participate in a program so that no child is left behind.

Help the Oakville Community Foundation keep learning free, accessible and entertaining!

No one in our community should go hungry. Being food insecure impacts other aspects of your life, including your long-term health and economic stability.

Support your neighbours by donating to Feed Oakville, a collaborative approach that provides support to local food security partners including Feed Halton, Food For Life and Kerr Street Mission. These partners will advise The Foundation on how to distribute funds raised to ensure the most vulnerable in our community receive support.

The recent motions by Oakville and Halton Councils declaring Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) an epidemic in our community trigged The Foundation to invoke the Oakville Resiliency Fund. More than 3,500 calls for Intimate Partner Violence were made to Halton police last year, a 27% increase since 2016.

Following fundraising, in January 2024 all charities with a mandate to support IPV, including Halton Women's Place, The Women's Centre of Halton, SAVIS, and Thrive Counselling will be invited to the table to advise the Foundation on how to distribute the funds.

This collaboration of six community health partners (CMHA-Halton, Support House, ADAPT, Summit Housing & Outreach Programs, HOPE Place Centres, and STRIDE) has been brought together as an Alliance to provide sector-wide integration and support to address the complex mental health and addiction challenges faced by individuals. Alliance Halton partners will advise The Foundation on how to allocate funds raised through GIVEOakville.

The Oakville Resettlement Fund supports programs and services needed for the resettlement of refugee families in Oakville and Halton.

The Fund was established in 2017 during the Syrian Resettlement crisis, and has helped support the local needs of new immigrants and refugees, specifically Syrian and Afghan refugees and Ukrainian newcomers to Canada.

Local Scholarships and Bursaries for Youth who wish to pursue post-secondary education

"Debwewin" refers to one of the Anishinabek seven grandfathers teaching for "truth." This project will raise questions about Oakville's Truth such as: "What happened to the local Treaty holders, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation?" and "Why did Treaty 22, which included coverage of Oakville main waterways, Sixteen Mile and Bronte Creek, leave the Mississaguas homeless?

We need your help to plant lots of trees in Oakville!

Trees absorb and sequester carbon, protect and enhance wildlife habitats, and also remove pollutants from the air, soil & groundwater. Oakville needs more trees! Every donation helps us build the local tree canopy.