Impact Stories

Libraries are traditionally seen as places of education, but as Michael Ciccone, CEO and Chief Librarian at London Public Library (LPL) explains, they are more than that:

“London Public Library is deeply embedded, essential infrastructure that provides community gathering space that’s free, accessible, and open to the public.”

A Community Vitality grant of $63,000 over three years will help the London InterCommunity Health Centre expand its successful peer-led program for newcomer women by incorporating childcare.

Known as Women of the World, or WOW, the program supports the healthy integration of newcomer women as they navigate the challenges of settling in London. The health centre currently hosts three WOW groups: a Farsi-language group for Afghan women, a Kurmanji-language group for Yazidi women, and a multicultural English language group.

A Community Vitality grant of $350,000 over three years will support LIFE*SPIN’s “Food Foundations for Self-Reliance” project which aims to increase food security among low-income families by expanding the organization’s successful food-focused programs: Community Food Box and the Pocket-Sized Farm. LIFE*SPIN (Low-Income Family Empowerment Sole-Support Parents Information Network) has been at the forefront of providing programs and resources to enhance the lives of low-income families through education, advocacy, and community building since 1989.

Forest City Gallery (FCG), nestled in the heart of London, has been a vibrant hub for artistic expression since 1973. As the only artist-run centre in London and Middlesex County, FCG stands as a beacon for emerging and mid-career artists seeking support, mentorship, and a platform to showcase their work.

An innovative approach to mental health support influenced by a model created in Zimbabwe, known as the Friendship Bench, is coming to the London and Middlesex area.

With a three-year $140,181 Community Vitality grant, the Canadian Mental Health Association  Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services (CHMA-TVAMHS) is introducing a new approach to support diverse French-speaking people, many of whom are newcomers to Canada from countries in Africa.

With their $150,000, two-year Community Vitality Grant, Changing Ways is continuing to employ a Community Engagement and Research Coordinator, a position initially established as a pilot project funded by the Government of Canada’s Community Services Recovery Fund.

In 2023 Ontario lost 62 women and children to femicide, with an overwhelming majority of these crimes being committed by men, with intimate partners being the most common perpetrator.

We’re excited to introduce Ivan Hu, this year’s recipient of the Rainbow Youth Leadership Bursary. This award recognizes young leaders for their outstanding efforts in promoting inclusivity and support for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. Here’s Ivan’s journey and their impactful work towards making London and Middlesex County a more welcoming community.

Leave a Legacy month, marked in May, is traditionally a time when non-profits encourage their donors to leave a gift in their will, but doing this isn’t the only way to help grow your legacy. London Community Foundation encourages sustainable, forward-thinking philanthropy, and part of that means thinking about the legacy of your fund. 

Donors who make a bequest to the Foundation or give a gift of life insurance become members of the Lorraine Ivey Shuttleworth Society(link to specific section in Legacy & Estate Planning) named after a philanthropist who embodied the spirit of building community by being forward-thinking.

The horrific and deadly attack on Our London Family June 6th, 2021, an act of deliberate hate-motivated violence that Judge Pomerance ruled an act of terrorism on February 22, 2024, profoundly devastated and forever changed a family, the local Muslim community, and the wider London community. A commitment to combat Islamophobia, address the depth of collective harm and trauma within Muslim communities and work towards safety and healing served as the heart of the generous Strong Together Fund donation to the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration (MRCSSI) by the London Community Foundation.

London Community Foundation (LCF) in partnership with the Lawson Foundation announced its creation of the LCF COVID-19 Response Fund – a collaborative effort to support our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Led by LCF with an initial contribution of $300,000, matched by the Lawson Foundation by way of their Miggsie Fund, through which they have been supporting the London community since 2005, the $600,000 fund will provide a central location for philanthropists, corporations, individuals and families to support immediate needs in our community that have emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.