Welcome to Cégep Heritage College Foundation’s Blog page, where news and perspectives on what’s happening with our efforts to support the College and its students will be shared. Be sure to check out the EVENTS page and our Facebook page also, in order to keep up with the excitement in between blog posts and see pictures of our latest accomplishments!
I’m a cheerful giver. Are you?
I especially enjoy giving when I know the gift is something the person receiving it really wants or needs. Ten years ago this month, a group of people saw the significant needs of Heritage College students and were inspired to give. They established the Cégep Heritage College Foundation so that their gifts could be combined with others from the community and their impact could be multiplied. At that time, Caryl Green, the first person to Chair the Heritage College Foundation, noted that the founders and the community were moved to help students who were going into debt to pay for basic needs.
Since that time, the Foundation has supported students by way of contributions to emergency financial assistance that pays for rent, food, transportation, school fees, computers and more. Some supporters of the Foundation have dedicated their giving to students in particular programs like nursing and STEM, and others have focused on encouraging students in Early Childhood Care and Education and in the Arts, in memory of loved ones who taught at or attended the College.
The early organizers had a vision of engaging the broader community both inside and outside of the College. Since 2 April 2013, Heritage College faculty and staff have given generously of their time as members of the Foundation Board of Directors and of Committees, as well as by giving through regular salary deductions and special fundraising campaigns.
In addition, federal, provincial and municipal governments and political representatives have given support to the College through the Heritage Foundation over the last decade. Local businesses, large and small, have seen the value of investing in the future of young people through generous donations to the Foundation that make a difference, as well.
As we celebrate the accomplishments of the last decade and lay the groundwork for the next decade, the Foundation is committed to partnering with the College and even more members of the community to contribute to the security and wellness of Heritage College students. Students themselves have identified ongoing needs for food and housing, transportation and specific wellness initiatives. In response to the need for food security so far this school year, the Foundation has contributed thousands of dollars to fill holiday baskets of food, has donated a large capacity freezer, and is looking to buy a refrigerator, as well as help to fill it on an ongoing basis. Housing security is next on the list of big items to tackle this year, so stay tuned for details about how you can contribute to those projects.
The organizing theme of this 10th year anniversary celebration is “The Power of 10.” Ten years of giving and investing deserves a shout out, especially to those who originally grasped and cast the vision of a Foundation to support Cégep Heritage College and the students who are pursuing their academic and vocational goals here. Join us at the College on Saturday, April 29th as we honor those visionaries at our Founders Reunion. Go to our EVENTS page and check out the Press Release for more information about the celebration.
This calendar year, our ambition is to multiply by 10 times the current individual donors, as well as increase to ten the number of governmental donors and businesses who decide to invest. We hope to raise another $10, 000+ in emergency financial assistance; to support at least 100 students with resilience & perseverance bursaries and practical supplies (e.g., soldering kits, stethoscopes, etc.); and to subsidize housing assistance for five or more Indigenous students, which would represent 10% of their number attending Heritage College.
We are going to need your help to develop and realize these objectives. Please consider participating in one or more of the celebratory fundraising events planned for this year and becoming a regular donor to the Foundation. We also will need volunteers to accomplish all our plans, so be in touch with the Foundation office if you have time and talent to offer.
Join the Cégep Heritage College Foundation Board of Directors in giving cheerfully and generously in 2023 to encourage Heritage College students to achieve their full potential now and over the next ten years!
The new Foundation Board recently elected in August of 2022 is gathering strength and making ambitious plans to grow its relationships and its impact, all to the benefit of Heritage College and its marvelous students!
Everything of lasting positive value that the Foundation accomplishes is made possible by the generous donations, both of material and time, made by parents, students, alumni, the College and its staff, local organizations, businesses, and the community at large in the National Capital Region and the Outaouais. We are grateful for all of you.
As the year 2022 comes to a close, the disciplines of resilience and perseverance have demonstrated their power to help both individuals and institutions find their equilibrium and keep moving forward. Indeed, the Foundation itself has had to be resilient and to persevere in its mission to support students as the Covid 19 pandemic and various challenges constrained its development, fundraising and community outreach activities.
Cégep Heritage College Foundation aims to provide awards and bursaries to students who exemplify resilience and perseverance as they confront obstacles and overcome barriers along the path to reaching their academic and career goals. Once again, this past Spring over fifty students benefitted from the generosity of the Foundation’s donors through bursaries and awards. We hope to increase that number in 2023!
Encouragement to pursue their studies or chosen career path can come in the form of financial assistance, but also through affirmation of a student’s inherent worth and contributions to the College community. Whether through student government participation or by academic and sports achievement or by just staying the course, many Heritage College students have continued their Cégep journey and finished well. There are others, however, who need more support and encouragement to pick up their studies and pursue their dreams again. We are working to find ways to help them do that.
Stay tuned in the New Year as we reveal exciting plans to celebrate the Cégep Heritage College Foundation’s 10-year anniversary. We will also be looking for talented, energetic Volunteers who match our passion for uplifting and empowering students.
Let’s keep building on our heritage--together!
