Community - September 2024

Here’s a fun fact that those of us with more life experience will already know. It might be a something you share next time you’re playing Monopoly. 
 
When you pick up a Community Chest card, what modern and real life organization are you getting help from? 
 
Community Chest was a name adopted by a loosely affiliated network of nonprofits dedicated to supporting their local communities in the U.S. Over time, as they became more standardized, networked, and common in more cities (including Canadian cities) they adopted a new name that reflected their common aim in supporting communities. 
 
We know them today as the United Way. 
 
While they may not be helping us ‘advance to GO’ or win beauty contests these days, our local United Ways are important fundraisers, organizers, and leaders in communities across North America, including in the cities we serve. You might say they’re important in the game of life (the real one, not the board game). 
 
Lionhearts has a long-standing partnership with the United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, and we hope to build a strong partnership with United Way of Eastern Ontario in the year to come. We are honoured to be supported by them, and couldn’t do a lot of the things we do today without their partnership. 
 
The United Way is in the midst of its fall fundraising campaign, and we encourage you to look for opportunities to support them whether at your workplace, during their events, or in other ways that are appropriate for you. Know that by doing so in Kingston you are supporting Lionhearts and many other worthwhile organizations that we partner with on a daily basis. 
 
It became a bit of a cliché during the pandemic to say that we are stronger together or all in this together. Those type of commitments are easier to make for a season than they are for a lifetime. But these are more than slogans or catchphrases at our local United Ways - they are truly ways of being and doing. In fact, the original Community Chests were built on models of cooperation. The first ‘charity organizing society’, founded in 1887 in Denver, Colorado, was an interfaith fundraising effort supporting 22 charities, while Cleveland, Ohio’s Community Chest was started by the local chamber of commerce in 1906 to help coordinate the fundraising for 50 nonprofits in the area. 
 
It’s amazing to think that organizations that started with such a grassroots, organic desire to serve the community could become a household name across the continent. While I am sure those original Community Chest volunteers, donors, and leaders didn’t start out with a desire to make their names great, they have built an enduring name that inspires people to action and community involvement. We are benefactors today of their actions a century ago.

Thank you to our friends at the United Way, and to all those who support them and support us.

Travis Blackmore
Founder and CEO, Lionhearts Inc.

Kingston

Let 'Em Cook

We're extending our sincere thanks and appreciation to our partners at Kingston Gospel Temple! 

Lionhearts called KGT home for a number of years and, up until earlier this year, used the KGT kitchens to help sort and redistribute food as well as preparing...wait for it...an estimated 𝟱𝟰𝟯,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 over nine years! Wow!

Our thanks to the many volunteers, donors, and supporters of Lionhearts within the KGT community, including Pastor Phil Carroll and Shawn Seargeant who accepted this plaque commemorating our past and ongoing partnership. Joining them was Board Chair Corrie Abrams, as well as our Founder and CEO Travis Blackmore and COO Ben Kennedy.

Meet The Team - Jeff Babcock

We're excited to announce Jeff Babcock our new Senior Director - Kingston Operations. 

In this role, Jeff will have leadership oversight into our food, housing, and rescue programs. As a result of this change in Jeff's work with Lionhearts, he has exited his role as Chair of the Lionhearts Board. Our new Board Chair is Corrie Abrams.

Please join us in welcoming Jeff to the team in this new role. Make sure to say hello when you see him!

Ottawa

Friends in Hyatt Places

Thank you to the team from Hyatt Place Ottawa West that came through the Ottawa warehouse for a Day of Caring! They sorted four bins of food and goods, helping us to redistribute them to front-line service providers that much faster.

We're also grateful to the hotel for their food recovery contributions twice a week. Thank you once again to GM Alison Hunter and your team!

Ketchup With The Ottawa Farmer's Market

Say it with us now: I heart the Ottawa Farmers' Market from my head to-ma-toes!

Working with the Canadian Culinary Federation we recently participated in a chef tomato dish tasting competition at the Market. Six chefs from the Federation, including our very own Chef Stephen, created dishes with tomatoes which were voted on by the public. 

Proceeds from this exciting event supported our work - thank you again to the Ottawa Farmer's Market and everyone who visited this weekend!

London and Corporate

Our Partners Are The Cat's Pyjamas

We’ve now made our second round of deliveries in the London area which included a full pallet of pet food and other useful miscellaneous supplies, which were just purrfect for pet charities in the London area including the Humane Society London & Middlesex. 

Measuring Our Impact

$8 million in food and household goods rescued, supporting dozens of agencies in eastern Ontario.

An estimated 337,000 kilometres travelled by our fleet.

The return of The Embassy, Live Music Cafe Kingston, the opening of our Ottawa warehouse, and our debut into supportive housing.

2023 was amazing, and it's sowing a lot of the growth we're seeing this year. Check out our 2023 Impact Report, now available!