The nomination window is open until Aug. 1. Twice a year, the group gives local charities a chance to win fundraising. Muskoka 100 People Who Care was built on the idea of 100+ people coming together to impact a charity through donations and promoting local awareness. Their next meeting is happening on Aug. 25 at the Windermere Golf and Country Club. The event will include a social hour and dinner from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and the meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. Organizers ask attendees to support the venue before the meeting and bring $100 for their donation.

Please follow this link to nominate and register for the event, or email muskoka100pwc@gmail.com.

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The meeting will take place from 7 to 8 p.m., and organizers encourage attendees to come and support the local restaurant ahead of the meeting. They also ask participants to bring $100 in cash to put in an envelope upon arrival. Attendees will receive a voting ballot once the envelope with their details and donation is returned to the registration desk. Once the presentation is complete, supporters will vote for their chosen charity, ballots will be collected and counted, and the chosen charity will be announced.

The presenting charities for this event are Muskoka Victim Services, YWCA Muskoka and MiND-AID Muskoka. Each will get a maximum of five minutes to speak about their charity and how they would use these extra funds if awarded to their charity.

The group formed last year to fill the void left when 100 Women Who Care in Bracebridge ceased operating. They meet twice a year to raise money for local charities. Last year, they raised $10,840 for Andy’s House hospice in Port Carling and $7,260 for Food4Kids Muskoka.

Click here to RSVP for the meeting. For more information regarding Muskoka 100 People Who Care, visit the group’s website.

Muskoka 100 People Who Care Raises $7,260 For Food4Kids

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“Our holiday fundraising has already fallen by 50%, and donors need more time to give,” says Lieut.-Colonel John Murray, territorial secretary for communications.

Funds raised during this period help to provide shelter, food, emergency disaster relief, and other vital services. A dramatic shortfall in donations jeopardizes The Salvation Army’s ability to provide these essential programs and services in the 400 Canadian communities where they serve.

The Salvation Army is urgently calling on the Government of Canada to take immediate action and extend the period in which Canadians can claim 2024 charitable donations to the end of February 2025.

“We request that Canadians be given additional time to support their favourite causes and assist charities in recovering from donation shortfalls,” says Lieut.-Colonel Murray

It’s a difficult time for many Canadians. In a recent survey by The Salvation Army, more than half of people accessing food banks are requiring assistance for the first time and parents with children are eating less so their children or family members have a meal.

“Given that, last year, more than three million visits were made to The Salvation Army for assistance such as food security, shelter and emergency disaster relief, the disruption in mail services is a big worry,” says Lieut.-Colonel Murray. “People are forced into impossible choices, having to decide between paying for food or rent, Christmas dinner or medication. The need for Salvation Army services continues to grow, particularly during the holiday season when so many individuals and families depend on us for support.”

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Local coordinator Heather Scott said they’re primarily looking for cash to fill the gaps in their existing boxes. They received a large donation of toiletry items from a local charity, so they’re covered on shampoo, body wash, hand cream and toothbrushes. They could use more empty shoeboxes and a slew of other specific items, so monetary donations go a long way in completing each box. The shoeboxes are filled with roughly $50 of gifts for women experiencing homelessness and other challenges.

“We really try to make sure that it’s good quality products inside that we would use ourselves,” Scott said. “We try to wrap it in beautiful paper and coordinated ribbon and make it a nice gift and a nice handwritten card inside that is very thoughtful. We want the person to open it and feel like this is a special gift just for them.”

Donors can provide individual products or fully completed boxes, so the volunteers make sure to go through every box to ensure they’re roughly the same value and level of care. Some shoeboxes come in overflowing with product while others may not have enough, so they redistribute items and purchase extra gifts to balance them out.

They also have to ensure that the boxes don’t contain alcohol, razor blades or any other items that could be a concern for vulnerable people. Some agencies also want boxes that are unscented or gender-neutral. Volunteers remove any sized items like pajamas because the boxes are given out to such a wide variety of agencies and people that they aim to include things like hats, socks, gloves and scarves that anyone can enjoy. 

Any items they remove get donated to local charities like food banks, but it does translate to a need for more gift items. Scott also wants to remind people that they’re seeking full-sized unopened products rather than hotel-sized products or previously opened items. 

“We appreciate everything we get, but some boxes come in and it’s almost like somebody has emptied their old bathroom vanity drawer of all the products that they don’t want,” she said. “We don’t want that. We want a nice gift for people to open, so those we’ll top up with the products that we have.”

The overall number of shoeboxes they’re aiming to make has risen to 1,612 for the year. Scott said that most of the time, they can count on donors to provide about 40 per cent of the completed boxes while the team of volunteers packs the other 60 per cent.

Many of the completed boxes they receive come from shoebox packing parties. Muskoka 100 People Who Care put together 146 boxes alongside a huge donation of individual products. They would have filled more, but like the project overall, they ran out of empty shoeboxes.

Longtime supporter Brandy Van Gelder from Huntsville has made a habit of throwing parties that generate dozens of shoeboxes each year, and this time around, she and her guests made about 160. The Town of Bracebridge and Muskoka Paint & Decorating also hosted parties.

They’ve received so much support from groups and individuals, but the hard part at the end is the discrepancy between different products. They may have plenty of shampoo but no loofahs or a plethora of socks with no hats. They also need to buy wrapping supplies and boxes from time to time, so every dollar and every volunteer helps them get to the finish line.

“We’re really nearing the end, but we can always use some extra volunteers, even just for a couple of hours to wrap and make boxes, even just some volunteers that want to come and just grab a load of cardboard and take it to the dump,” Scott said. “We don’t make a lot of garbage, but we do make a lot of cardboard.”

The volunteer team uses the Chapel Gallery in Bracebridge as their home base. They made a $400 donation to use the space, but Scott said it’s a nominal amount given the value it adds to the process. 

It’s a central location for the volunteers, who come from across the region, and it’s set up in a way that’s perfect for easy loading and unloading. The volunteers distribute the boxes to nearly 20 local charities including Christine’s Place, Muskoka Victim Services, Table Soup Kitchen and the YWCA.  

“We try to get them out as much as we can before December 1st, so the agencies have time to organize and distribute them,” she said. “We have a simple system where we start with the smallest agency and then we fill the biggest ones last.”

Their system helps them manage space throughout the shoebox season, but it also helps them ensure that the agencies with the fewest resources get their allotted boxes first. Still, with their progress so far, Scott feels confident that they’ll reach their goal. 

Many of their completed creations have already been distributed to local charities. They work hard to make sure each gift is beautiful inside and out, and it’s all more than worth it when they hear from the recipients. 

“Every time we drop off, we hear stories of people who receive the boxes that it’s the only gift they’ll receive this year,” Scott said. “This one woman, we were told that it was the first gift she received in years, so that’s why we do it.”

To learn more about the Muskoka Shoebox Project, or to make a donation, visit the project website. 

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Funds collected at these sites will help offset the cost of operating the water taps, support the future replacement of aging wells, and contribute to the local fire department, along with other municipal initiatives.

Staff would like to remind residents that public water taps are intended for filling personal containers with drinking water only. It has been observed that demand for water is increasing, with some users drawing hundreds of litres at a time without making any donations. Additionally, there have been instances of the taps being used for unintended purposes, such as washing vehicles, which places a significant strain on municipal resources and can create hazardous ice conditions during colder months.

“I want to emphasize that the water taps remain free for everyone. Our new tap-to-donate system just makes it easier for residents to contribute if they want to,” said Scott MacKinnon, Superintendent of Parks and Facilities. “We get that, in many situations, people want to donate but don’t always have cash on hand. So, we’ve made it a little easier. Just use the tap and tap to give!”

Cash donations are still being accepted at all three locations, and the new tap-to-donate system accommodates all major cashless payment methods. Users wishing to contribute more than the minimum of $2 may do so by tapping the device with their payment method multiple times.

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One screen will feature Frosty the Snowman, the 2018 animated rendition of The Grinch and A Christmas Story. The other screen will show The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Whichever lineup sells more advanced tickets will be on Screen 1. The gates will open at 6 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday with showtimes starting an hour later. The event will also feature candy canes, camp fires, visits from Santa and a range of Christmas cartoons in addition to the donation collection for Muskoka food banks.

“It’s just our way of helping, along with all the other businesses in Muskoka that also support the food banks,” said drive-in owner William Alexander. “What we’ve done this year is a little different.”

Locals can bring donations of cash or non-perishable food items for a chance to win season passes and other carload prizes. The number of raffle tickets donors receive is based on the size of the donation, and all proceeds will be split between local food banks.

Tickets for the event cost $20 per carload when purchased in advance or $25 at the gate. Tickets will only be available at the gate if they don’t sell out ahead of time, and they’re selling fast. Outside food and drinks aren’t allowed since concessions are one of the main sources of income for the drive-in, but the barbeque and snack bar will be open and offering specials to celebrate the last weekend. 

The onsite ATM is currently out of service, so Alexander reminds moviegoers to bring cash for same-day admission or any snack bar purchases. The event will go forward whether it’s raining or snowing, and leashed pets are welcome to join. Entry won’t be allowed once the movies begin, so attendees should make sure to arrive by showtime.

After a longer than usual season, Alexander and his staff are ready for a break. Every year they look at the operations of the drive-in to see what can be improved, so the offseason is a time of reflection. The team is hopeful for the future despite a drop in numbers.

“Unfortunately, it was down from last year’s attendance, which you always have to look with a critical eye,” he said. “Some of our corporate rentals went away this year, which unfortunately hit our bottom line, but we will be back next year, hopeful, cheerful and ready to entertain everybody.”

On top of entertaining, the crew at the drive-in tries to make sure they’re contributing to the community by helping local groups and charities. Sometimes that means providing donations of carload passes while other times it’s lending the land and equipment to use for events.

Alexander is donating use of the drive-in and its snack bar to the public schools in Gravenhurst on Nov. 10 so that they raise money for school improvements. The drive-in staff also donated carload passes to a school in Orillia to help support their breakfast program, and they regularly host fundraisers as well as a community market each Sunday during the summer.

Alexander said even though they try to be as involved in the community as possible, it doesn’t change the fact that streaming has impacted many people’s movie-viewing habits. Many indoor and outdoor theatres across the country have closed their doors for good, so he encourages people to continue visiting places like the Muskoka Drive-In in Gravenhurst and the Norwood Theatre in Bracebridge.

For one thing, it’s more enjoyable to experience movies with a crowd, he said. But there’s also the added experience of seeing a movie outside. If the drive-in is screening a horror movie, attendees get to witness the film while surrounded by trees and darkness. During their Christmas showings, a dusting of snow can make movie moments feel that much more magical. A rainstorm during a film like Twister puts viewers right in the action.

“I just hope that people don’t just keep streaming movies or watching it on their phones, because that’s not the way to watch a movie,” he said. “Movies are meant to be seen on the big screen, and hopefully they’ll keep embracing it.”

In past years, Alexander spent the off-season working as a grip on independent movies and shows like Working Moms, Murdoch Mysteries and Good Witch. Grips assist with camera and lighting tasks on set, doing things like reflecting lights, pushing dollies and guiding steady cams. Though he has many fond memories of the job, he’s looking forward to a slower winter season.

“I retired last year from it, so this year I just get to do accounting and watch movies over the winter. Hunker down, get ready for spring,” Alexander said. “When the drive-in’s ground decides to stop swallowing cars, we’ll be open again.”

Visit the Muskoka Drive-In website to order tickets.

The post Muskoka Drive-In Accepts Food Bank Donations During Christmas Blast appeared first on Muskoka411.

Each year, the project has donors put together boxes with about $50 worth of gifts for local women experiencing homelessness and other struggles. The organizers behind Muskoka 100 People Who Care decided to host a shoebox event after hearing local coordinator Heather Scott present about the charity at their last fundraising meeting. The Shoebox Raiser will be at the Port Carling Community Centre from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 3. Scott got the chance to see the donations the group has received so far on Oct. 11, and it blew her away. Weeks ahead of the event, they already had a storage unit full of products.

“That’s a huge start, which is absolutely amazing,” Scott said. “We can’t thank them enough.”

Scott said it was intimidating to present at the meeting since most charities involved have a formal corporate structure and the Shoebox Project is a more community-based effort. Still, the results have been worth it, even though they weren’t chosen for that round of funding. 

Aly Brown, one of the founders behind Muskoka 100 People Who Care, worked with her father Paul Feick to source donations for the Shoebox Raiser. From there, it became a ripple effect. Feick’s friend Gary Kimmel donated 150 President’s Choice and Tim Hortons gift cards through his business Kimmel Sales Limited. 

Another friend, Derek Sutton, worked with his team at Quality Home Products to donate shampoo, hand cream, toothbrushes and bath products. Because they provided around 1,700 of each full-sized product, the donation amounted to five skids and 5,210 pounds worth of supplies.

The items were originally in Bolton, so representatives from Cavalier Logistics, volunteer Mike Elchyshyn and Muskoka 100 People Who Care founding member Marion Mochrie donated their time to transport it all up to Muskoka. Baycrest Distribution provided a truck and trailer to move the products, and Dan Brown at Proline Rentals & Bins gave them a storage unit to use ahead of the event.

How often does the project receive donations of this size? “Oh my gosh, never,” Scott said. They’ve had plenty of shoebox packing parties, but never to the scale of the Nov. 3 event. “Most parties are like 25 to 50 boxes, so what [Muskoka 100 People Who Care] is trying to do is by far the biggest.”

Given the complexity of the boxes with gift-wrapped presents, handwritten notes and a balance of items, getting a donation of just one shoebox makes a substantial difference, Scott said. The Muskoka Shoebox Project officially kicks off its season on Nov. 1, so having 150 boxes to start their count is huge. 

Any products that aren’t packed at the event will be donated to the project at large. Scott won’t be able to make it on Nov. 3, but her fellow volunteer Christina Clayton and others from their team will be there to help guide people as they pack.

“I’m so sad to miss it, but Christina will be there,” Scott said. “We’ll have a couple of other Shoebox volunteers there to go through and check all the boxes before they’re wrapped, put our little shoebox stamp on it, and then take them away.”

Brown said it was great to visit the storage locker and show Scott what they’re working with. When the donors and volunteers who helped gather it sent photos of the donated product, Brown was amazed to see how much had come together.

It was even better to see the look on Scott’s face when she saw the skids of products. Scott also showed Brown the list of agencies that need support, so it was neat for her to get a sense of what charities they’re working to help.

Other people and businesses in the area have contributed on top of the thousands of items that were donated through Brown’s connections. Locals have donated socks, lip balm, wrapping paper and tissue paper. The Artisan Trading Post in Port Carling donated bracelets, and Food4Kids Muskoka provided sweet treats and tea bags. 

Food4Kids Muskoka was another one of the charities that presented at the Muskoka 100 People Who Care meeting, and this kind of collaboration is exactly what the founding members were hoping to foster.

“It is our vision and our dream to have these kind of connections and open communication with these charities that we didn’t know about or that are just starting off too,” Brown said. “It’s incredible to see people rally and support and want to get involved.”

The fact that most of their support has come from a few phone calls is astounding, she said. Several Muskoka residents were key in making it happen, but so were a number of people who live outside of the area. She’s grateful to her Ontario neighbours near and far for pitching in.

They have more than enough of most products at this point, but the group still needs donations of the actual shoeboxes as well as volunteers to help move and pack the items. Because the boxes include handwritten letters, it’s a great way for people of different ages and backgrounds to get involved in the process, potentially even for community service hours.

“It doesn’t have to be women or men,” Brown said. “You can have your kids involved and be part of this event in our community as well.” 

Brown and her fellow founding members were happy to see the project surpass its goal last year, and she hopes their efforts will make an even bigger impact. While their aim is 150 boxes, they’d be happy to surpass it.

They’re feeling inspired after seeing people give their time, money and more for the Shoebox Raiser. They started their planning by looking at the example shoebox on the project’s website, so their hearts are full given what they’ve been able to accomplish so far and they can’t wait to see what happens when they come together next month.

“We just started there and have been able to go over and above what the Shoebox Project in general considers as the perfect shoebox,” she said. “We feel overwhelmed by the amount of support from our community and the extended hand from other communities that have pitched in to help our event.” 

Visit the Muskoka Shoebox Project website for more information on how to donate, and see Muskoka 100 People Who Care’s website for more details on the group’s mission.

The post Muskoka 100 People Who Care Hosts Shoebox Raiser On November 3 appeared first on Muskoka411.

Local coordinator Heather Scott said she and her team have contacted the charities they partner with to determine the need for shoeboxes, bringing them to their initial goal of 1,500 boxes. The shoeboxes are personally assembled gifts with about $50 worth of products including full-sized toiletries, gift cards, hats and scarves, and other little luxuries. The boxes are distributed at shelters, food banks and other local agencies. The need for boxes often grows as the season continues, so every donation goes a long way.

“As we’re going, we’ll get a few more calls to say, we need 10 more, we need 20 more,” Scott said. “We keep going until we don’t have any money left or any product left.”

She and the other volunteers are getting an early start by accepting monetary and in-kind donations at the Forest Hill Real Estate office during the Cranberry Festival from Oct. 18 to 20. Donations of items like shampoo, conditioner, mascara, hats and gloves will receive an entry for a chance to win a luxury gift basket. 

It’s Scott’s third year working on the local Shoebox Project but only her second without the support of past organizers. It can be daunting to look at the target number of shoeboxes, though she’s feeling hopeful after last year’s success.

“You’re wondering, are you going to make it? And then we did, so now we actually have a little more belief that we can do this and we can bring the community together,” she said. “We live in a very generous community that gives back.”

At the end of last year’s season, the volunteers made a final delivery of 400 boxes. The feeling after all of the shoeboxes were delivered was one of joy and relief, Scott said. It’s heartwarming to know that they’ve put smiles on the faces of people who might not have many sources of joy around the holidays.

The Canadian branch of the Shoebox Project was founded in Toronto in 2011 to support women experiencing or at risk of homelessness. While they still want to honour the core mission of the project, Scott said they’re hoping supporters will create some boxes with a slightly different recipient in mind.

“The Shoebox Project is originally intended for women, but we have a very diverse community,” she said. “It would be nice if we could do some gender-neutral boxes to help be fully inclusive.”

A common way to contribute to the Shoebox Project is by hosting gift-packing parties. People will come together to wrap items, write notes and pack up boxes, sometimes through work or school and sometimes just as an activity between friends. 

Muskoka 100 People Who Care, a recently formed charity that promotes and funds local causes, is hosting a Shoebox Raiser event on Nov. 3. The group will meet in the upper level of Port Carling Community Centre from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. 

They’ve collected a massive amount of donated products and gift cards, so they’re aiming to pack 150 boxes and donate the rest of the products to the project at large. Every box makes a difference in the life of a Muskoka resident, so donations big and small all come together to make for a bit of community cheer during Christmas.

“We really appreciate when a family comes in and they bring in one completed shoebox,” Scott said. “They all add up and make a difference, but when a group like this comes and does 150 when we’re trying to get to around 1,500, that is just huge.”

Visit the Muskoka Shoebox Project website to learn more, and follow the project on Facebook for regular updates.

The post Organizers Gear Up For Start Of Shoebox Project Season On November 1 appeared first on Muskoka411.

“While clothing donations are always appreciated, household items are especially in high demand right now,” said Ted Troughton, Managing Director of The Salvation Army Thrift Store. “We’re encouraging people to look around their homes—whether it’s cupboards, basements, garages or storage lockers—and donate gently used household items like kitchenware, small appliances, and home décor that they no longer need.”

Beyond public calls to action, The Salvation Army Thrift Store has expanded its efforts by partnering with businesses and community groups to host donation drives and increase engagement with corporate donors. These initiatives are part of a broader strategy to ensure that thrift stores remain stocked with quality products and to continue supporting Salvation Army programs through store-generated funds.

When individuals donate or shop at a Salvation Army Thrift Store, they make a real difference by supporting life-changing programs like food banks, shelters, and emergency disaster relief services—all while promoting sustainability by giving items a second life.

“We rely on the generosity of Canadians to help us continue making a positive impact in your communities,” said Troughton. “Together, we can ensure that no one’s home is empty, and everyone has the opportunity to access what they need.”

For those interested in donating or finding the nearest Salvation Army Thrift Store, visit www.thriftstore.ca/locations.

The post The Salvation Army Thrift Store Calls For Increased Donations Amid Ongoing Growing Demand appeared first on Muskoka411.

The playground, which was more than 25 years old, needed some accessible pieces and equipment for junior and intermediate students. The School Advisory Council (SAC) had been fundraising for about eight years. The school’s name and story were submitted to the Shania Twain and Marner Assist Foundations in February. Understanding the importance of outdoor play, both foundations stepped up to donate the $65,000 required to make this dream a reality for MacTier Public School.

The new playground is a circuit system, featuring climbers, monkey bars, balance pieces and a wheelchair gondola.

Former principal Leisa Wheaton says the community has been outstanding over the past eight years. “As a SAC and through our community, we have raised 35k of the 100k. We are so grateful for their ongoing support and look forward to finally having this project installed!” she says.

The Near North District School Board is grateful to the Shania Twain and Marner Assist Foundations for their very generous support of this accessible playground for MacTier Public School.

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