WELLINGTON COUNTY – Volunteers in Wellington, Dufferin and Guelph work together to ensure Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) students have access to funds they need to succeed.
The Upper Grand Learning Foundation (UGLF) is a registered charitable organization “dedicated to improving educational opportunities for students within the UGDSB” said trustee Jen Edwards.
“We are committed to ensuring all students have access to the funds they need no matter what their circumstances,” said UGLF president Jennifer Waterston.
The foundation raises and distributes funds to fill gaps left between government funding, school supports and community resources, she said, stepping up when “parents have no idea where else to go.”
The foundation’s Freedom to Achieve award helps students with myriad needs, including providing funding for end-of-year trips or for medical equipment such as hearing aids and glasses.
The award has even been used to purchase a bed for an UGDSB student, Waterston noted.
“Principals are usually pretty in tune with the kids and families,” she said, and will notice when a family needs help.
And principals contact the UGLF to explain the need and see if they can provide support.
When people donate money towards a school initiative such as a nutrition program or even a new playground, the UGLF collects the funds, providing charitable tax receipts to donors.
It then holds the funds in trust until the school is ready to receive the money, at which point it is distributed.
It also holds funds in trust for scholarships that high schools distribute to help empower students to attend post-secondary education.
The UGLF is not part of the UGDSB but “sits beside it,” Edwards explained.
“We have our own board of directors and make our own decisions,” Waterston added, but the foundation exists “specifically to help UGDSB students.”
The foundation is seeking volunteers to sit as community members on the board of directors.
Volunteering with the foundation is “very rewarding,” Waterston said, noting they are able to support kids in families that have exhausted other options.
The board meets once every other month for about an hour over Zoom.
“We are always looking for people with fresh fundraising ideas,” Waterston said, or anyone with a desire to contribute time to the foundation.
Community board members do not need to have any affiliation with the UGDSB.
To inquire about joining the board, contact UGDSB executive assistant Angela Alies at 519-822-4420 ext. 860 or angela.alies@ugdsb.on.ca.
To donate to the UGLF visit uppergrandlearningfoundation.com/contribute.
