The Dufresne Foundation $1 Million Charity Challenge
Dufresne is marking its 25th Anniversary by raising $1 Million for charity. We want to celebrate our success by supporting remarkable organizations who work tirelessly to improve the communities where we work, live and play.
We launched Dufresne’s $1 Million Charity Challenge in June 2011 with a plan to donate $500,000 to up to 50 charities with donations of at least $10,000 per charity. Each charity would then raise funds matching the donation we presented to turn $500,000 to $1 Million!
We received hundreds of application and were so amazed and inspired by the great work being accomplished in our communities we had to stretch our rules. We can’t say enough about the charities that applied. After much debate and discussion, we narrowed the list to 51 charities from across Manitoba and Ontario that shared our focus on supporting women, children and health care. Each charity will receive between $5,000 and $30,000 in funding.
Meet the Dufresne $1 Million Charity Challenge participants:
| Location | Charity name |
|---|---|
| Brandon | Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba Foundation |
| Brandon | Security Blanket Providers Incorporated |
| Dryden | Dryden Youth Soccer |
| Dryden | Grace Haven Lutheran Community Care Centre |
| Kenora | Firefly-Minto Resource Centre |
| Kenora | Lake of the Woods distirct Hospital community Program's Aamikkowiish Housing Project |
| Kenora | Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation |
| Kenora | Triple P.L.A.Y. |
| Ottawa | Interval House of Ottawa-Maison Interval d'Ottawa |
| Portage la Prairie | Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Portage la Prairie, Inc. |
| Portage la Prairie | Portage Family Abuse Prevention Centre Inc. |
| Selkirk | Camp Stepping Stones |
| Selkirk | Selkirk Community Library |
| Selkirk | Selkirk Food Bank |
| Swan River | Swan River Crisis Centre |
| Swan River | Swan valley Recreation and Wellness Centre |
| Thunder Bay | Health Science Centre Thunder Bay |
| Winnipeg | Adoption Options Manitoba Inc. |
| Winnipeg | ALS Society of Manitoba |
| Winnipeg | Alzheimer Society of Manitoba |
| Winnipeg | Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg |
| Winnipeg | Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg Inc. |
| Winnipeg | Canadian Diabetes Association |
| Winnipeg | CancerCare Manitoba Foundation re: Kendra's Walk |
| Winnipeg | Children's Rehabilitation Foundation Inc. |
| Winnipeg | Clinique Youville Clinic Inc |
| Winnipeg | Family Services of Winnipeg Inc. |
| Winnipeg | Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Inc. |
| Winnipeg | Health Sciences Centre Foundation |
| Winnipeg | Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba |
| Winnipeg | Holy Names House of Peace |
| Winnipeg | Jocelyn House Inc. |
| Winnipeg | Kids Help Phone |
| Winnipeg | KidSport Canada - Manitoba |
| Winnipeg | Manitoba Riding for the Disabled Association Inc |
| Winnipeg | Misericordia Health Centre Foundation Inc. |
| Winnipeg | Ndinawemaaganag Endaawaad |
| Winnipeg | Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre (Ducks Unlimited Canada) |
| Winnipeg | Osborne House Inc. |
| Winnipeg | Ronald McDonald House of Manitoba |
| Winnipeg | Shilo Military Family Resource Centre |
| Winnipeg | SMA St mary's academy |
| Winnipeg | Special Olympics Manitoba |
| Winnipeg | St Paul's High School Inc. |
| Winnipeg | St. Boniface Hospital Research Foundation |
| Winnipeg | The Horse Connection Inc. |
| Winnipeg | The Movement Centre of Manitoba Inc. |
| Winnipeg | The Tallman Foundation |
| Winnipeg | Winnipeg Habitat for Humanity Inc. |
| Winnipeg | Winnipeg Harvest Inc. |
| Winnipeg | Youth for Christ Winnipeg Inc |
Contact Information
Please feel free to call us at (204) 989-9898 or by email at charitychallenge@dufresne.ca if you have any questions about the Dufresne $1 Million Charity Challenge.
Canadian Diabetes Association:
Across the country, the Canadian Diabetes Association is leading the fight against diabetes by helping people with diabetes live healthy lives while we work to find a cure. Our community-based network of supporters help us provide education and services to people living with diabetes, advocate for our cause, break ground towards a cure and translate research into practical applications. For more information, call (204) 925-3800 or visit http://diabetes.ca/.
What the Canadian Diabetes Association is doing with their $20,000 donation:
With funding provided by Dufresne’s $1 Million Charity Challenge, the Association will work to reduce the incidence of diabetes in Manitoba and help save health-care costs by building our capacity to provide research support, outstanding programs, advocacy and valuable services, helping Manitobans live life to the fullest while living with diabetes. Manitobans living with diabetes face the highest level of out-of-pockets expenditure in the country outside of the Atlantic Provinces, averaging over $2,500 per year.
Camp Stepping Stones
In 2004, the Interlake Regional Health Authority established Camp Stepping Stones; a special weekend camp for up to 50 children aged 7 to 17 who have experienced the recent death of someone significant in their lives. The camp runs annually and is designed to provide a safe, supportive environment where grieving children and adolescents can feel free to share their thoughts and feelings with peers who have also experienced the death of a loved one. The camp is the first weekend of June at Camp Arnes, and is offered at no cost to the children attending or their families thanks to donations from individuals, the community and corporations like Dufresne.
What Camp Stepping Stone is doing with their $5,000 donation:
Through the Dufresne $1 Million Charity Challenge, Camp Stepping Stones received a $5,000 donation. This should cover half the cost of the weekend camp in 2012. However, by completing the challenge to match the $5,000, the camp will be support for the entire 2012 season and 50 children will be helped through the grieving process.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg provides caring adult mentors for children and youth in our community. Mentors are matched with children in on-to-one or group matches that are screened and continuously monitored by our agency. We served 663 children last year. But despite our increased success the demand for mentors is continually growing. There are currently 90 children waiting to be matched with a friend and that number is not declining.
We believe that changing the course of these young lives can in turn change our community’s future. Studies show that our mentoring services help kids stay in school, and this can eventually mean a reduction in poverty and unemployment. Help kids avoid risky behaviour such as bullying, which can lead to safer schools and neighbourhoods. And, help kids learn the importance of helping others, growing up to be more civic-minded adults.
Any donation of time or money can be the start of something BIG!
What the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg is doing with their $5,000 donation:
With funding provided by Dufresne’s $1 Million Charity Challenge, Big Brothers Big Sisters aims to reduce their 100 child waiting list.
This donation, along with the matching amount, will allow for more matches, including putting Bigs through the careful screening process, matching volunteers with children and support ongoing professional management of the matches. In the end, the aim is simple: provide a match for each child that wants one!
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Osborne House
Osborne House offers hope to abused women and children from all cultures, races, religions, income levels, age groups and sexual orientations. It is Manitoba’s oldest women shelter. They provide safety, shelter, comfort and support to up to 45 courageous women and their children at any given time. Osborne House provides all the food and supplies women and their children may need when escaping violence, including linens, toiletries, diapers and formula and emergency clothing. The safety of their clients is their number one priority.
In addition, Osborne House provides a Children Program. Through education, art and play therapy, outings and activities, the program teaches children healthy ways to deal with their angry feelings to help break the intergenerational cycle of abuse.
What Osborne House is doing with their $10,000 donation:
Osborne House is replacing almost all of the furniture used by their clients and their children. These women have fled their homes. Regardless of the horror they have escaped, they have still left their home, many empty handed.
The dollars provided by Dufresne will provide Osborne House with the opportunity to make the necessary purchases so their clients have a warm and comfortable living area to sit in. Book shelves will make it possible for them to have books, journals or whatever they like handy so that they can sit, curl up on a comfy chair and relax while working on the next phase of their lives… a life that deserves to be free from all forms of violence.
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