40 Years of Impact

In 2018, Loving Spoonful set out to impact more people with its transformative cooking program, Cooking Connections.

The program uses cooking lessons and good food to bring together people living with mental illness and/or substance use challenges. Participants attend an 8-week course, where they learn strategies to combat stigma and build confidence, self-acceptance and connections within the community.

All of the Peer Facilitators who lead Cooking Connections are graduates of the program. Their lived experiences and involvement in the program allow them to build greater connections and create safe spaces for participants.

With the help of an OTF grant and working with multiple community partners, the program grew into other communities, helping more individuals improve their well-being.

“This [program] is teaching us how to let the world see the awesome person that we are deep inside, as well as teaching us how to deal with stigma when it should arise… All in all, Cooking Connections is nothing short of miraculous.”
– program participant

In 1999, funding from the Ontario government increased to $100 million to further strengthen the non-profit sector – increasing our reach and enhancing the impact on communities.

Eligibility was expanded to include organizations in the arts and culture, sports and recreation, and environment sectors. Funding increased to support more rural communities and different types of projects – benefitting people of all ages, experiences, and cultures.

Local Grant Review Teams were established across Ontario to ensure diverse perspectives and experiences are included in the grantmaking process.

Today, we work with over 300 volunteers who help deliver fair and transparent grant recommendations.

Thank you to our volunteers, past and present, for your commitment to building healthy and vibrant communities!

In 2013, Writers Collective of Canada partnered with an established charity and applied for—and received—its first OTF collaborative grant. 

The grant enabled them to expand the reach of its unique, empowering writing workshops to those most vulnerable. 

Ten years later, the program has reached over 7,000 individual writers who have engaged in over 25,000 writing workshop experiences.

Participants who attend the writing workshops tell their stories often for the first time. Through writing together and deeply listening to one another, they create deep human connections, bridging differences which seem otherwise unsurmountable. 

The impact reaches many vibrant and diverse Canadian communities – reducing isolation, building community and resilience for underserved populations in need.

“Your support has inspired the expression of thousands of unheard voices in
traditionally silenced communities throughout [Ontario]. Writing together, we change the world.”
- Susan Turk, Founder, Writers Collective of Canada

Since 1982, our Trillium logo has gone through a few changes. What hasn’t changed? Our values and commitment to supporting Ontario’s diverse communities.

Did you know that the White Trillium – Ontario’s iconic provincial flower – has five native species in our province and is a favourite food of White-tailed Deer? Learn more fun facts about the White Trillium from Ontario Parks.