:: Newsletter ::

This year Windsor Homes Coalition’s is celebrating 33 years as a community-based non-profit provider of affordable housing. The organization was established in May of 1975 as the Windsor Coalition for Development Incorporated, and was charged with a mission to combat poverty and promote justice. Father Robert Warden, Reverend Edgar John Insley and Father Robert Charbonneau were the organization’s first Directors. Over the years the agency that they created has grown dramatically. Today the Windsor Coalition houses some 220-250 people in its 108 decentralized residential units, and each year assists 2,000 to 3,000 needy Windsorites through its housing services, community food bank, coat distribution and other programs.

Community Volunteer Income Tax Program

We will host the free program 8-day clinic in partnership with Canada Revenue.  This years dates are: March 3,4,6,7 and 10, 11, 13, and 14 between 1:30 to 4:00 pm.  Just call the office for an appointment.  This program is for low-income families who make under $30,000.00 per year.

Kids Summer Day Camp 2008

For the past sixteen summers Windsor Homes Coalition Inc. has operated a summer day camp program for children aged 4-10 years. Targeted firstly at the children of WHCI tenants, but also open to participation by the children of low-income households at token fees. The 5-week program offers a fun-filled agenda of recreation and learning activities designed to yield new friendships and fond summer memories and healthy snacks for kids whose summers might otherwise be pretty dull.

Over 25 children participated in last year’s program which included weekly swim days at Remington Booster Pool, plus numerous field trips including visits to the Children’s Safety Village, Silver City, Walker’s Candies and Rose Bowl.

Every year we hire 4 Day Camp Councilors.  So if you are looking for a summer job, give us a call for more details.

Kids First Food Bank

L&H Diversified Mfg. Inc.

This company has chosen our “Kids First Food Bank” to provide fresh milk on a weekly basis.  Our food bank served over 3,500 people last year.
We have taken a new direction, by ensuring basic food needs are met, with milk being one of
these needs.

If you would like to sponsor Bread or Milk this year please contact our office.

Thank you to L&H Diversified Mfg. Inc., for sponsoring our Milk program this year.

Woodslee Credit Union

This year Woodslee Credit Union created the Farms to Food Bank initiative donating over $75,000.00 to the project.  With this Farmers are providing fresh produce such as apples, and potatoes and ground beef on a weekly basis to over 20 food banks in Essex County.

Thank you to the Farmers that are participating and special thanks to Woodslee Credit Union and their staff.

LCBO

This year we partnered with six LCBO stores to host a month long food drive for us during November.  Over 2,000.00 lbs of food had been collected.

Thank you to the stores that participated:

"Kids Golf Fore Kids"

Possible May or June Date.

Harley Owners Group Toy Ride

The 19th annual Kids Toy Ride, organized by the Windsor Chapter of the Harley Owners Group (HOG), took place on Saturday, September 8th. Some 150 riders participated in this year’s ride, which started at Hooters for breakfast followed by a two-hour tour of our beautiful county and ended at Thunder Road.  The participants were treated to a BBQ, live music and plenty of door prizes. All told, the 2007  “Kids Toy Ride” contributed some two hundred toys, and more than $1,500 in cash for WHCI’s Christmas program. Our thanks go out to the Windsor Chapter of HOG and to all of the participating riders. Thanks to their efforts our kids had a great Christmas.

Coats for Kids Distribution

WHCI will once again be participating as a major clothing distribution outlet for the 2008 “Coats for Kids’ program organized by the Unemployed Help Centre. Last year WHCI provided over 350 families with more than 1600 winter coats, hats and other outdoor clothing items.

Typically the clothing made available through the program includes not only children’s coats and accessories, but also a limited number of coats for parents. High school students who need 40 hours of community service as a graduation requirement can secure some of the required hours by volunteering to assist with this program.

Many thanks to the South Point Hockey Teams (Wheatley & Leamington) for collecting hundreds of coats for this program.

WHCI Christmas Program

 Include the annual Children’s Christmas Party, Christmas Food Baskets and other elements of WHCI’s Annual Christmas Program including family adoptions for Christmas (see below).

Children’s Christmas Party

This year we had 90 people attend 68 were children who received a gift from Santa.
Our entertainment this year was Trixie The Clown and Roger Miner on Sax and Lori Sanchez singer.
Many Thanks to Santa & Mrs. Claus

Adopt-A-Family for Christmas

Our Family Sponsorship Program encourages companies, families and individuals to “Adopt” a family for Christmas. WHCI provides sponsors with a profile of a family along with a list of clothing sizes and the children’s wish list requests. The sponsor then purchases the requested items to the extent possible, which are then dropped off to WHCI and delivered to the family by WHCI on the sponsor’s behalf. This year we were able to secure sponsors for 36 families. How Wonderful. This Year we were able to sponsor 3 Senior Families, they were equally as excited as our children, what a joy to see.

Thank you to all the companies, and individuals who shared in this year’s event.

Special Thank You to General Motors for sponsoring our senior’s families.

Christmas Food Baskets

This year over 100 of our tenant families received Food Baskets and another 25 volunteers and community requests were filled.

Special Thanks to Canada Boarder Services Agency and Enwin Utilities for their special efforts to fill our baskets.

Holiday Train

Once again this we participated with the Windsor/Essex County Food Bank Association and
CP Rail Holiday Train. This community food drive event brought to the city 20 boxcars decorated with thousands of lights for the holidays, with entertainment provided by CPR and free hot chocolate sponsored by Starbucks for everyone.  Over 3,000 people attended and we collected a truck full of canned goods for 20 local food banks.