https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xePl5l3RIs&feature=youtu.be
Last week I joined almost 1,000 Londoners at the Pillar Community Innovation Awards to celebrate the people and organizations that are bringing “heart and solutions” to complex problems, promoting belonging and community well-being. I want to congratulate Pillar Non-Profit Network and lead sponsor Libro Credit Union, for taking the initiative 11 years ago and growing what has become one of London’s premier award nights.
This year’s award recipients include:
Positive Voice at Nokee Kwe, which empowers urban indigenous women through the development and sharing of positive narratives and stories.
Justin Tiseo, a John Paul II Catholic Secondary School student for organizing ONERUN in 2010, a student-led cancer fundraiser that has become a city-wide, week-long initiative, raising over $900,000 for cancer programs to date.
Community Engaged Learning at Western University, which provides students with hands-on experiences that connect classroom learning to social needs – bringing learning to life, helping students find their passion, and strengthening civic engagement.
“Baby’s Book Bag: Literacy Right from the Start,” a partnership between the London Child and Youth Network, the Kiwanis Club of Forest City-London and London Public Library that bonds families around the love of books.
And Childreach’s Wild Child, a free outdoor program that improves children’s social, emotional and physical well-being and builds resilience through risky play.
I salute each of these amazing award winners, as well as all the finalists, for the profound difference and lasting social impact they are making in our community.