Page 3 - Huronia Community Foundation - 2025 | 2026 Annual Report

Message From

The Executive Director

I would like to share with you my thoughts Having the opportunity to
as I retire after seven years as the work closely with the local
Executive Director at Huronia Community philanthropic community has been
Foundation. a once in a lifetime experience. The
work they do often goes unnoticed and
In August of 2019, I “unretired” after unfortunately, unappreciated. To all of them
my 21 year Municipal career and found I say continue to fight the good fight.
myself heading up an organization that
was approaching its 20th anniversary of To all the Board members and community
supporting the most vulnerable in our volunteers I have had the pleasure of
community. HCF, the “charity for charities” working with a simple thank you doesn’t
was exactly that. What started as a dream seem enough. Through the difficult
of John Gammell, with one fund, has now times, the ups and downs and the daily
grown into an organization that provides challenges of working in a charity you were
financial support to approximately 60 local always there to help me. Your efforts have
charities each year through the generosity put HCF in a position to thrive and grow.
of 85 fund sponsors.
While I am retiring this is not the end of
Having been an active community my involvement at HCF. Stay tuned.
supporter through my radio career and
eventually as the Mayor of Tay Township, Thanks again,
I found the opportunity to work closely
with the charitable sector very exciting.
Of course after only seven months that
excitement gave way to uncertainty as Executive Director
the pandemic shut the world down and left
all of us wondering what the future would
hold.

COVID-19 exposed the cracks in the social
network and intensified the needs of
local charities and organizations in North
Simcoe. The community was hurting and
it was the perfect time for HCF to step up
and lead the recovery. By partnering with
the Federal Government we were able to
provide over $350,000 in financial support
to over two dozen local charities.

Most recently the creation of the Heart of
Georgian Bay Community Forward Fund
has supported over two dozen charities
and provided, for the first time, multi-year
funding which has provided an even greater
“impact” in our community.

HCF ANNUAL REPORT 2025-2026 | 3