Tim Hortons Foundation Camps announces $5 million 5-Year Partnership to Support Black, Indigenous, and Youth of Colour from Toronto Communities in Need
TORONTO, Sept. 2, 2022 /CNW/ - Tim Hortons Foundation Camps (Tims Camps) announced today they have committed $5 million to a five-year partnership with Justice Fund Toronto, focused on supporting underserved youth. The partnership, kicking off this fall, will enable the two not-for-profit organizations to combine their resources to provide programming opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and youth of colour from under-resourced communities in Toronto.
Tims Camps is a Canadian leader in youth development programming with six exceptional campuses across Canada, built and funded by Tim Hortons owners since 1974. The Justice Fund was founded by Noah "40" Shebib, Yonis Hassan and Jermyn Creed to break the cycle of conflict in underserved communities by providing youth with opportunities to thrive.
Tims Camps has dedicated $5 million over five years to provide customized youth programming at two of its campus sites: Tim Horton Onondaga Farms Camp in St. George Ontario and the Tim Horton Memorial Camp in Parry Sound, Ontario. In addition, Tims Camps will provide its first-ever off-campus programming via after-school sessions at a new downtown facility to be opened by the Justice Fund. The Justice Fund will identify the youth, community organizations, and community chaperones to be included in the Tims Camps programming.
Racialized youth in Toronto are disproportionately impacted by poverty. While many youth benefit from a myriad of opportunities to grow and develop, many Black, Indigenous, and youth of colour are limited by their access to the health, academic, and social resources necessary to thrive.
"We're honoured our initial pilot program with Tims Camps has grown into a remarkable long-term partnership, with a bold $5 million commitment to provide accessible outdoor programming to BIPOC youth across the GTA. Our city is blessed to have leading non-profits such as Project FU, Artcity, Kickback Project — AND it's been a privilege to collaborate with these organizations through the partnership of Tims Camps, Justice Fund and 40 Foundation," said Noah "40" Shebib, Co-Founder of Justice Fund.
"Tim Hortons restaurant owners have spent decades funding our exceptional camp sites across Canada and youth programming that has helped more than 300,000 youth since 1974. This is the first time that we have entered into a major partnership to focus on helping a specific community in need – Black, Indigenous, and youth of colour from underserved communities across Toronto. This is also the first time that we will bring our exceptional youth programming off campus to a downtown facility in Toronto where we can serve youth after school and close to their own communities. The special programming we have developed alongside the Justice Fund will allow us to help these youth in need both downtown in Toronto and expose them to our exceptional facilities and camp experience in St. George and Parry Sound. The combination of downtown and at-camp programming will be a powerful experience that we believe will change a lot of lives and help break the cycles of poverty and violence that we see in these communities," said Duncan Fulton, Chief Corporate Officer of Tim Hortons and Chairman of Tims Camps.
"Programming developed in collaboration with community partners like Justice Fund allows us to merge our expertise and provide more impactful and effective services for the youth and communities we serve," said Katie Wheatley, Executive Program and Operations Officer at Tims Camps. "We know the power of experiential learning. Partnering with the Justice Fund will mean more youth have more meaningful opportunities to build critical skills and bring their strengths back into their communities to springboard real change."
This long-term partnership follows a 10-week pilot program from both organizations, developed in Fall 2021 that delivered at-camp and in-community programming to Toronto's historically underserved communities to foster positive connections, encourage civic engagement and build meaningful skill development.
"Justice Fund has created something truly special that puts youth and their communities first, working with Tims Camps, a brand known across Canada for decades of supporting youth in need through exceptional programming and experiences," said Yonis Hassan, Co-Founder and CEO of Justice Fund. "Based on what we've seen from the pilot last Fall, we know this program helps open up new ways of thinking and inspires them to make a difference in Toronto's underserved communities."
Tim Hortons® Foundation Camps is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1974 to expand the horizon of what is possible for young people. A leader in youth development programming, Tims Camps support youth from low-income homes between the ages of 12 to 16. Through a multi-year, camp-based program, youth learn skills like leadership, resilience and responsibility, which empower them to achieve their potential. With seven camps in North America that run year-round Summer and School Programs, youth are supported to thrive when they return home, to excel in post-secondary education, to succeed at work and to contribute positively to their communities. More than 300,000 kids have attended a Foundation camp at no cost to them or their families. For more information about Tim Hortons® Foundation Camps, please visit www.timscamps.com.
Justice Fund is dedicated to the social and economic wellbeing of communities within the GTA. Violence in Toronto continues to be an increasing challenge and youth who experience poverty are impacted more by this violence than any other demographic. Our team is committed to building safer communities by providing flexible, long-term support and advocacy to communities in conflict with the law, and to the community groups that serve them. We are built on the belief that when provided with opportunities to thrive, under-resourced communities become less violent, thus breaking the cycle of conflict. For more information on Justice Fund, please visit https://www.justicefund.ca/.
In 1964, the first Tim Hortons® restaurant in Hamilton, Ontario opened its doors and Canadians have been ordering Tim Hortons iconic Original Blend coffee, Double-Double™ coffees, Donuts and Timbits® in the years since. Over the last 55 years, Tim Hortons has captured the hearts and taste buds of Canadians and has become synonymous with serving Canada's favourite coffee. Tim Hortons is Canada's largest restaurant chain operating in the quick service industry with nearly 4,000 restaurants across the country. More than a coffee and bake shop, Tim Hortons is part of the Canadian fabric and guests can enjoy hot and cold specialty beverages – including lattes, cappuccinos and espressos, teas and our famous Iced Capps® – alongside delicious breakfast, sandwiches, wraps, soups and more. Tim Hortons has more than 5,100 restaurants in Canada, the United States and around the world. For more information on Tim Hortons, please visit http://www.TimHortons.ca.
SOURCE Tim Hortons Foundation Camps
MEDIA: For more information on the Tims Camps x Justice Fund Program, to arrange interviews, or a visit to the Tim Horton Onondaga Farms Camp, contact: Tim Hortons Foundation Camps: Shannon Hall, [email protected]; Justice Fund: Amanda Blair Roberson, [email protected]; Tim Hortons: [email protected]
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