1. Thank you to the many volunteers who generously donated their
me to assist with fundraising events, administra on, promo on,
organiza on and clean up.
Thank you to our individual donors for believing in Hope’s
Garden’s mission and vision. Contribu ons made ensured that
par cipants had access to support services at no cost to them.
Many thanks to the London Knights for their con nued support of
Hope’s Garden. This year we raised $5000 through the London
Knights raffle!
2. A message from Outgoing Board Chair- Barb Aharan A Story of Hope
Through 9 years of recovery I now understand what it truly means to have hope; I
now hope each day that I will con nue to love myself more, accept myself as I am
and to grow stronger. I stand in front of you today hoping that others will break
their silence, fight against the s gma, reach out for support, and most importantly
to know that recovery is possible. By suppor ng Hope’s Garden this evening, we
are fostering hope and breaking the silence for those who suffer with ea ng
disorders to speak out and begin to have hope for their own recovery journey. -
Rachel
Rachel’s story of hope personifies Hope’s Garden mission – to inspire hope that
recovery is possible and it embraces the vision – awareness, voice and hope.
Awareness is key to dispelling the myths and reduce the s gma. We were
honoured to be chosen as charity of choice at The Power of the Purse in October
2015, the London Knights in February 2016 and the Breakfast Mee ng of Women
in March 2016. These opportuni es increased community awareness, increased
supports and services and increased the conversa on about this most complex,
most misunderstood growing mental health issue in Canada.
Voice - Suppor ng individuals to find their voice will build the confidence in their
abili es and decisions to have a healthy mindset. In September, “I am Enough”
fashion show was hosted at Idylewyld. Many of the models’ voices were heard
and inspiring stories shared.
. . .at the end of the day I know who I am and I accept every moment.. . .I’ve taken
my happiness into my own hand. . .I am enough, and so are you. – Caitlyn
This day was a fun filled celebra on of every body, all shapes and sizes!
Hope – Giving hope requires financial support from donors, funders and sponsors
for various events. We con nue to appreciate the support from the Trillium
founda on. These monies allow par cipants to access all programs and services at
no cost. We are very excited to announce Hope’s Garden recently received a
significant grant from Si on. This grant will enable the centre to serve more
individuals and reach more community organiza ons.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and Execu ve Director, Hope’s Garden is truly
grateful for the generosity of the community! Also, we extend our sincere
apprecia on to all our supporters for breaking the walls of silence about ea ng
disorders.
And on a personal note, a huge thank you to all the volunteers, facilitators and
staff for the quality work you do and the excep onal care that you provide.
And to the Board of Directors, my hear elt apprecia on for your energy,
determina on and never-ending support. Hope’s Garden has solid roots and firm
grounding because of you!
A note from Natasha Newby, Execu ve Director
“The most important word in the English language is hope” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Hope plays a powerful mo va ng role in healing. Researchers have indicated that
hope reduces stress levels and can inspire anyone to make posi ve change. That is
why I love being a part of an organiza on whose mission is to inspire hope for
recovery.
As the Execu ve Director for Hope’s Garden I have the honour of being apart of the
trusted “middle place” between a caring family/community and a par cipant
challenged with ea ng disorders.
Hope’s Garden has become a safe place for many to share their experiences,
discover their strengths and learn tools for developing posi ve mental health.
Hope is found here daily; in sharing, educa on and through the rediscovery our
own abili es.
Over the past year we provided support services to over 1,900 individuals. To
accommodate the needs of the community served we relocated, addressing
barriers to accessibility and to service. Our new loca on is equipped with an eleva-‐
tor and is a larger space, allowing us to offer more support programming, more
o en.
At Hope’s Garden “hope” has an important role in all that
we do. I look forward to being apart of inspiring hope as
we con nue to grow and meet par cipant needs.
Thank you to the
BMW for hos ng
the Denim and
Diamonds Gala,
raising over
$24,000 in support
of Hope’s Garden!
3. We would like to con nue to recognize the support given by the
Ontario Trillium Founda on. The impact of your support has
allowed us to increase our reach and impact, while building a solid
founda on to grow from.
Thank you to Sisters of St. Josephs for gran ng funds in support of
Inside Counts.
Thank you to Bring It and the Power of the Purse for selec ng
Hope’s Garden as charity of choice!
A huge thank you to KM Facility Services for the dona on of office
furniture!
Thank you to RBC for your con nued support by choosing Hope’s
Garden for your Day of Service !
Thank you to our 2015 event sponsors:
Idlewyld Inn, Glenda James Real-estate, Dance Steps,
I am Wear, Canabears, Siskinds, London Knights
Village Square Coffee House, BDO, Wright Hair Co.
Thank you to all the amazing businesses that contributed to our
events by dona ng prizes for our raffles and silent auc on tables.
Hope’s Garden provides support and resources to those
struggling with and affected by ea ng disorders. Ea ng
disorders are o en a coping mechanism to deep and
complex emo ons of ineffec veness, nega ve body image
and low self-worth. They can be fatal, robbing an individual
of their physical health, emo onal wellness and happiness
in rela onships. Our programs help individuals explore
feelings and behaviours while helping to encourage healthy
a tudes towards self-image and lifestyle.
Mission: Inspire Hope
Vision: Voice Awareness Hope
About Hope’s Garden
Programs and Services
Individual and Peer Support Groups
Facilitated Support Groups
A Library of Resources
Referrals to Community Services
Support for Friends, Family and Caregivers
Community Educa on and Awareness
The artwork throughout this report is created by art therapy par cipants
illustra ng the emo ons and feelings associated with ea ng disorders.
4. Hope’s Garden is excited to be chosen as charity of choice by the
London Knights for their annual golf tournament Friday, August
26th.
Hope’s Garden has received funding from Price Waterhouse
Coopers Founda on for strategic planning which the Kovacs
Group will be facilita ng.
The Breakfast Mee ng for Women hosted Diamonds and Denim
Gala raising over $25,000 in support of Hope’s Garden.
The Si on Family Founda on has granted $20,000 in support of
opera onal costs at Hope’s Garden, allowing us to hire addi onal
full- me support.
3rd Annual Theatre for Hope June 8, 2016
Port Stanley Festival Theatre
2nd Annual “I am Enough” Fashion Show
fundraiser
Aroma Mediterranean Restaurant
Sunday, September 25
1:00pm-4:00pm.
Exclusive Event, Limited Tickets $60 each
5. Thank you so much for the Hope I receive from walking into the office;
with every task, every chat and every smile. The energy, faith, honesty
and encouragement that is poured into services is empowering.
~Anonymous
Ever since I started a ending groups at Hope’s Garden (almost 2 months
ago), I have had a tremendous and no ceable improvement in my self-
esteem, self-worth and confidence. I have been able to communicate my
boundaries and feelings. I am able to reduce my stress through medita on.
I have developed a sense of commodore from Art Therapy. A sense of direc-‐
on from Inside Counts and I have strengthen rela onships from Ge ng
Grounded. ~Susan
Over the last year, together with Hope’s Garden we have learned and evolved our
partnership and our joint mentoring program for young people with lived experi-‐
ences of disordered ea ng. We are excited to share that we have re-branded the
program, now called “Lean On”. We are thrilled that we can now start to provide
a quality mentoring program in partnership with incredible supports Hope’s Gar-‐
den offers to the community.
Jessie Rodger, Manager, Service Delivery
Big Brothers Big Sisters of London and Area
6. Board of Directors
2015-2016
Execu ve
Barb Aharan-Board Chair
Shawna Cunningham-Vice Chair
Amanda Kincaid-Treasurer
Nadine Russell-Secretary
Danielle Lanoue-Secretary
Directors at Large
Erin Buchner
Samantha Elliot
Shirley Empringham
Kathleen Barnard
Leave of Absense
Jacqui Freckelton
Staff
Natasha Newby-Execu ve Director
Relocated to 202-219 Oxford Street West. This loca on is
equipped with an elevator, elimina ng barriers of accessibility.
The new space has allowed for us to run more programming
efficiently.
Hope’s Garden delivered in-service presenta ons to community
service agencies, schools and networking groups such as:
Fanshawe, Brescia, Chippewa Public School, Mission Services,
Sexual Assault Centre, Cargill Cares, Power of the Purse, Wood-‐
stock Ea ng Disorders Awareness Week Panel and more.
We par cipated in 3 Health and Wellness Fairs and 1 Panel
Discussion on Ea ng Disorders.
Partnered with Brescia and Western University to promote
Ea ng Disorders Awareness Week. The campaign theme was
“Choose Beauty”, facilita ng discussions that focused on
celebra ng individuality and redefining how we use the word
beau ful.
Hosted 2 student placements from Fanshawe College’s Social
Service Worker program, and 1 for King’s College Third Year
BSW program.
Raised $10,000 from our 2 signature annual events: Theatre for
Hope and I am Enough Fashion Show Fundraiser.
Supported over 1,900 individuals by providing educa on,
resources and tools.