For years, we at Village Media have worked to strengthen the communities we serve by doing good things - big and small - that make a difference.
From telling the stories of our neighbours that inspire others to act, to raising much-needed funds for local charities and delivering random acts of kindness to unsung heroes, we strive to use our platform to spark positive change and build meaningful relationships in the places we call home.
In an effort to further expand on this work, we are proud to launch a new section on our website dedicated to non-profit organizations.
The new Cares section offers space on our local news websites to highlight the non-profits and changemakers who come together, give back and ultimately make a positive difference in the community.
It provides a platform for these organizations to promote their fundraising events and initiatives, thank donors, recruit volunteers and share their stories.
As an added bonus, non-profits also get a free premium business profile with posting credits to connect with readers on our sites.
Beyond this, we also want to take further action ourselves to better our community, by harnessing our ability to make meaningful connections across our platform.
And since launching the section, we have already been very busy!
In honour of International Women’s Day this year, we collectively raised over $40,000 for women’s shelters and resource centres in ten of the communities we serve across the province. All of the money and gift baskets donated by our generous co-sponsors (consisting of local businesses in each city) and loyal readers stayed 100 per cent local, supporting centres and shelters within the community.
We also expanded our Random Acts of Kindness program to new communities in our network. Originally started almost 10 years ago on our Sault Ste. Marie site, we have now launched the program in Guelph and North Bay and are rolling it out in Orillia and Collingwood this month. Our teams on the ground had the pleasure of meeting extraordinary community givers, highlighting what they do in their respective cities and surprising them with some special gifts!
That is just the beginning! We are also introducing our Random Acts of Kindness initiative across six other Village Media-owned websites in the coming months.
Whether we are surprising deserving individuals with Random Acts of Kindness or filling the shelves at local food banks, our Cares program is here to uplift the community, spread positivity and give non-profit organizations the opportunity to share their messages.
Get inspired by reading our stories, checking out the latest Random Act of Kindness surprise or learning about upcoming events, fundraising initiatives and volunteer opportunities right here in our community by clicking the 💛 on the homepage.
Have a question about our Cares program? Reach out to Jasmyn@villagemedia.ca to learn more.
Are you a part of a non-profit organization that would like to hear more about how you can use our Cares section? Reach out to directory@villagemedia.ca to learn more.