1. Opportunities Waterloo Region

 On September 12, approximately 80 people joined us to kick off the 10th season of the Community Conversations Series (CCS), co-hosted with ALIV(e).  John Stapleton, senior policy advisor to the Social Assistance Review Committee and the Minister’s Advisory Group on New Legislation, was the presenter.  A lot of great ideas to change the social assistance system were generated!  A report has been compiled, distributed to the CCS participants, uploaded to our web-site and submitted to the Social Assistance Review Commission.  John’s presentation can be viewed here.

 On November 22, presenter May Wong of the Omega Foundation presented information about the SmartSaver program and how low-income families can access free money via the Canada Learning Bond.  Participants from the non-profit, education, and government sectors provided their input on how they might integrate Canada Learning Bond animation and support in Waterloo Region, both within their ongoing programs and in collaboration.  You can learn more about the SmartSaver program here.

Mark your calendars for the rest of the 2011-2012 CCS season:  January 24, March 20, and May 15, 2012

 We are pleased to present 3 new publications! 

The Magic In Being ALIV(e) – read about the collaborative effort being made by Opportunities Waterloo Region and ALIV(e) to increase the voices of people with lived experience of poverty in their community.

Collaborative Partnerships Sprout Community Gardens - highlighting the contributions made by Opportunities to increasing the capacity of local community systems (while at the same time increasing food security).

Increasing Access to Free Tax Clinics in Waterloo Region makes good economic sense! - An evaluation report on the Pilot Project conducted for the 2010 tax season.