By Varsha Joseph
“What does being part of a not-for-profit organization like the Oakville Community Foundation mean to you?”
This was the question that was posed during my interview for my internship at the Oakville Community Foundation.
I couldn’t think of any definitive answer as I lacked prior experience in the sector, so I responded, “well, it is a different kind of feeling when you are able to see the direct impact of something that you do being reflected in your community.”
My answer was proven right during the 2024 GIVEOakville Charity Showcase — an event that brought Oakville’s spirit of generosity and togetherness to life. Walking into the venue on November 17, I felt like I was stepping into the very heartbeat of the Town.
The event, hosted by The Foundation, served as a platform for charities to connect with the community and showcase the incredible work they do to address local challenges. With more than 100 attendees, the charity booths were buzzing with enthusiastic conversations. Charities connected with each other on possible collaborations and also included interactive activities that invited engagement from the general public.
The local charities in Oakville, tackle a variety of causes— from mental health support and youth programs to environmental conservation and cultural initiatives. Attendees could meet charity representatives, learn about their missions, pledge their support and donate to causes that echoed closer to their heart. It was heartwarming to see Oakville’s residents engage so passionately with these causes, proving once again that this town is driven by empathy and action.
As a Communications Intern at The Foundation, my journey with this event began long before the showcase. I stepped right into the preparation for the event. On my first day, I was entrusted with designing a creative and engaging event passport. It wasn’t just about aesthetics; I had to ensure every design choice reflected The Foundation’s brand identity.
With guidance from Courtney, our Social Media and Communications Specialist, I explored ideas on Canva, carefully selecting fonts and layouts that materialized the organization’s values. I curated a Passport designed to guide attendees during the event, allowing them to collect stamps from the charity stations they visited and note their favorite charity. If selected in the draw, their chosen charity would receive a $100 donation to their charity of choice from The Foundation.
The most rewarding project for me was the “Tree of Oakville”, an idea that I pitched to the Communications team. The concept was simple yet meaningful: a tree where attendees could hang leaves inscribed with what they loved most about Oakville. This interactive activity symbolized community pride and it tied in beautifully with the Foundation’s climate report.
Michael, our Director of Communications, supported the idea and encouraged me to design the poster for it — a task I embraced excitedly. And, not to my surprise, most of the attendees were happy to share their favourite aspect of the Town– the community.
This was reiterated in every aspect of the event, throughout the showcase; whether it was when Mayor Rob Burton and Minister Stephen Crawford encouraged the crowd to support the causes of their local charities as a community, or how the attendees were proud to have come together as fellow members of the Town, or even how the beneficiaries were looking forward to explore more ideas on how to contribute better towards the community.
Another highlight was the VR experience, which allowed attendees to witness Oakville’s environmental evolution through an immersive journey. The animation — developed by a talented team from Sheridan College — showed how human actions have impacted the environment over time and emphasized solutions for combating climate change.
As a Sheridan student, I felt immense pride representing both my school and The Foundation in a cause so crucial to our times. Besides, watching the attendees, young and old, marvel at this experience was incredibly rewarding. It underscored the importance of linking modern technology with meaningful storytelling to inspire change, something that The Foundation has been doing for years now, through their strikingly unique projects.
One such project was the Debwewin project, which was the collaborative brainchild of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Oakville Community Foundation. This project raises questions about Oakville’s Truth, “using many methods to educate through videos, cultural mapping, art, story-telling, place-making amongst others”. This includes questions such as: “What happened to the local Treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation?” It was a testament to the importance of making a commitment to the seven grandfather teachings, the driving force behind Debwewin.
Another highlight was my first-ever experience drafting and posting event news on local platforms under the guidance of Taline, our Communications and Events Manager. Drafting and posting event news on local platforms was a new experience for me, and the thrill of seeing my content shared publicly was unmatched.
But the most powerful moment for me was witnessing the community in action. GIVEOakville 2024 was more than a showcase; it was a celebration of what we can achieve when we come together. It highlighted the generosity, kindness and the collective spirit of Oakville’s residents.
The event reinforced the importance of initiatives like this and reminded me how grateful I am to be part of the Oakville Community Foundation. As a Communications Intern and a member of this community, I couldn’t be prouder to have played a role in such an inspiring event.
