Branksome Alum 2024 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Season’s Greetings from Branksome Hall
As the holiday season approaches, your Branksome Hall Alumnae Association is thrilled to present the fourth annual Holiday Gift Guide, curated to help you find the perfect gifts that bring joy and celebrate our community.
Branksome alums continue to make their mark across Canada and around the world, leading innovative companies and creating exceptional products. This guide showcases the incredible work of our former students, highlighting their achievements and offering you a chance to support their ventures.
Additionally, explore unique branded items from the Branksome Hall Alum Shop, perfect for showing off your Branksome pride and sharing it with loved ones.
As President of the Alumnae Association, my goal is to strengthen the Branksome alum community and foster connections. We’re growing and creating new events to engage everyone. Continue to look out for invitations to diverse events throughout the year!
We encourage you to get involved and discover how you and your business can be featured in the future. Reach out to us at alum@branksome.on.ca.
Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a prosperous new year!
Warm regards,
Alex MORTON’09 President, Branksome Hall Alumnae Association
Dear Branksome Hall Community,
Amidst the bustle and excitement of the holidays, it’s with great joy that I introduce our fourth annual Holiday Gift Guide. This year’s guide is a celebration of the incredible talent within our Branksome Hall Alumnae Association, spotlighting the many inspiring businesses that our alums have created. It offers a wonderful opportunity to support these small businesses and non-profits, showcasing the innovative spirit and passion that so many of our graduates bring to their work.
I encourage you to explore the offerings in the Holiday Gift Guide and consider supporting our talented alums. Their businesses reflect the same values of creativity, resilience, and excellence that we nurture here at Branksome Hall, and your support means so much.
This season is a time for connection, reflection, and gratitude. It’s a time to gather with family and friends, to cherish the moments that bring us joy, and to extend kindness to one another. As we move into this festive time, I want to express my deepest gratitude for this beautiful Branksome Hall community. Being part of this school has been a true gift to me, and I feel incredibly fortunate to share in the warmth and generosity that define our community.
May this holiday season bring you peace, joy, and meaningful time with your loved ones. look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the new year, and I am so thankful to be part of this remarkable community.
Warmest wishes,
Grace McCallum Principal, Branksome Hall
BRANKSOME ALUM SHOP
Located in the historic Coach House on the western side of the Branksome campus, The Shop is home to spirit wear and unique branded gifts - perfect for alums to show off their Branksome pride! All purchases support the Branksome Alumnae Association Endowed Bursary needs-based student financial aid to deserving individuals who wish to attend Branksome.
KEEP WELL THE ROAD CREW
The classic Branksome crest is featured in tone on tone on this ultra comfortable crewneck. Whether out for a walk with your Branksome buddies or working outside, this crew will be your go-to for cozy comfort time and time again.
To complete the look, pair it with our Knit Headband. Available in sizes Adult XS to Adult XXL
$55
branksomealumshop.ca AVAILABLE AT
BH SCARF
Red, green, black and white, see our colours in the fight. Toss ‘em high, toss ‘em low, come on Branksome, go, go, go! Stay warm and show your school pride with your rugby-style inspired Branksome scarf.
$30 branksomealumshop.ca AVAILABLE AT
BH BOAT BAG
This fashionable, yet durable, crested tote features multiple outside pouches, a top zipper closure, an inside pocket and the opportunity to customize it to you with beautiful embroidered text.
$80 Custom
$65 No Embroidery
AVAILABLE AT
TASTE OF THE HOLIDAYS
Veira is a
VEIRA‘05
Mordecai
Sip and savour your way through the holiday season with something for every foodie. Lean into the whimsy of the holiday season with Bar Mordecai’s new advent calendar. Featuring 24 days of cocktails and treats, ranging from gimlets to old fashioneds, drams of scotch to boozy milk tea. All the cocktails are shelfstable and easy to assemble. All you need is ice and a glass! This is the perfect gift for the cocktail lover in your life. Or, even better, treat yourself to the perfect daily night-cap.
bar-mordecai.myshopify.com | @barmordecai
in the Canadian hospitality industry and co-owner of Bar Mordecai (#5 on Canada’s 100 Best Bars, #40 on
Bars). She is also an award-winning spirits/wine/hospitality educator, named 2022 World’s 50
Roku
Icon, as well as the bar and beverage curator for Restaurants Canada (2018-current). Looking for the perfect mix of beer to bring along to your holiday parties? From light to dark and a bit of sour, The Exchange Brewery’s holiday 12-pack has a little bit of everything for everyone! These holiday boxes were created for beer lovers to gift, host and even enjoy as a blind tasting. Robin RIDESIC‘99
Michelle TESLIA O’Brien‘03 Aiyana Nutrition
Aiyana’s healthy, prepared meals are designed to add ease to your day. With a simple online cart-to-doorstep delivery service, Aiyana exists to provide moms, women and families with nourishment, no matter how busy life gets.
As a mother to three young daughters, Michelle saw a void in the food-delivery market for busy families. By launching Aiyana, she became committed to supporting and nourishing those who needed it most. It brings Michelle great joy to help lighten the weight on parents and women during a busy or stressful time, even just a little bit.
Laya BAIL‘06 Sunday Farms
Enjoy a curated assortment of Sunday Farms’ favourite cuts of 100% grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken and heritage pork. All of Sunday Farms’ meat is raised outside on regenerative pastures, fed their natural diets, without any harmful chemicals or additives. You’ll taste the difference! Want to pick your own cuts? You can also order à la carte from their website. Sunday Farms also offers wild-caught seafood and prepared products made by local chefs with only the highest quality ingredients.
Founded by husband-and-wife team, Charlie Iscoe and Laya Bail, Sunday Farms is one of the largest direct-to-consumer providers of pasture-raised meat and wild-caught seafood in Ontario. Our mission is to support healthy lives through good food by making it easier to access ethically-sourced food with all of the good and none of the bad. Less than 2% of meat in Canada adheres to our standards, but we’re here to change that – that’s why we dig deep into agricultural standards, so you don’t have to.
Jocelin DESJARDINS‘01 Stainless Sea
As a family doctor and mom of four, the safety and health of her kids is always top of mind for Jocelin. That’s why she started Stainless Sea, a purpose-driven business offering a line of stainless steel utensils for kids that are safe, kid-friendly, non-toxic, durable and easy to clean. They’re also sustainable, recyclable and eco-friendly. Products are crafted exclusively from high-quality, food-grade stainless steel, which is inert and will not leach into your food or body. Plus, a portion of the profits go directly to charities helping to conserve our lakes and oceans. stainlesssea.com $24.99 - $29.99
Cynthia PETERS‘80 Maison Maitland AVAILABLE AT maisonmaitland.com
Relax and rediscover your inner chef at the historic Maison Maitland, just three and a half hours east of Toronto. Stay in spacious European-inspired, two-bedroom luxe villas and join in the fun at one of their awardwinning cooking classes. Gift certificates available for classes, villas and packages. Perfect for couples or a girls’ getaway!
SEASON OF STYLE
From the streets to the slopes, these stylish fashions and homewares will impress the most discerning eye on your list.
Dress to impress this holiday season with the new PENN. x Meredith holiday collection. This collection marks a true celebration for the plus-sized fashion community. Bringing together Meredith Shaw, a model and plussized fashion icon, and PENN., 70-year experts in the space, this collection represents what the plus-sized fashion lover is looking for and will empower everyone to sparkle this holiday season.
AVAILABLE AT
www.penningtons.com $79.95 - $169.95
As a television host, radio personality, fashion designer, and advocate for all bodies, Meredith Shaw is breaking down the status quo and leading a powerful conversation that is changing the game. As the co-host of Canada’s most popular morning show, Breakfast Television, Meredith wakes up the country with her signature wit, warmth, and wardrobe. She was Head Girl at Branksome and graduated in 2000. The Alessandra Pant is a classic insulated ski pant that fits you like nothing you’ve tried before.
Karelle STEINER‘04 Halfdays
$375 AVAILABLE AT Meredith SHAW‘00 @halfdays
PENN. x Meredith Holiday Collection Alessandra Pant
halfdays.com & Sporting Life locations across Canada
Karelle is the co-founder of Halfdays. Featured in Vogue, Travel & Leisure, Wall Street Journal, and SKI Magazine, Halfdays is a sustainable ski-wear brand for the modern woman.
Wendy SPENCER‘85 Ajouts
Toronto-based company, Ajouts, designs and manufactures women’s tops locally, focusing on small production runs and using organic or sustainable fabrics whenever possible. Their innovative interchangeable sleeves allow customers to zip them on and off, mixing and matching to create multiple looks. Go from a dog walk, to a meeting, and straight to cocktails—all with one shirt! Each of these three-in-one tops comes with both short and long sleeves, transforming from a vest to a short-sleeve top, and finally to a long-sleeve option.
Sweatshirt - Blue or Black
$475 Linen Top - White
Wendy created Ajouts because, like many, I found myself constantly reaching for the same comfortable tops, wishing I could wear them for play, work, or party. Her career has spanned several industries and Ajouts offers the flexibility to run her business while being available to support her father.
Ginny
WRIGHT
Seymour‘02 ALIGNE
Rachel BU‘10 Authorne
Embrace the joy and whimsy of the season with Authorne, a brand that celebrates the sense of wonder and playfulness that’s so unique to childhood. With the launch of its first holiday collection, bring that spirit of play into your life this season. No matter your age, may the sparkle of these pieces bring joy to you and your loved ones. For Rachel, the Christmas season is filled with wonder and play—twinkling lights, shimmering New York City streets, and the warmth of a glowing city. In revisiting her most iconic holidays, Rachel reflects on three key memories: The Christmas Tree at Lincoln Center, The Star Atop the Tree at Rockefeller Center and the Gingerbread Cookies at Bryant Park Holiday Market.
THE CHRISTMAS TREE AT LINCOLN CENTER
18k Yellow Gold, Pave Tsavorite, Tree Shaped Lab-Grown Diamond
$350
The Edit embraces strong shapes, subtle shine, and vibrant shades of green and red during the holidays. This season’s selection of full skirts, shift dresses and signature denim are tied together with festive embellishments.
THE STAR ATOP THE TREE AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER 18k Yellow Gold, Pave Yellow Sapphire, Star Shaped Lab-Grown Diamond
Ginny Seymour is a dynamic retail executive who has combined forward-thinking strategies and cross functional teamwork to enhance the customer experience across international businesses. Ginny studied Political Science at the University of Western Ontario, before moving to NYC to become a buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue. In 2020, Ginny left her life in Canada to embark on a new adventure with her British husband, venturing into start-up DTC consumer brands. During a broad career path, Ginny has discovered a passion for sustainability, which was deepened whilst completing a course in Sustainability Leadership in Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies, at the University of Cambridge Institute.
GINGERBREAD COOKIES AT BRYANT PARK HOLIDAY MARKET 18k White Gold, Pave Blue Sapphire, Gingerbread Man Shaped Lab-Grown Diamond Both Authorne and Rachel thrive by embracing dichotomies, drawing strength from the balance between provocation and grace, masculinity and femininity, extravagance and substance, as well as audacity and restraint. authorne.com| @authorne.ny
$1,500 AVAILABLE AT USD EACH
Chloé GORDON ‘05 & Parris GORDON‘08 Beaufille
Founded and designed by sisters Chloé and Parris Gordon, Beaufille translates to “handsome girl” and symbolizes the contrast between masculine and feminine elements, the combination of hard and soft. Beaufille’s dangling sphere ear cuff is handmade from .925 sterling silver and slips on - no piercing required!
Susannah BLEASBY‘91 Artist
Susannah Bleasby is a Canadian artist living and working in Hamilton, whose work is exhibited and collected worldwide. Her new collection of designer tea towels is a lovely way to add a touch of class to everyday chores and bring a flourish of florals into your kitchen. Raised in a British home – land of ye olde tea towel - by a mum who bought, used, gifted, shared and collected artful tea towels, tea towels feel like a natural extension of her work. They are printed in the UK on luxury white cotton, are machine washable and hemmed on all four sides. They make thoughtful and unique holiday or birthday presents, as well as perfect housewarming gifts for anyone who loves a lively touch of design in their kitchen.
Designer Tea Towels
Suetables designs, creates, hand stamps and engraves meaningful high-quality jewelry. Its curated collection houses both Suetables-branded original jewelry designs, product collaborations with likeminded creators and soulful brands with whom it shares a similar philosophy. Delivering happiness, connection and support for self expression to our community ‘one charm’ at a time. Suetables believes in creating a community filled with storytelling, setting intentions and innovation, and leads the way in demi-fine jewelry in Canada. The company has been featured in Fashion Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Chatelaine, Marie Claire and more.
spot. It led the movement of ‘demi-fine’ jewelry at a reasonable price in Canada, made from real metals with no allergies. And they are inspired to bring meaning and quality in all that they do. suetables.com | @suetables $30 - $1,200
Kelly McDOWELL‘06 Clementines Luxury shop.susannahbee.com | @susannah_bee_art $22.50 AVAILABLE AT clementinesluxury.com | @clementinesluxury
Scent your home with these unique, hand-hammered vessels made in the south of France. Mad et Len pot pourri comes in a hand hammered iron case with a black fumé finish. Volcanic basalt lava rocks absorb the unique scent and carry it throughout your space.
Mad et Len Pot Pourri Apothicaire Petit Lava: Terre Noire
AVAILABLE AT Kelly McDowell attended Branksome Hall from Senior Kindergarten in 1993 until her graduation in 2006. After dipping her toe into the world of digital advertising and e-commerce, Kelly made her way back to luxury retail in 2014 and opened Clementine’s in partnership with her mother.
Holly Ear Cuff
WELLNESS & SELF CARE
Make time for yourself after the whirlwind of holiday parties, shopping frenzies and year-end deadlinesor give the gift of wellness and self-care to someone who needs it.
Zoë PALIARE‘03
trove
With backgrounds that combine deep experience in law, leadership coaching, entrepreneurship, people and culture, education and commercial real estate, Zoë Paliare and her co-founder Tanya Kololian left the corporate world to pursue their shared passion for holistic wellness. Zoë and Tanya always share that they created the space that they both so deeply desired but couldn’t find - a wellness retreat in the heart of Toronto, designed to offer rest, renewal and nervous system regulation to city dwellers and leaders. Drawing inspiration from the world’s top retreats and wellness spaces, they curated the best of the best across multiple modalities and experiences, all brought together under one roof with their first location in downtown Toronto. Their retail space also focuses on female-founded brands that allow guests to bring their wellness experience home.
UNWIND + RECHARGE RETREAT
$650 ($814 VALUE)
Unwind and recharge from the stress and overwhelm of day-to-day life with this retreat designed to offer you a full physical and mental reset. This 4-5 hour experience includes:
• 25-minute infrared sauna + cold plunge in our private suite
• 15-minute red light therapy
• 60-minute deep tissue or aromatherapy massage
• 60-minute facial
• Energy IV drip
• 1-restorative class (meditation, sound bath, breath work, restorative or yin yoga)
COZY HOLIDAY RESET GIFT BOX
$195 ($210 VALUE)
• Santo Candle (grounding and relaxing, notes of palo santo, vetiver + line, found exclusively at trove in Toronto)
• Zen chocolate by Joya
• Ashwagandha + chill tea by Lake & Oak
• $100 gift card to trove
Both options include complimentary delivery within the GTA, either to you or directly to the gift recipient.
Andrea DINNICK‘85 Desavery
This is no ordinary body oil. Enriched with fig seed oil from the sun-baked hills of Provence, Garrigue Body Oil boasts a soft floral aroma with herby notes of wild cypress and juniper. It glides on smoothly, sinks in deeply, and delivers the ultimate pamper session. Treat yourself or treat a friend. Shipping is easy for Canadians, with duties and shipping covered!
desavery.co
After graduating from Branksome, Andrea attended McGill University and started her career as a journalist for CBC and CTV. She eventually moved to London, UK, where she worked at Disney managing its television business. After almost 30 years in London, she moved to Austin, Texas. She has three children and is married to Andrew Kennedy. Andrea started Desavery about six years ago with a desire to create and grow a business. Her sister Sarah DINNICK’83 designed all her packaging and branding for the business.
Brittany SMITH Gallant‘09
böva
böva is a wellness brand dedicated to creating premium tallow-based products that nourish the body inside and out. With a focus on clean, natural ingredients, böva offers a range of skincare and cooking products designed to enhance health, vitality and radiance. Rooted in tradition, böva combines timeless ingredients with modern wellness, helping people embrace a simpler, more nourishing lifestyle.
$34 AVAILABLE AT The Balm Scented or Unscented $18 Garlic Cooking Tallow $17 Original Cooking Tallow
$62 - $125 AVAILABLE AT bovanatural.com or at local Canadian Small businesses
Brittany took her learnings from the corporate world to co-found böva, a tallow-based wellness brand, and is the founder of Smith Collective, a professional development consultancy. While at Branksome, she was the Community Service Prefect.
Robin TAYLOR‘89 Trailside Yoga
Robin teaches a hatha-based yoga practice focusing on alignment and awareness of the breath. Her studio is a yurt in the trees located in Caledon, Ontario and the classes are also available online. She strives to make her classes accessible and to provide a combination of movement for the body and stillness for the mind.
$60 AVAILABLE AT 50% OFF ANY CLASS PASS FOR MEMBERS OF THE BRANKSOME COMMUNITY
1 hour in the yurt for a private group $80 - $100 1 hour at your location (DEPENDING ON LOCATION)
trailsideyoga.ca
Garrigue Body Oil
Jordyn BENATTAR Menkes‘11
Vanessa EVANS‘96
B Well Bespoke Guided Mindfulness Journey
Become a high-performing leader and communicator with Jordyn as your private coach. Every 1:1 session is designed to help you lead, impress and connect in your next meeting, conversation, pitch, presentation, keynote, panel, interview, negotiation, podcast, networking opportunity, media appearance or virtual engagement. Includes monthly 60-minute private sessions over a half year or full year that enable you to be a confident, compelling and captivating communicator. Sessions are highly tailored and responsive to your specific journey, challenges and goals.
$3,500 - $15,000
Private Coaching
Your all-in-one ticket to speak well. An online learning experience that transforms people into world-class communicators who own the room. Includes:
• a complete public speaking mastery program that improves your public speaking skills and executive presence
• lessons on: mindset and confidence, how to structure your speaking points, captivating hooks to begin your presentations, foolproof solutions to build your content, how to engage audiences through verbal and physical delivery tactics, how to overcome speaking nerves, and more
• lifetime access to all course videos to watch and re-watch on your own time
• digital Speakwell Accelerator workbook, containing templates, toolkits and frameworks for each module
• a continuing action plan to ensure your sustained, long-term growth and development post-Accelerator
• opportunity to receive discounted private coaching
• certificate of completion, demonstrating your graduation from the Speakwell Accelerator program!
LEARN MORE OR GIFT A SESSION
THE SPEAKWELL ACCELERATOR: A TRANSFORMATIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKING COURSE letsspeakwell.com
$1,300 + HST
Jordyn Benattar is President of Speakwell, a premier, global public speaking coaching and training firm that transforms people into world-class communicators. Clients range from lean startups to Fortune 500 companies. Jordyn, who began her speaking career at Branksome, is also a nationally acclaimed speaker, lawyer and award-winning film and television actress.
Bring some relaxation and peace to your loved ones, or perhaps a child’s favourite teacher, to show your appreciation and give them a much needed break to enjoy some deep, restorative relaxation over the holidays. Each journey will be personally curated for your recipient and will focus on releasing any present stress, tension or worries to allow them to invite in what they most desire, and feel relaxed and restored. Following the session, they will receive a recording of their bespoke guided meditation, along with personalized wellness activity prompts to continue journeying and infuse a greater sense of wellness into their lives. Once purchased, a digital personalized certificate, along with a booking link, will be emailed so that it may be forwarded, or printed out, and gifted to your chosen recipient.
$50 AVAILABLE AT
Vanessa is the founder of B Well Now, a certified Mindfulness Teacher, and a Health and Wellness Coach who has been transforming and inspiring the lives of the children, youth and adults she’s served for over 30 years. She has developed a robust portfolio of unique and engaging wellness programs for children, including: Storybook Expressions, Fabulous Fairy Expressions and Mindful Monsters, which have run in schools locally, at Branksome Hall and in other Toronto and international public and private schools. She supports adults, many of whom are parents and/or teachers, with mindfulness-based workshops, courses and life coaching programs, and further supports her neurodiverse clients, and their families, with her transformative Mindful Awakening Therapy.
Speakwell
bwellnow.ca
BRANKSOME BOOKSHELF
GIVE THE GIFT OF GIVING!
‘Tis the season of giving and we asked Branksome alums to share their charities and non-profit organizations because nothing helps put you in the holiday spirit better than giving back.
The Redwood theredwood.ca
The Redwood provides programs and services to support women and children to live and thrive without abuse, homelessness and poverty. It works for social change through learning, collaboration and advocacy. Guided by our values of self-determination, anti-racism and anti-oppression, The Redwood provides services inclusive to all women and their children, trans, and gender-diverse individuals who are disproportionately impacted by gender-based violence. The Redwood is also committed to providing education to individuals of all genders including cis-gendered men, who wish to work together to end gender-based violence.
Julia COLUCCI‘10
Manager, Women in Trades and Technology (WITT) Programs
Children First Canada
@theredwoodto childrenfirstcanada.org @children1stca | |
Children First Canada is a national charity that aspires to create a country where children can grow up free from the barriers that prevent them from achieving their full potential – starting with the protection of their most basic rights to childhood. We are changing the lives of 8 million children for the better through research and raising awareness of the challenges that kids face, and by educating, inspiring and empowering the next generation of leaders and changemakers to develop innovative and groundbreaking solutions.
Sara AUSTIN‘93
Founder and CEO, Children First Canada
Dress for Succes toronto.dressforsuccess.org
Dress for Success Toronto® is part of a global movement for change. We are a local affiliate of an international not-forprofit organization operating in over 150 cities in 30 countries. Since 2009, we have helped over 20,000 women in the GTA transition from unemployment to economic independence. We work together with agency partners, corporate sponsors, individual donors, and over 300 dedicated volunteers to create real impact in women’s lives.
Kati HICKL-SZABO Bradshaw‘82 Volunteer
Stepping Stones:
Another way to make your mark
Consider this rare chance to leave a legacy on a new Branksome building’s donor wall. Inscribe your name on a creatively designed, three-dimensional Stepping Stone that will live for generations as a part of a beautiful donor wall in the iCAST lobby. Leave your legacy at Branksome while also supporting our students.
Learn more, see which fellow Branksome community members have already reserved a stone and select yours today at steppingstone.branksome.on.ca!
Alum Wall Coming Soon, an opportunity exclusively for our alum community!
Join together for this traffic-stopper of a donor wall. This opportunity hasn’t come around since the Athletics & Wellness Centre was built in 2015 when we offered up external pavers to our alums.
We want you to have the first sneak-peek of this unique wall. Located on the West side of the iCAST facility, your name, along with your fellow alums, will join together to form the letters BH.
It’s a larger-than-life message for all to see: Our alums form the bedrock of our community!
Madeleine is an aspiring non-profit leader with a keen interest in the social impacts of storytelling, honed through her theatrical background at Branksome and beyond. She returned to Branksome recently as a Make Way Campaign Assistant. Previously, at Queen’s University, she completed her BA (Honours) in Media and Performance Production, Certificate in Business and Graduate Diploma in Arts Management. She also led local non-profit initiatives in Kingston, solidifying her interest in philanthropic leadership.
What she wants to move forward with:
Returning to Branksome as an alum fills me with nostalgia and gratitude. During my first Reunion, I learned about the exciting changes taking place, from the new iCAST building to the arrival of our new principal, Grace McCallum. It struck me that, like me, Branksome has grown and evolved since I graduated five years ago. After the reunion, I eagerly sought to learn more about what the future holds and jumped at the chance to join Branksome as a Campaign Assistant.
In my role, I witness our community’s enthusiasm and generosity in raising the bar for girls’ education. As a student, I watched the Athletics & Wellness Centre transform from blueprint to building, with my name and those of my classmates’ engraved on plaques inside and on the exterior paving stones. Now, I truly understand the significance of our legacy and its impact. I take immense pride in working on similar initiatives in the iCAST, such as the Stepping Stones Donor Wall and the upcoming Alum Wall, helping shape the student experience for future generations.
Madeleine SMITH’19
Campaign Assistant, Branksome Hall
Rainbow Songs Foundation rainbowsongsfoundation.org
Rainbow Songs Foundation provides free and high-quality music education and music therapy for children, youth and caregivers living in Greater Toronto Area shelters. This holiday season, we are seeking donations and sponsorships of all sizes that will empower us to provide even more innovative and inclusive programming.
Sarah SAHAGIAN‘04
Foundation Director, Rainbow Songs Foundation
Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s WonderKit Shop allows you to send support to children, youth and families involved in child welfare, such as a toy for a child or a student backpack. When you purchase an item in the WonderKit Shop, you can send an e-card to a loved one letting them know you’re supporting children and youth in their honour –perfect for the holidays!
Jane TAYLOR Durno’89
Director, Gift Planning & Ailis HAMILTON’91
Senior Manager, Major Gifts
George Hull Centre for Children and Families
georgehullcentre.ca | @georgehullcentre
Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s WonderKit Giving Shop cafdn.org
The George Hull Centre for Children and Families is a leader in children’s mental health, supporting over 5,000 children and families in Toronto annually. Serving children from infancy to age 18, and their families, we offer expert care in family therapy, childhood trauma, outpatient clinics, live-in and inhome programs, school supports, and preschool speech and language services. In 2020, we launched Canada’s first Institute of Childhood Trauma and Attachment, and this fall, the SAFE-T program for interfamilial sexual abuse. Highly regarded for our clinical excellence and standard of care, we are changing the trajectory of children’s mental health.
Seana MASSEY‘87
Chief
Development Officer, George Hull Centre for Children and Families
OceanFolx oceanfolx.com
OceanFolx works in partnership with local women in Lombok, Indonesia, teaching them swimming, surfing, and ocean safety skills. Our programs aim to empower women, prevent drowning, and foster environmental stewardship, helping to build stronger, more sustainable communities by the ocean. $300 helps cover the cost for one woman to participate in our 2025 program, which includes swimming lessons, surf training, and ocean safety education.
Madison BOLT‘16
Founder & Executive Director, OceanFolx
Majengo Canada is an organization based in Toronto, which supports the operations and vision at Majengo Children’s Home (MCH), a home and community centre in Mto Wa Mbu, Tanzania. MCH supports vulnerable children and families facing multidimensional poverty. By offering education, healthcare and capacitybuilding programming, Majengo aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to empower the community and break the cycle of poverty. Currently, over 310 children and families benefit directly from Majengo’s programming, with thousands more involved in annual capacity-building programs and health clinics.
Simone LEE HAMILTON‘05
Executive Director, Majengo Canada
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
Majengo Canada majengo.org @majengokids
CAMH is Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world’s leading research centres in its field. With a dedicated staff of more than 5,000 physicians, clinicians, researchers, educators and support staff, CAMH offers outstanding clinical care to more than 38,000 patients each year. The organization conducts groundbreaking research, provides expert training to health care professionals and scientists, develops innovative health promotion and prevention strategies, and advocates on public policy issues at all levels of government. And through our Foundation, we’re working to raise tens of millions of additional dollars to fund new programs and research and augment services.
Isabelle SICILIANO‘09
Senior Philanthropy Officer, CAMH
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
