Foundation supports upcoming community projects with the help of Royal Bank of Canada during community celebration on June 8, 2017

TORONTO, ON (May 23, 2017) ‐ On the evening of Thursday, June 8, 2017, Community One Foundation will hold a community celebration at The 519 Community Centre (519 Church St., Toronto), which will feature a presentation of the Community One Foundation Rainbow Grants and a number of panels featuring current and past grant recipients, along with highlighting LGBT programs and initiatives in the Greater Toronto Area including Durham, Halton, Peel and York region. The Rainbow Grant program, which began in 1980, is one of many foundation initiatives supporting the LGBTTIQQ2S community, funded through donations from individual donors and corporate partners.

For over thirty years, Rainbow Grants have helped nurture the early days of many Greater Toronto LGBTTIQQ2S community initiatives, grassroots projects, established organizations and one-off projects. The Grants are awarded in three different tiers; General (for projects or people that are not a part of an organization, charity or corporation), Foundation, and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Community Award of $10,000 (donated by RBC).

“We are thrilled to celebrate such a diverse group of communities in the areas of arts and culture; health and social sciences; and research, education and advocacy this year,” said Community One Co‐ Chair Kevin Ormsby. “Thanks to the continued support from both individuals and corporate partners like the Royal Bank of Canada, Community One looks forward to providing continued support to important and innovative LGBTTIQQ2S projects in the GTA.”

The following is a list of Rainbow Grant recipients in 2017:

General Grants

Autistiqueers – the first autistic queer/trans-led support and action group in Toronto. Autistiqueers aims to create queer/trans autistic community both by and for ourselves. Their first project is to create a zine of stories about autistic queer/trans people from their perspective.

Queen of Hearts - a short film about an all-powerful, black, supernatural Queen in a fictional Victorian kingdom. The film is a magical infusion of West African culture in a historically European setting. It offers a creative glimpse into the life of a complex Queen whose world is shattered.

Out to Win (Proud Politics) – a project that seeks to address the low number of LGBTTIQQ2S individuals in elected office and strengthen the networks and ties among those candidates and organizers to build their collective capacity to become civic leaders and champions of inclusive public policies.

Hall of Justice – works with youth to explore contemporary and historical social movements and the work of activists in 2SLGBTQ (Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer) communities.

Bi Arts Festival – The Bi Arts Festival (September 22-24, 2017) will celebrate and promote bisexual visibility, culture and history through a weekend of community events including an art exhibit, a pop-up craft market, author and poetry readings, Wikipedia edit-a-thon, a zine, and a screening of independent film and video by bisexual filmmakers.

Toronto Arts Book Fair x Zine Production & Exchange Program – Paperhouse Outreach Collective has partnered with Toronto Art Book Fair (TOABF) and SKETCH to facilitate a week-long artists’ book and zine workshop, ZIPE (Zine Production and Exchange), in Artscape Youngplace is for 14 youth and young adults who identify and/or ally with LGBTTIAQQ2S, disabled, and POC communities.

Unexpectedly Trans: Holding Hands with the Awkward (Hanlon McGregor and Mihaly Szabados) – a play about a 40-year-old married mother of two – Gina – who begins a gender transition to identify as Dan, a queer, trans father. He must come out to his partner, his young children, his family and his community. Both big and small hearts are challenged.

Foundation Grants

Healthier Selves, Healthier Relationships, Healthier Communities (Ontario Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf) – provides a ten-week workshop series for LGBTQQ2SIA Deaf community members.

Asians in Motion II: LGBTTIQQ2SA Youth Forum (Asian Community AIDS Service) – a full-day community forum designed by and for self-identified East & Southeast Asian LGBTTIQQ2SA youth in Toronto and the GTA. The project goal is to increase youth capacity, and peer support network through training, awareness raising activities that will promote community leadership, communication, and advocacy.

Developing a Life Coaching Model for Asian Trans Women (Asian Community AIDS Service) – this project aims to develop a person-centred life coach model for Asian trans women to guide them in their journey to transitioning. 10-15 Asian trans women will be engaged by supporting their transitioning in the areas of real life experience, social and emotional well-being, disclosure, and other life challenges.

Boys In Chairs (Boys in Chairs Collective) – a devised, collective theatre piece that explores the specifics of three men’s experiences as queer disabled men.

An Intergenerational Gathering Telling the History of Toronto’s Black Queer Community (Intergenerational Gathering Planning Committee) – a one-day event bringing together the different generations of Toronto’s Black queer communities to share stories and learn about their history, to acknowledge and honour those involved in community building over the years including Black queer ancestors, and to celebrate the transformative work of community building.

Rainbow Outings and Art-Making: Seniors Celebrate Toronto Together (Sunshine Centres for Seniors) – this project will give LGBTQ seniors opportunities to celebrate Toronto’s diverse history through outings, walking tours, art-making and educational presentations. The project will enhance the health and wellness of LGBTQ seniors by providing social interaction, physical exercise, cognitive stimulation, and the chance to creatively express themselves through various artistic activities.

Youth Workshop Program (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre) - a free workshop series for queer youth that offers skills building and mentorship in various areas of performance, storytelling, and theatre.

Trans & Gender Diverse Community Drop-in / Working Group Meetings (Trans & Gender Diverse Community Working Group) – an open space with optional activities provided for Trans & Gender Diverse people in West-Toronto. Some sessions will include outside facilitators for key groups within the Trans & Gender Diverse Community. The open meetings are accessible, community-led meetings in which all Working Group planning is done.

PFLAG Teens & Tweens (PFLAG Durham) – a new youth services program that targets adolescents from aged 11 to 17 dealing with gender identity discrimination. This program provides a safe, affirming, positive space for these youth to connect, socialize, learn and share with others in facilitated creative, educational and social activities.

Heart to Heart: Queers Creating Better Relationships (Laura Krahn) – a 10-week group for LGBTQ spectrum women and nonbinary people aged 30-49 who want to create more fulfilling relationships. Participants will define “better relationships” in their own terms; explore what they need/want from themselves and others; build skills to negotiate conflict; and share knowledge and experience, making the community stronger.

SOY Youth Capacity Building through Volunteer Anti-Oppression Training (Supporting Our Youth) – will develop, implement, facilitate and evaluate a workshop that will provide crucial anti-oppression training to all current and future SOY volunteers and adult mentors.

Trans Collections Project (Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives) – arrange, describe, digitize and create research aids for three trans collections: Denise Hudson (Transvestites in Toronto), Rachel Lewis (various trans groups) and OneSong Transgender Support Services in Regina, SK. Collect material from trans elders in the community.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls (Roseneath Theatre) – Roseneath Theatre will develop and tour “Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls” by Dave Deveau, a play that deals with gender identity, empathy and integrity to elementary schools throughout the GTA.

Building Pride, Music & Belonging in the City of Toronto (Singing OUT, Toronto’s LGBTQ+ Community Chorus) – A June concert theme of “One Love” will speak to loving one’s self, loving others and loving our community. It will reach extended levels of inclusiveness, highlighting young, Canadian and LGBTQ+ composers and artists. Focus will also be on Indigenous pieces that will tell a story of love, history and advancement. A parallel story of LGBTQ+ rights will be woven into the performance through narration by choir members.

RBC Community Rainbow Grant

Transitional Gender Project (LOFT Community Services) - this project will provide intensive, one-on-one, stigma-free coordinated support, and access to trans-positive services and transitional housing for trans people with multiple challenges (mental health issues, addictions, homelessness), who self-identify as wanting to transition or currently transitioning.

For more information, photos or interview requests, please contact:

Cory Stewart | Embrace Disruption PR

cory@embracedisruption.com

o: 416.963.9857 c: 647.638.1586

About Community One:

Established in 1980, Community One Foundation provides grants to LGBTTIQQ2S community projects in Greater Toronto Area including Durham, Halton, Peel and York Regions, focusing on the areas of arts and culture, health and social services, and research and education. The Foundation also promotes community philanthropy through strategic partnerships such as the Bill 7 Award and the LGBT Giving Network.

Website: http://www.communityone.ca

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CommunityOneFoundation/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/C1foundation

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/C1Foundation

About RBC:

Royal Bank of Canada is Canada’s largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. We have over 80,000 full‐ and part‐time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 37 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.

RBC helps communities prosper, supporting a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2015, we contributed more than $121 million to causes around the world.

TORONTO, ON (November 23, 2016) – On Saturday, November 19, 2016, over 250 members and allies of the LGBTTIQQ2S community filled Toronto’s award-winning Integral House to enjoy an evening of celebration and performances in support of Community One Foundation. Hosted by Canadian comedian Carla Collins and sponsored by RBC and Team PK, the evening was a decadent affair, complemented by custom Bar Chef cocktails and gourmet delights.

VIP guests arrived at 6:30 p.m. and were treated to an exclusive tour of Integral House by Brigitte Shim of Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, along with performances by the world-renowned Opera Atelier. At 7:30 p.m., the event opened to the public and showcased a variety of performances from Community One Foundation Rainbow Grant recipient Tessa Goodon and popular Toronto drag artists Sofonda Cox and Donnarama.

In addition, the foundation awarded the winner of their annual Steinert & Ferreiro Award, Canada’s largest single cash award in recognition of leadership in the LGBTTIQQ2S community, to Toronto-based advocate Doug Kerr. Kerr was chosen for his commitment to volunteerism, social activism along with his steadfast ability to drive collaboration across a multitude of initiatives in both a Toronto and global context.

“Our foundation’s main objective is to support and foster growth throughout LGBTTIQQ2S communities in the greater Toronto area,” says Community One Foundation co-chair Terry Greene. “Events like these help us spotlight the amazing individuals and initiatives that we continue to recognize with grants and awards throughout the calendar year.”

Community One Foundation is one of many charitable organizations that Integral House’s builder James Stewart (late mathematician and textbook magnate) has donated proceeds to. A longtime LGBT activist, Stewart planted roots in the community by inviting “gay rights activist George Hislop to speak at McMaster in the early 1970s, when the LGBT liberation movement was in its infancy, and was involved in protests and demonstrations until mathematics began to dominate his life.” (Daily Xtra, 2014).

For more information, photos from the evening or interview requests, please contact:

Cory Stewart | Embrace Disruption PR

p: 647.638.1586 | e: cory@embracedisruption.com

About Community One:

Established in 1980, Community One Foundation provides grants to LGBTTIQQ2S community projects in Greater Toronto Area including Durham, Halton, Peel and York Regions, focusing on the areas of arts and culture, health and social services, and research and education. The Foundation also promotes community philanthropy through strategic partnerships such as the Bill 7 Award and the LGBT Giving Network.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityOneFoundation/

Twitter: @C1Foundation

Instagram: @C1Foundation

Hashtag: #CommunityOne

LGBT-focused charity Community One Foundation opens Integral House to the public for one last time before its sale in an exclusive evening hosted by Canadian comedian Carla Collins. 

TORONTO, ON – Weeks after the reported sale of Toronto’s celebrated and award-winning residence Integral House (194 Roxborough Drive, Rosedale), the Community One Foundation – an organization with grant and award programs dedicated to the development of LGBTTIQQ2S communities in the GTA – is excited to announce “Community One Presents an Evening at Integral House”. The event, happening on Saturday, November 19, 2016, will be the last publicly available event before the sale of the famous property.

“We’re so honoured to present such an exclusive and momentous event in one of Toronto’s most celebrated architectural wonders,” says Community One Foundation co-chair Kevin Ormsby. “James Stewart was a pillar of activism in our community, and we are eternally grateful for his contribution to both the LGBT community and the Community One Foundation.”

Community One is one of many charitable organizations receiving proceeds from the sale of Integral House, per the wishes of its owner and creator James Stewart, the late mathematician and textbook magnate. A longtime LGBT activist, Stewart planted roots in the community by invoking “gay rights activist George Hislop to speak at McMaster in the early 1970s, when the LGBT liberation movement was in its infancy, and was involved in protests and demonstrations until mathematics began to dominate his life.” (Daily Xtra, 2014).

A night not to be missed, the event will also be attended by many notable Canadians, including Hilary Farr of Love It Or List It, musician Simone Denny, designer David Dixon and many more.

The one-of-a-kind evening celebrates 36 years of important work the Foundation has achieved – including funding the beginnings of LGBT institutions like The 519 and Buddies In Bad Times Theatre – and will be hosted by 2015 California Comedian of the Year Carla Collins. Feature performances include Opera Atelier, Community One Foundation Rainbow Grant recipient Tessa Godden, and popular Toronto drag acts Sofonda Cox and Donnarama. In addition, the Foundation will announce the winner of their annual Steinert & Ferreiro Award, Canada’s largest single cash award in recognition of leadership in the LGBTTIQQ2S community.

A private VIP reception and home tour – conducted by one of the home’s architects, Bridget Shim of Shim-Sutcliffe Architects – will be held for donors and supporters at 6:00 p.m., followed by public access to the event at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $125 at http://bit.ly/c1integral. Proceeds from tickets will go towards the many grants awarded by the Community One Foundation.

For media accreditation, photos or interview requests, please contact: 

Cory Stewart | Embrace Disruption PR
p: 647.638.1586 | e: cory@embracedisrupKon.com

About Community One:
Established in 1980, the Community One Foundation provides grants to LGBTTIQQ2S community projects in the Greater Toronto Area, including Durham, Halton, Peel and York Regions, focusing on the areas of arts and culture, health and social services, and research and education. The Foundation also promotes community philanthropy through strategic partnerships such as the Bill 7 Award and the LGBT Giving Network.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CommunityOneFoundation/
Twitter: @C1Foundation
Instagram: @C1Foundation
Hashtag: #C1Evening

Foundation supports upcoming community projects with the help of Royal Bank of Canada and individual donors.

TORONTO, ON (May 17, 2016) -­‐ On the evening of Thursday, May 12, 2016, Community One Foundation held a celebratory reception at The 519 (519 Church St., Toronto) to present 13 recipients with their 2016 Rainbow Grants. The Rainbow Grant program, which began in 1980, is one of many foundation initiatives supporting the LGBTTIQQ2S community, funded through donations from individual donors and corporate partners.

For over thirty years, Rainbow Grants have helped nurture the early days of many Greater Toronto LGBTTIQQ2S community initiatives, grassroots projects, established organizations and one-off projects. The Grants are awarded in three different tiers; General (up to $1,000) for projects or people that are not a part of an organization, charity or corporation, Foundation (between $3,000 ‐ $5,000), and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Community Award of $10,000 (donated by RBC).

• Newcomer Women’s Services of Toronto ‐ Kyle Rae Award ‐ a fusion project which will create queer‐positive ESL curricula for newcomers with the intent to train 10 LTGBQI+ newcomer youth to research global Queer history, and collaborate with ESL instructors to develop ESL curricula for Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada.

• Native Women in the Arts, in partnership with Tities Wîcinímintôwak // Bluejays Dancing Together : Living Legacies: Two-Spirit Stories ‐ RBC Community Award ‐ a series of art workshops and a final exhibition that  centres the stories of Two‐Spirit communities in Toronto. Each workshop will provide opportunities to develop things like ideas, feelings and stories  that they will be able to share with others if they so choose.

• Black Lives Matter (Freedom School) ‐ a three-week-long summer program for children aged 4–10. The purpose of this project is to respond to a lack of humanizing, self‐affirming, queer‐positive educational opportunities for black children in the GTA.

• QUAKE, Tessa Gooden (Original EP) ‐ recording, production and release of an original EP album by local artist, Tessa Gooden.

• Outsport (Website Redesign) ‐ to develop their Toronto website into a mobile‐focused and youth‐targeted initiative. This will allow for the LGBTTIQQ2S community in the GTA to remain informed of upcoming queer‐friendly sporting events and the community’s various sport leagues.

• Festival Franco Fierté (Pride Month Events) ‐ a series of events during Toronto Pride month, including Francophone shows, concerts, photo exhibitions, cultural tours of the village and a stage at the Pride Toronto event.

• Inside Out (LGBTQ Film & Cultural Programming) ‐ to provide LGBTQ film and cultural programming, working in partnership with arts, service and community organizations, seniors/long term care residences, and TDSB schools, to under‐served neighbourhoods with little to no LGBTQ programming. The project provides films, culture, discussions, resources, and community connections to LGBTQ individuals in their own communities.

• Lemontree Creations (Staging of upcoming play, The Body Politic) ‐ a play documenting Canadian queer history as it re‐imagines the story of the birth, existence and eventual demise of one of Canada’s seminal queer publications, The Body Politic.

• ACE RADIO (Toronto’s asexual community’s broadcast initiative on Radio Regent) ‐ engaging 20 diverse participants (ages 18+) in producing a monthly (nine‐part) digital broadcast about issues impacting asexual communities. As a result, vulnerable young people will gain transferable broadcast skills like technical equipment training, while practicing communication, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking through participatory media making.

• AIDS Committee of Durham (LGBTQ Youth of Colour Program) ‐ a yearlong pilot project with the goal of creating a strong sense of community among LGTBQ+ Youth Of Colour (YOC) along with providing them with HIV prevention education and safer sex practices.

• SAGA Collectif ‐ for support of outreach initiatives in relation to their project, Black Boys, which is an innovative and multidisciplinary theatrical event that unpacks the lived experience of three Black queer men in pursuit of an emancipated Black imagination. Black Boys will be co‐produced at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre in 2016.

• Asian Community AIDS Services (Multilingual Transgender Resources for Asian Parents and Families) ‐ to decrease challenges Asian families and Transgender youth face when youth come out, this program plans to develop culturally- and linguistically-appropriate educational resources as tools to increase parents’ understanding and acceptance of their child’s gender identity. The resources will be translated to seven Asian languages and distributed in print and online.

• Egale Canada Human Rights Trust (Grandfamily Project) ‐ a documentary project will tell the story of a queer couple searching to adopt an LGBTTIQQ2S elder into their family to be the grandparent of their soon‐to‐be‐born child. As the due date of the pregnancy nears, they must figure out how to access Toronto’s often-isolated queer elders, finding someone who fits into their family and is up for the commitment. In the process they must confront generational differences in the LGBTTIQQ2S community, build trust, face the possibility of disappointment, and reckon with their own family histories.

“We are delighted to present this year’s Rainbow Grants to such a diverse group of communities in the areas of education, health, human rights, arts, culture, research and advocacy,” said Community One Co‐ Chair Terry Greene. “Each year, our allocation committee remains dedicated to awarding recipients in these sectors to create a demonstrable impact on the broader community.”

Past recipients of Rainbow Grants include organizations such as Inside Out, AIDS Committee of Toronto, LGBT Youth Line and the 519 Community Centre.

For more information, photos or interview requests, please contact:

Cory Stewart | Embrace Disruption PR

cory@embracedisruption.com

o: 416.963.9857 c: 647.638.1586

About Community One:

Established in 1980, Community One Foundation provides grants to LGBTTIQQ2S community projects in Greater Toronto Area including Durham, Halton, Peel and York Regions, focusing on the areas of arts and culture, health and social services, and research and education. The Foundation also promotes community philanthropy through strategic partnerships such as the Bill 7 Award and the LGBT Giving Network.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityOneFoundation/

Twitter: @C1Foundation

About RBC:

Royal Bank of Canada is Canada’s largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. We have over 80,000 full‐ and part‐time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 37 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.

RBC helps communities prosper, supporting a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2015, we contributed more than $121 million to causes around the world.