Mother and Daughter Fund New Program for Gathering Place

Thanks to women who supported a fund set up by a St. John’s mother and daughter, a downtown community centre will provide a jewelry-making course for disadvantaged women this Fall.

The FIG Fund was set up at the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (CFNL) by Adele Poynter and her daughter Kate McNicholas to help women in need.

“The women who come to The Gathering Place on Military Road are in the minority and there are no programs targeted just for them” says Ms. Poynter. "A jewelry-making program will build on the women's creativity, help them learn new skills and allow them to earn some money in the process.

A $3000 grant from the FIG Fund will be used to buy tools and supplies, and to pay some teachers and local crafts people for their help during the workshops. The jewelry will be sold in early December at a special craft market at The Gathering Place. A small percentage of the selling price will be used to help buy supplies for the program for the following year.

“This workshop will be a welcome addition to the recent building upgrades at The Gathering Place” adds Sister Sharon Basha, Co-Chair of the centre’s board of directors. “And we know that similar models have worked well at other locations in Canada.”

Jennifer Guy, chairperson of CFNL, says “One of the functions of The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is to help donors achieve their philanthropic goals. We are very happy to be a conduit for the charitable efforts being spearheaded by Ms. Poynter and her daughter Kate.”

The Gathering Place is a community centre that provides programs and services for people in St. John’s with mental and physical health issues and who are homeless or living in substandard housing conditions.

The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is a province-wide charity that builds and manages endowment funds for individuals, families, businesses and organizations. It distributes the income as grants to many of the humanitarian, educational, health and cultural charities in the province.