A Year-End Message
From President and CEO
Anthony DiCaita
|
|
2020 was undoubtably a year unlike any other, in the history of the organization and in our own lives. The COVID-19 global pandemic has had a profound and lasting impact on how we live our lives, how we interact with each other and how fragile and unpredictable these times are.
We all faced unprecedented events that created personal hardship on so many levels. Villa Charities and all our affiliates, including the long-term care homes, faced significant challenges that greatly impacted our organization as a whole. But we also witnessed the incredible dedication and commitment of first responders and the generosity and kindness of individuals, communities and organizations who found new approaches to contributing to our society in creative and positive ways.
|
|
COVID-19 Response Initiatives
Throughout the COVID-19 public health crisis, our top priorities have been to provide a safe environment for staff, patrons, residents and tenants, to ensure we did our part in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Although on-site operations at Villa Charities and the Columbus Centre were suspended from March to July and then again in mid-November to the end of the year, Villa Charities endeavoured to keep everyone in the VCI family engaged, connected and supported, especially the more than 700 residents in our three seniors’ apartment buildings, Caboto Terrace, Casa Del Zotto and Casa Abruzzo.
|
|
Seniors Support
The many support programs and services we offered to our residents included free pre-packaged meals and comfort grocery staples, personal safety items such as face masks and gloves, weekly "Serenata al Fresco" outdoor musical performances by local Italian-Canadian musicians, outdoor prayer services, free technology support, weekly ZUMBA® classes, and a dedicated “Seniors Support Team” that called the residents regularly to ask about their health status and assist with essential needs. For the holiday season, in partnership with the Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association (CIBPA Toronto), Villa Charities delivered Holiday Baskets with festive food items.
|
|
While absolutely necessary, these support initiatives came at a significant cost to our organization. To assist with funding, Villa Charities Foundation generously donated $96,000 and launched a dedicated fundraising campaign to support the essential COVID-19 safety measures we provided to seniors at Casa Abruzzo, Caboto Terrace, and Casa Del Zotto.
Together, our community donated more than $50,000 in support of COVID-19 Response Initiatives, and product donations such as food and essential PPE (personal protective equipment) were received from over 30 community partners.
Most of all, we would like to thank the residents themselves for participating in these programs and for staying home, staying safe and doing their part throughout this public health crisis. We are confident that the spread of COVID-19 was greatly reduced because of their actions and we, along with our community, are very grateful.
|
|
Online Programming and Digital Content
During this time, we moved many of our Villa Charities and Columbus Centre programs online and created new digital content. Patrons could enjoy workout videos, playlists, virtual fitness classes, music, art, dance classes and workshops, poetry and book readings, cultural presentations and more. On social media we shared COVID-19 safety tips, motivational messages, recipes and good news stories.
|
|
2020-2023 Villa Charities Strategic Plan
The Villa Charities Board of Directors approved the new 2020-2023 Villa Charities Strategic Plan in April. The plan, which incorporated feedback from numerous stakeholders, identifies the strategic priorities that will serve as our roadmap over the next several years. This is an important step in VCI’s quest to better serve our diverse community and engage new people of all ages.
The plan also introduced our new Vision, Mission and Values:
Vision
Inspiring people to explore the Italian in all of us.
Mission
Enriching lives through experiences and services that honour
Italian culture and heritage.
Values
Compassion, Integrity, Transparency, Collaboration, Excellence,
Respect and Diversity
We also unveiled our new organizational brand spot, showcasing Villa Charities as a leader in providing Italian arts and culture in Toronto and the GTA.
|
|
Cultural Activities and Events
This past year, many of our cultural programs were impacted by COVID-19. While we launched some new events and exhibitions early in 2020, along with other cultural organizations we had to transition to offer most of our presentations on online platforms as arts audiences participated from home.
In January, we introduced "Concerti in Galleria," a concert series featuring renowned musicians performing a brilliant array of musical genres including opera, chamber music and more. For Mardi Gras we celebrated with a lively evening of social dancing, masks and Carnavale-themed treats.
|
|
In the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, Villa Charities presented concurrent exhibitions of two dynamic Toronto-based artists: Anthony Ricciardi and Peter Triantos. Ricciardi’s exhibition, “We Adore You,” showcased his latest series of paintings and included 30 specially created canvases, two signature sculptures and a hand-painted mural. “Dreaming in Colour” by internationally recognized Canadian contemporary artist Peter Triantos brought together 30 abstract pieces and included paintings from multiple series including his iconic ''Jelly Bean'' series and sought after ''Napa Valley'' and ''SP²'' series.
As part of our Learn Italian by Doing language classes, our new online “Club del Libro” (book club) gave our patrons an opportunity to explore and discuss contemporary Italian literature while learning Italian.
June was Italian Heritage Month and in recognition of this annual celebration, in lieu of our on-site programming we were proud to present “My Secret Venice with Sebastiano Bazzichetto,” a new four-part video series that took viewers on a cultural and visual journey to explore secret spots in Venice online.
|
|
In August, we hosted an outdoor concert featuring Italian-Canadian recording artist Andrea Ramolo, so our patrons could safely enjoy a summer evening al fresco, on the Villa Charities grounds.
Following the success of last year’s sold-out run, our original production "The Nonna Monologues" was reimagined by Artists in Residence DopoLavoro Teatrale (DLT) as a digital short for families to enjoy and share together virtually over the holiday season, even though this year many of us will be apart.
|
|
Villa Charities Foundation
While annual signature fundraising events such as Giro and the Golf Classic were postponed due to COVID-19, the Foundation continued their efforts to raise much needed funds in support of programs and services at Villa Charities.
|
|
In January, TLN Media Group celebrated their arrival to the Columbus Centre by hosting “A Felidia Experience at the Columbus Centre,” an intimate fundraising reception and dinner with beloved celebrity chef, author and entrepreneur, Lidia Bastianich and Canada’s globetrotting cultural explorer and TLN TV personality David Rocco. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and an authentic 3-course menu, with proceeds from the event going to support greatest needs at Villa Charities.
In April, the Villa Charities Scholarship Program was launched for post-secondary undergraduate and graduate students. The national program was funded by Villa Charities Foundation and made available to students of all backgrounds and faiths, who believe in and will help further Villa Charities’ mission "to enrich lives through experiences and services that honour Italian culture and heritage."
The new scholarship program awards a total of 16 scholarships valued at $60,000, with two programs offered through Villa Charities Foundation and two programs offered through George Brown College in Toronto. The eight Villa Charities program winners for the 2020/2021 school year were announced in September and received their awards via a virtual ceremony hosted in November.
|
|
Partnerships
Villa Charities continued to support and collaborate with other organizations and events. In 2020, this included partnerships and other types of support.
In April, we honoured the more than 1,600 Italian fallen workers who lost their lives to workplace tragedies in Canada. Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, we were unable to host our annual ceremony on site at the Italian Fallen Workers Memorial on the Villa Charities campus grounds. However, the community was asked to stand with us in spirit to honour their extraordinary efforts and vast contributions to the social and economic progress of Canada.
|
|
ShowOne Productions with support from Villa Charities presented Maurizio Schweizer''s "Celentano Tribute Show" at the Elgin Theatre. We also celebrated Italian-Canadian culture and literary expression by supporting the third annual “Librissimi Toronto Italian Book Festival,” which was organized by Comites Toronto as a virtual event this year. Our ongoing collaboration with Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto continued with the co-presentation of the "Vorrei Fossi Qui / Wish You Were Here" concert for Italian Heritage Month and an outdoor concert series in September, and we sponsored the 2020 Italian Contemporary Film Festival as a Director Partner.
|
|
In March, we officially unveiled our partnership with Eataly, the largest Italian retail and dining experience in the world, as one of their official charities of choice. In August, Villa Charities Foundation co-hosted a virtual class and pizza party where participants could enjoy a three-course meal and learn how to make traditional Pizza al Padellino Margherita from one of Eataly’s chefs. Proceeds from the event supported Villa Charities’ COVID-19 Response Initiatives for seniors at Casa Abruzzo, Caboto Terrace and Casa Del Zotto. Earlier in December, Eataly customers generously donated to Villa Charities during the store’s Panettone Days and artisan holiday market.
Toronto-based food services company, The Food Dudes, became the exclusive provider of all retail and catering food operations on the Villa Charities campus in October, providing our organization with an opportunity to enhance and expand food services through the development of exciting and creative new food offerings with an Italian focus.
A new location for Pantry, The Food Dudes’ popular quick-service food venue, will open in the Columbus Centre, replacing Caffè Cinquecento. Ristorante Boccaccio has closed. Going forward the space will be used to host events and functions.
|
|
Community Engagement
In 2020, we continued to engage with our valued patrons, visitors, residents, tenants and staff by offering different forums for discussion. VCI’s “Community Open Forums,” “Friday Chats with the CEO” and our new “Virtual Town Halls with the CEO” provided multiple opportunities for stakeholders to share their views on our programs and services, moving to an online platform when COVID-19 hit.
|
|
Reopening our Facilities
Prior to receiving the green light to reopen our facilities at the end of July, our organization spent many weeks preparing for the Villa Charities community to safely return. We worked diligently to ensure we had implemented all the necessary health and safety measures to provide a safe environment for everyone.
This included signage, distance markers, safety measure videos and our “New Protocols and Procedures” digital guide for a summary of the specific health and safety measures each department implemented.
|
|
Columbus Centre 40th Anniversary
On October 10, 2020, the Columbus Centre proudly celebrated its 40th anniversary and we expressed our sincere gratitude to the Columbus Centre Founders for their inspiration and vision of a vibrant centre and destination for the GTA’s Italian-Canadians and the community at large, that continues to thrive today.
|
|
This significant milestone was commemorated by two special art exhibitions in the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery: “40 Under Forty,” featuring artwork by 40 Ontario-based artists, all of whom were born after the Columbus Centre was established, and a special anniversary collage created by accomplished multimedia artist and Villa Charities’ Artist in Residence Franco Berti.
The historic occasion was also celebrated with unique content across our digital and social platforms, including a ‘throwback’ campaign sharing archival images, a ‘Virtual Memory Wall’ and an interview with Mr. Anthony Fusco Sr., one of the founders of the Columbus Centre.
|
|
Looking Ahead
We are cautiously optimistic as we look ahead to 2021. A number of vaccines are now in varying stages of approval and distribution, which will limit and hopefully contain the spread of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In April 2021, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Villa Charities. For close to 50 years, VCI has played an important role in supporting the Italian community and advancing the appreciation and promotion of Italian culture. Today, Villa Charities also attracts an increasingly diverse non-Italian community who enjoy Italian culture through numerous programs and experiences.
We also look forward to welcoming the students and staff of Leonardo Da Vinci Academy, a prestigious independent Montessori-centred school, to the Villa Charities campus in January 2021.
I would like to say a very heartfelt THANK YOU to our staff, management, Board, residents, patrons, tenants and every one of you who continue to participate and support this great organization.
I wish you and your families all the best this holiday season and a safe, healthy and happy new year!
Sincerely,
|
|
Anthony DiCaita
President and CEO
Villa Charities Inc.
|
|
Follow us on Social Media for News and Updates |
|
Villa Charities Inc. | 416-789-7011 | info@villacharities.com | www.villacharities.com
|
|
901 Lawrence Ave W, Toronto, ON, M6A 1C3 I About Us
Villa Charities Foundation Charitable Registration Number: 89337 0767 RR001
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Text Box
Arts and Entertainment
Business and Industry
Computer and Electronics
Games
Health
Internet and Telecom
Shopping
Sports
Travel
More