From your Ozanam Fund Committee

“Helping people escape poverty by getting an education”

To: ALL Presidents/Chairs of ONRC Councils and Conferences

As you know the mission of our Society of Saint Vincent de Paul encourages us as Vincentians to have personal contact with the poor and to help in all possible ways. During our countless home visits over the years, it was recognized that a number of those whom we visited had the talent and drive to escape the cycle of poverty by furthering their education.

Consequently, in order to assist these individuals, back in 2012, the Ontario Regional Council Ozanam Education Fund (OEF) was created. The objective being to help these low-income families (adults and teenagers) to further their education in all fields of post-secondary by obtaining the training and skills to achieve their employment goals.

Over the past 12 years, the OEF has granted 395 awards totaling $842,130 to lowincome individuals and families to meet and achieve their goals. There have been many success stories of these individuals, who have expressed their gratitude and shared with us how the OEF scholarships have positively impacted many lives. Both sponsors and award recipients have appreciated the value of the program. However, while the number of applications is increasing, donations have declined. We need your support to sustain the program. This program is available to applicants from across Ontario. Awards are based on the monies available in the Fund.

We need your financial support to sustain the program. Councils, Conferences and individual Vincentians may donate. Feel free to pass on this letter to your Vincentian
friends – they may also donate.

Yours in Vincent and Frederic,
Guido Kelly, President
Jere Hartnett, Committee Chair, Ozanam Education Fund

To Donate
on-line through Canada Helps: Click here OR
mail: Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Ontario Regional Council
PO Box 23016 Brantford PO Main, Brantford ON N3T 6K4
(Cheques should be made out to Society of Saint Vincent de Paul - ONRC; add “Ozanam Education Fund” in the memo line.)