TD Bank Group has committed to supporting more than 20 local community programs focusing on newcomer, settlement and refugee programs across Ontario, including the Barrie Public Library.
The $250,000 contribution comes from the bank's broader corporate citizenship strategy and platform, the TD Ready Commitment, launched in 2017 with a goal to invest $1 billion toward social-impact initiatives and programming to help contribute to the resiliency of local communities by 2030.
For newcomers to Canada, particularly in 2021, the stress and uncertainty of figuring out life in a new country is extremely real and personal. The intention of TD’s $15,000.00 donation to the Barrie Public Library is to provide newcomers an opportunity to develop connections within their new community and make a better future for themselves and their families in Barrie and surrounding area. “At TD, we are committed to helping build strong, inclusive, and welcoming communities, where everyone can feel a sense of belonging, and feel confident in what their futures bring. We are happy for the opportunity to help welcome and support our new community members in partnership with the Barrie Public Library” notes Rina Degrazia, District Vice President, TD Bank Group.
For many, Barrie Public Library is one of the first organizations to visit when new to the area. The organization itself focuses strongly on fostering inclusion to remove barriers and ensuring that everyone feels welcome in library spaces. “The library is the hub of our community, and we take pride in building and fostering connections to ensure that more residents have convenient access to library services” says Katelyn Lees, Philanthropy & Resource Development Specialist at the Barrie Public Library. “We’re grateful for TD’s generous support and look forward to working with our community partners to continue to further develop newcomer services in our community” adds Lees.
Barrie Public Library offers various multilingual resources featuring both adult and children’s collections; a multilingual book club, citizenship study group and English Conversation Club - which provides a safe, open space to practise English, meet new friends and learn more about life and culture in Canada. The library is also home to the Information Barrie Community Directory which provides connections to various local non-profit agencies, government offices, health services, clubs, special interest organizations, volunteer opportunities, food programs, childcare services, etc., and is also an active member of the Simcoe County Local Immigration Partnership (SCLIP) – a county-wide community partnership focused on the development of settlement strategies for newcomers.
For more information regarding newcomers’ programs and services at the Barrie Public Library, please visit our Newcomers Webpage.