Jessie's | The June Callwood Centre for Young Women

In 1982, June Callwood and friends started up Jessie's Centre for pregnant teenagers 18 and under, to make sure they had all the 'unconditional' support and friendship they needed. Thirty years later, Jessie's Centre is still providing a full range of programs and practical supports to every pregnant teenager who walks through our doors. Well over 90% choose to have their baby and start the incredible life journey from teenager to young parent - and Jessie's staff and volunteers walk beside them every step of the way. As a donor, you walk with them too.

We invite you to become an Ambassador for Jessie's.

How To Be An Ambassador for Jessie's

An ambassador is an official of the highest rank who acts as a representative, usually for a specific length of time... an ambassador for Jessie's is a friend who actively represents our Centre at every opportunity, bringing us new friends and sometimes new funds for our programs.

You raise our profile in the community and at the same time, show others the true value of giving.

As one of our Ambassadors, you might give a gift of Health, Nutrition or Education or host a third-party event for us - or maybe you'll do both!

Give A Gift of Health, Nutrition or Education

A Gift of Health

OUR WELL WOMAN AND BABY CLINIC SERVICES

When one of our pregnant teenagers chooses to have her baby, she meets with our Health Counsellor and registers for our weekly Well Woman and Baby Clinic. The priority goals of our health clinics and other health services are healthy pregnancies, healthy birth weights and healthy babies.

We encourage and support breastfeeding because it is 100% healthier than formula feeding for a newborn (and 50% of the cost).

A NURSING BRA for one of our young nursing momsa $30 Gift
If you can provide for more than one of our nursing moms,
1 nursing bra each for 3 of our young nursing momsa $90 Gift
3 nursing bras each for 3 of our young nursing momsa $270 Gift

A BREAST PUMP (MANUAL) for one of our moms breastfeedinga $70 Gift
If you can support healthy breast-feeding for more than one of our young moms,
1 breast pump for 3 of our young breastfeeding momsa $210 Gift
3 breast pumps each for 3 of our young breastfeeding momsa $630 Gift

A WELCOME HOME BABY Basketa $275 Gift
Every 4 months, we hold a Baby Shower for Jessie's 30-35 new moms and newborns, and gift each new mom with a Welcome Home Baby Basket. We try to include all of the following:

• 2 sleepers for 0-6 mth old newborns
• 2 sleepers for 6-12 mth old babies
• Pkg of 6 receiving blankets
• Toy for 0-6 mth old newborn
• Toy for 6-12 mth old baby
• Book to read to 6-12 mth old baby
• Box of 75-100 diapers
• Baby Thermometer
• Child Safety Kit and Guide

If you can provide a Welcome Baby basket for more than one of our new moms and newborns,
3 Welcome Home Baby Baskets for 3 new young moms
and newbornsan $825 Gift
5 Welcome Home Baby Baskets for 5 new young moms and
newbornsa $1,375 Gift

A Gift to Cover 10-12 Months of Breastfeedinga $360 Gift
This is less than 50% of the cost of formula feeding for a newborn - and 100% healthier!

• 2 Breast Pumps (Manual)
• 3 Nursing Bras
• 3 Nursing Tops
• Lanolin Ointment
• Milk Storage System

A Gift of Nutrition

HEALTHY FOOD FOR JESSIE'S MOMS-TO-BE & NEW MOMS

At Jessie's we teach and model healthy eating for our pregnant teenagers and our young new moms. We educate through our Well Woman and Baby Clinics and our Prenatal Nutrition 'Food for 2' Classes. We model healthy eating by providing healthy breakfasts (cold) and healthy lunches (hot) 4 days a week - as well as healthy dinners 2 days a week.

One MONTH of Milk and Yogurt for our Babiesa $60 Gift
This gift covers the cost for one month of 3% milk (and yogurt): 3% is the healthiest essential fat content for children under 6, and especially important for healthy brain development.

If you can provide milk and yogurt for our babies for more than one month, 6 months of 3% milk and yogurta $360 Gift

One MONTH of Healthy Meals for 20 of our
young Participantsa $300 Gift
This gift provides one month of healthy meals for 20 Jessie's moms-to-be and new moms.

If you can provide healthy meals for more than one month,
3 months of healthy meals for 20 young moms-to-be & momsa $900 Gift
6 months of healthy meals for 20 young moms-to-be & momsa $1,800 Gift

One YEAR of Healthy Snacks for all our Babiesa $60 Gift
Provide one year of healthy snacks for Jessie's Centre babies.

ALL the Food for a Prenatal Nutrition Healthy Cooking Class
a $60 Gift
This gift covers the cost of all the food needed for one of our Prenatal Nutrition Group's cooking class.

A Gift of Education

OUR HIGH SCHOOL

The Centre has an on-site high school classroom funded by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Our young moms-to-be and new moms earn compulsory and elective secondary school credits from grades 9 to 12 in a full day semester program supportive of parenting. They work independently, preparing themselves to move into community schools, alternative schools and post-secondary degree programs.

One MONTH of Support for One of our High School Moms
Support one of our high school moms for one full month.
This Gift will With this donation, you will provide:

• Books, Pens, other supplies
• TTC Pass for one month
• Lunch every day of school
• Child Care for their babies in our Parent/Child Centre

If you can support one of our High School Moms for more than one month,
This Gift will support one of our high school moms for a
5-month terma $1,775 Gift

A POST-SECONDARY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD FOR ONE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES

Many of our high-school graduates continue on to post-secondary programs in everything from marketing to photography to journalism to early childhood education. We currently have young moms studying at Ryerson University, U of T and several of Toronto's community colleges including George Brown, Humber and Centennial.

The purpose of our Scholarship Award Program is to gift a minimum $500 scholarship to every one of our young mothers registered for their first year of post-secondary schooling - to help pay for tuition, books, TTC transportation and other school-related costs (such as a baby-sitter on study nights).

A Scholarship Award for Post-Secondary Educationa $500 Gift
A $500 Scholarship helps support one of our young moms registered in her first year of post-secondary studies.

If you can support more than one of our young moms entering a post-secondary degree program,
This gift will support 3 moms in their first year of post-secondary studies
a $1,500 Gift

How do I Give a Donation to Jessie's

You could become a Monthly Donor

Monthly Giving to Jessie's lets you:

• Spread your giving throughout the year
• Easily budget for giving a gift to Jessie's
• Make an ongoing commitment to our young moms-to-be, our new moms and their newborns
• Feel good every month, all year!

Donors who give every month help us build a sustainable funding program because we can count on your regular gifts of several thousands of dollars.

• A monthly gift of $10 a month adds up to a $120 gift for the year!
• A monthly gift of $30 a month adds up to a $360 gift for the year!
• A monthly gift of $130 a month adds up to a $1,560 gift for the year!

You can set up a fully protected monthly donation gift by clicking on the link below, which will take you to Jessie's Monthly Donation form. All your options - and your protections - are spelled out clearly on this form - you can choose the monthly amount and the monthly withdrawal date that works best for you.

>> Monthly Donor Form

How do I make a one-time donation?

Donations directly to Jessie's can be made by cash, cheque/money order or through a VISA card. Donations by VISA can be made over the phone or by faxing/e-mailing information and instructions.

You can also donate online through this Website or our Facebook page, which both use the online donation protection service, CanadaHelps. Just click on the button below and fill out the form; CanadaHelps will distribute your Gift to us and send you a tax receipt directly.

There are a few advantages to online giving through our Website or Facebook page:

• Online donations to Jessie's can be made by VISA, MasterCard, Amex, interac Online and PayPal;
• Your online gift can be monthly or one-time;
• You may gift securities, stocks, bonds and mutual funds; and
• You may give an in honour or in memory gift, and request a personal gift card be sent by Jessie's.

(Please note: Cash gifts must be dropped off at the Centre and not sent through the mail.)

Will I receive a receipt?

Every donation, every gift, is receipted with a tax-creditable charitable donation receipt.

Can I designate which program I want to support?

If you want to support a specific program, please let us know and we will designate your Gift accordingly.

Host a 3rd Party Event for Jessie's

The following guide will provide you with information about Jessie's, some event ideas and organizing tips. Holding a third-party event for us is a wonderful way to support Jessie's. You make new friends for us, raise our profile in the community and often raise new funds for our programs.

Choosing an Event

Your fundraising idea depends on your time, your interests and your goals - and on the 'team' of family, friends, colleagues and neighbours you work with. You may want to host a small event for immediate family, friends and neighbours. Or you may want to take on a bigger project with a larger team of friends and colleagues - and maybe even some students from a local community college.

Here are just a few ideas:

• Host a baby shower for a pregnant friend or family member and ask guests to give a gift to Jessie's
• Host a potluck dinner at your home and ask friends and family members to make a donation
• Organize a charity-sporting event in your community. It could be a hockey, tennis or golf tournament - or even a bowling tournament, which is a great option to get children involved!
• Arrange a 'dress down day' at your place of work and ask for donations from participants
• Organize a neighborhood garage or bake sale
• At your next birthday or holiday party, ask guests to make a donation in lieu of gift giving - you can also introduce our gift package options in education, health and nutrition to your guests, which is indicative of the type of programs and services we offer

Organizing Your Event

Your event can be small and require minimal preparation, such as making a meal and inviting your friends and family over. If you choose to host something bigger, here are some basic steps to get you on your way:

• Call around to your friends and family. Tell them your idea and ask them if they'd like to help.
• Once you have your volunteer team, arrange a meeting and brainstorm ideas. Make sure you write everything down - it's all valuable information. When you choose a date and build a plan, assign specific tasks to each member and develop deadlines for each event component. Create a to-do list and check off items as they're completed. Don't forget to make a separate to-do list for the day of the event to ensure your event runs smoothly.
• Please contact us at Jessie's about your event.
• If you want to host an event at your workplace or your child's school, call them for approval first - and check to see if they have a matching gift program!

Sponsorships and Publicity

Sponsorships
A sponsor cold be a local company who wishes to support your event with a cash or in-kind donation. A sponsor could also be an individual who supports you (e.g., in a marathon).

BEFORE you approach a corporate sponsor, please contact us to make sure that they meet our corporate sponsorship guidelines.

Publicity
Local newspapers and radio or TV (cable) stations may be interested in covering your event - especially because it's for a good cause and a wonderful Centre! Put together a press release or call them directly. They will let you know what information they require. We will also post your event up on our Facebook page. Make sure you take pictures so we can share the event with everyone!
You are welcome to contact us for a media release template.