Sister Charities

In 2019, Paul Waldie wrote an article about the Help Our Students Program for the Globe and Mail. A few weeks later, I received a hand-written letter from a Toronto lawyer. He told me that he had wanted to start a program like ours for many years but wasn’t sure what steps to take to make it happen. He asked if I would help him set up such a program. I invited him, Fred Cass, and his wife, Tracy, to come to Ottawa for a weekend. Together with my wife, Linda, we went over as much material as we could cram in a weekend then I emailed them most of our documents dealing with policies and procedures. In 2020, the Community Support for Students Program (CSSP) was granted charitable status. My wife and I agreed to join their Board of Directors. ​Starting a small charity in a large city like Toronto is no mean feat. Virtually no one knows who you are so that makes it incredibly difficult to raise funds. Even schools are reluctant to participate in what appears to be a “too-good-to-be-true” operation. Nevertheless, Tracy and Fred persevered, put in some of their own money and started in three schools, helping six students receive the $100-per-month COMPASS Award for the full school year. In 2025-26, CSSP is now working with 40 schools, supporting 80 students. A major stimulus this year was a $50,000 grant from The Joyce Family Foundation. This three-year grant will provide stability while the CSSP team continues to fundraise in the Toronto area. ​For more information, visit their web site at compassaward.com.