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About Us

The Children’s Foundation (TCF) has been helping children and youth in Hastings County since 1991 and in 2015 expanded to include Northumberland and Prince Edward Counties.

 

The Children’s Foundation is an independent organization governed by its own Board of Directors and is the charitable arm of Highland Shores Children’s Aid (HSCA).  TCF also supports families who have no affiliation to HSCA with funding and access to resources in their local communities.

Our Mission

The Children’s Foundation provides and funds programs aimed at ensuring all children and youth in Hastings, Northumberland, and Prince Edward Counties have social and physical opportunities to explore, learn, play, and thrive.

Our Vision

No child or youth will do without positive experiences and equal opportunities to help them realize their potential.

Meet the Team

Board of Directors

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Cassandra Bonn

Chair

Account Executive, Quinte Broadcasting Ltd - Mix 97, Rock 107, 800 CJBQ, Quintenews.com

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Sarah Rozema-Seaton

2nd Vice-Chair

Founder and CEO of Big Red Bow Digital Marketing

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Liz Lehtinen
Director

Occasional Teacher, Hastings Prince Edward District School Board

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Leslie Pallant

Director

Clinic Manager

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Sheri Meeks

Director

Acting Deputy Chief

Belleville Police Service

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Mike Callaghan

Past-Chair

Retired, Chief, Belleville Police Services

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Alyssa Parks

Secretary

Shopify Coordinator

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Rick Phillips

Director

Reeve of Tyendinaga Township and Warden of Hastings County

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Jess Uddenburg

Ex-Officio

Executive Director, Highland Shores Children's Aid

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Jack Miller

1st Vice-Chair

Sports Director, Quinte Broadcasting Ltd., Mix 97, Rock 107, 800 CJBQ, QuinteNews.com

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Cynthya Schmidt

Treasurer

Owner/Operator, McDonald's Quinte West, Brighton, & Campbellford

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Suzanne Hunt

Director

Partner, Templeman Menninga LLP

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Allyson Williams

Director

Chief Operations Officer, Williams Hotel

 TCF Staff

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Executive Director

Melanie Cressman

Melanie has over 20 years of experience as a small business owner providing programming to children and at-risk youth in North Hastings. No stranger to the non-profit sector, she worked with United Way Hastings & Prince Edward for over 5 years in the role of Director of Strategic Operations as well as Director of Donor Relations.  She has extensive experience in leadership, strategic development, communications as well as a proven track record of leading successful fundraising initiatives. 

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Program & Outreach Coordinator

Donna Wood

Donna is a Records and Information Management specialist, and she also holds a diploma in Web Design and Development. She is a dedicated professional with a passion for organizing and streamlining information systems.

In addition to her professional pursuits, Donna is committed to making a difference in her community and is excited to be part of the team at The Children’s Foundation. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her spouse and exploring all that Hastings County has to offer.

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Finance Coordinator

Stephanie Olesen

Stephanie is excited to be part of The Children’s Foundation team. Stephanie is a soon to be graduate of the Business Accounting program at Loyalist College, and has previously completed the Social Service Worker program (with some courses in Child and Youth Work). Stephanie has always been passionate about serving her community and being part of the TCF team combines her passions in one place!

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Community Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator

Dreya Richardson

Dreya is a recent university graduate with degree in social work and a minor in Sports Management. Dreya is supporting TCF's grant-writing initiatives to ensure that funding is available for children and youth to have equitable access to sports, camps, mental health supports, and more. Her first-hand experience supporting children involved in child welfare as well as her passion for helping kids succeed makes her an excellent fit for the TCF team.

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Partnerships & Engagement Coordinator

Farhat Zafar

Farhat moved to Toronto with her parents at the age of 12 from Bangladesh. Moving to Stirling from Toronto in August, 2017 felt like a bigger change than immigrating to Canada. Farhat is an animal lover, with four dogs and four cats.

 

Farhat studied Business and Finance, and has spent most of her career in that industry. She is new to the not-for-profit sector, but knows her experience in customer service will be an asset for The Children's Foundation and is looking forward to this journey of helping others.

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Loyalist College Intern - Social Service Worker Program

Priju Neupane

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East Side Secondary School Co-op Student

Brenna Flindall

Brenna is a 16 year old, grade 11 student from Eastside Secondary School.  She is an art lover, and especially passionate about digital media, and social media marketing.  Watch for Brenna at our events - camera in hand, helping us capture all the good work of The Children's Foundation.  Welcome Brenna!

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