www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, December 11, 2014 | 28 Acclaim Health partners with Oakville Community Foundation Acclaim Health is partnering up with the Oakville Community Foundation (OCF) to manage its endowment fund to help ensure its growth and commitment to providing healthcare and support services. The agency fund will replace the existing endowed fund Acclaim Health had been managing on its own to a pooled model, which allows OCF to offer the non-profit charitable organization its "expertise and investment strategies." "The foundation's role is in helping bring donors and charities together, identifying challenges faced in our community, and working on creative ways to solve problems. Sometimes this can be nothing more than helping a charity like Acclaim Health, maximize the effectiveness of their endowed gifts, to earn better returns for their overall use," said Rusty Baillie, OCF CEO. "The Oakville Community Foundation has incredible endowment fund expertise," said Angela Brewer, Acclaim Health CEO. "By pooling our fund with others, we can grow our agency fund in ways that would be impossible on our own. We also knew that -- like us -- the foundation cares deeply about Oakville. It was really important to us to partner with an organization that shares our values, and which exists to help others." OCF's has 34 agency funds, among them are: Dog Guides Canada; Conservation Halton Foundation Douglas Cockburn Fund; The Oakville Public Library Endowment Fund; United Way of Oakville Tomorrow Fund; and several for the Oakville Hospital Foundation. OCF also announced Tuesday, approximately $64,000 was doled out in grants to 17 programs in Oakville in the fall, with more funds expected to be distributed before the end of the fiscal year. Recipients include: Junior Achievement Central Ontario's More Than Money Program; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton's Homework Club and InSchool Mentoring program; Oakville ParentChild Centre's Chillin' Kids program; Food4Kids' Weekend Backpack Food Program; Acclaim Health and Community Care Services' Caring for Caregivers program; Shifra Homes Inc.'s Seeds of Hope transition program; Special Olympics Oakville curling and snowshoeing equipment for new programs; Schizophrenia Society of Ontario's Strengthening Families Together program; YMCA of Oakville's Volunteer Ready program, in partnership with CYAN; Distress Centre Oakville's Volunteer Growth program; Easter Seals Society's Send a Kid to Camp and Recreational Choices programs; Drew Hildebrand Teen Benefit Fund's music and arts program for atrisk teens; Conservation Halton Foundation's snowshoeing program; Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre's drop-in program; The Women's Information and Support Centre of Halton's PACE program for seniors. Grants are awarded after a two-staged, open call for applications. For more information, visit www.theocf.org. `You really have to keep battling' continued from p.1 Lindner said. "You learn from their outlook, their stamina. You really have to keep battling." The support group is part of Myeloma Canada, which was created in 2005 to provide education and support to patients, families and caregivers; increase awareness of the disease; promote research; and facilitate access to treatment options. The Halton-Peel group meets bi-monthly at Wellspring's Birmingham-Gilgan House, 2545 Sixth Line in Oakville. Meetings include guest speakers, social time, question-and-answer sessions and a handbook for newly-diagnosed patients. For more information, email myelomahaltonpeel@gmail.com or visit www. myelomahaltonpeel.ca. Myeloma Awareness Day heads to Queen's Park by Abigail Cukier Special to the Beaver The executive director of Myeloma Canada, patients and 21 support group leaders recently participated in Myeloma Awareness Day at Queen's Park. Norma Lindner, leader of the Halton-Peel and Area Myeloma Support Group, was there. She and other representatives held 21 meetings with MPPs, including Halton MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris. Lindner said many patients with this blood cancer cannot afford the expensive chemotherapy drugs if they don't have private drug plans. "This can mean the difference between life and death for myeloma patients," Lindner said. The group is seeking support from elected officials to urge the government to advocate for a national rare disease drug strategy that includes funding for drugs for rare diseases, such as myeloma. "I have never had a private drug plan. When my oncologist discussed the option of going on a maintenance drug treatment after having had a stem cell transplant, I had to decline due to the drugs costing approximately $11,000 dollars a month," Lindner said. "The consequence may have resulted in a shortened remission period." Still Time to look refreshed for the holidays! DIAMOND Fabio De Rango Pharmacist/Owner Voted Oakville's Favourite Pharmacist & Pharmacy Your best defense against the flu is the flu shot! Come and get your flu shot today. DE RANGO PHARMACY INC 478 Dundas Street West | 905-257-9737 Canada Post DE RANGO PHARMACY INC 2501 Third Line | 905-465-3000 Open til Midnight | 7 Days a Week www.shoppersdrugmart.ca Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? 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