WRCF’s monthly e-newsletter to keep you connected to granting information, investing, what’s new, and ways we are mobilizing and collaborating to make an impact in our community.
Blog: Raised, not designed.
A strong community, like a great public space, is never finished. It’s raised together, over time. In this reflection, WRCF President & CEO, Eric Avner, draws on Nate Storring’s recent Culture Talk and our second Vital Ideas® report, Social Infrastructure and Black Communities.
Just released: Vital Ideas® Report focused on social infrastructure and Black Communities
What does social infrastructure look like when it supports Black communities to heal and thrive?
WRCF’s newest report, Vital Ideas®: Social Infrastructure and Black Communities, builds on our 2025 Vital Signs® Report and explores that question through the voices of Black community organizers and youth. Alongside local data and community stories, the report offers concrete actions anyone can take.
This second report in the series was created in partnership with Lead Author and Researcher Teneile Warren. It features local organizations like Building Brilliance, Afropolitan Canada, and the Waterloo Region Community Garden Network, showing what’s already possible when Black communities build for themselves.
Check out Midtown Radio's ongoing podcast series Midtown Conversations, where host Danielle Deveau chats with local changemakers about social infrastructure and more.
October 2026 - Social Infrastructure & the Public Realm with Nate Storring, Eric Avner, Shirley Madill, and Craig Beattie.
Spanish flair is in the air in Waterloo Region with Little KW Flamenco Fest
Waterloo Region-based performance duo CalúJules founded the Little KW Flamenco Fest nearly a decade ago to cultivate a flamenco community in the region. Now held at Waterloo Public Square, the free, grassroots festival brings together authentic performances, vendors, and food trucks. This initiative was supported through WRCF’s Arts Fund.
ToastyToes Waterloo Region 2026 Campaign (Oct 10 - Dec 10)
The 2026 ToastyToes Waterloo Region fundraising campaign kicked off on October 10, 2026. Donations to the ToastyToes Waterloo Region Fund help charitable organizations purchase socks for people who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness. By donating the cost of a package of socks, instead of donating physical socks, together we can warm hearts and toes across our region.
