

The WindsorEssex Community Foundation is celebrating 40 Years of Inspiring Philanthropy throughout 2023, with a broad range of community investments. This year, we are investing in community to create projects that will invest in lasting change, reflect who we are as the people of Windsor and Essex County, value our sense of place and culture, and honour both our local history and our future as it unfolds. We are privileged to be celebrating our 40th Anniversary with phenomenal community partners.
On July 25, 2023, WECF visited Bryerswood Youth Camp to celebrate the unveiling of a brand new Legacy Cabin, thanks to an investment from the WindsorEssex Community Foundation in celebration of our 40 Years of Inspiring Philanthropy.
A 40th Anniversary Community Legacy Investment in the amount of $25,000 enabled the construction of the brand new, 6-bunk cabin at Bryerswood Youth Camp. Bryerswood Youth Camp Optimist Club is a charitable organization offering structured programs for youth that prioritize providing fun through learning about leadership, life skills, outdoor camping skills, and environmental stewardship in a safe and welcoming environment on their 25-acre site in Essex County.
The facility is currently upgrading existing cabins and structures with the aim of maintaining year-round access for young people in the community. The rustic but comfortable new cabin provides much-needed additional accommodations, which allow more young visitors to enjoy the camp.
The investment is one of several 40th Anniversary Community Legacy Projects the WECF is supporting as we celebrate 40 years of Community Supporting Community in 2023. Throughout the community, the WECF is commemorating this milestone year by creating lasting legacies and working with local partners to develop projects that will invest in lasting change in Windsor and Essex County, value a sense of place and culture, and honor both local history and the future.
“We are very grateful and thankful that WECF has chosen to support us in such a significant way, showing that they believe in our vision for Bryerswood and the youth of Windsor, Essex County and Chatham-Kent,” says Bryerswood Youth Camp Optimist Club President Kathi Poupard.
“This year, we are investing in community to create projects that will invest in lasting change, reflect who we are as the people of Windsor and Essex County, value our sense of place and culture, and honour both our local history and our future as it unfolds,” says Lisa Kolody, Executive Director of the WindsorEssex Community Foundation (WECF). “We are privileged to be celebrating our 40th Anniversary with phenomenal community partners like Bryerswood Youth Camp, who are helping us mark this milestone year by creating projects that help foster a sense of community throughout Windsor & Essex County, today and forever.”