HomeBridges of Friendship Program

UCT Charities Bridges of Friendship Award

UCT North America

For the third year, two community organizations, one in the U.S. and the other in Canada, were each granted $5,000 for their programs from UCT Charities through the Bridges of Friendship Award. The award is based in UCTNA's grassroots, the local council, to reward non-profit organizations in local communities that members support through volunteering and donations.

Congratulations to both of these fantastic organizations for the good they do for their communities and their residents - and nice job to the local councils that work with them.

U.S. Recipient
Oaks United Inc. - Growing Oaks Food Program
Nominated by Fraternal Council 380, Jackson, Ohio

In 2016 Fraternal Council 380, Jackson, Ohio began shopping for large boxes of breakfast cereal to support the Growing Oak's "Big Christmas Program" to provide healthy meals to elementary school students during the extended holiday break. Over the next two years council members personally donated items in addition to the local council's donations as the program continued to evolve.

Well, the story doesn't end there... several members of the council started collecting new and gently used toys, started selling jewelry and conducting jewelry making classes for the cost of toy donations.

The Growing Oaks food program of Oaks United Inc., is a 501.c.3 that now provides food bags to over 200 elementary school students and 88 middle/high school students as well as weekly food bags to others in the community. This amazing program is run entirely by volunteers and costs over $1,700 a month. As they say, "this is an example of hometown people working together.”

Growing Oaks Food Program

Canadian Recipient
Starbright Children’s Development Center

Nominated by Kelowna West Council 1003, Kelowna, British Columbia

Established in 1966 Starbright Children's Development Center is registered as a charitable non-profit organization with more than a 50-year history of providing early intervention services. This wonderful organization’s mission statement sums up the heart of Starbright:

We support the growth and development of children with exceptional developmental needs through early intervention services and empower their families through information and education to meet the immediate, transitional, and long-term needs of their child.

The agency provides occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), speech-language therapy, hippotherapy and therapeutic riding programs (HATRC), and counseling services. They also offer infant developments programs from birth to 3-years, inclusive childcare programs and family engagement support.

Starbright Children's Developmental Centre