Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

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Giving Tuesday Featured Donor: Natasha McNulty

Posted on: December 3rd, 2013 by Nellie's No Comments

Today as part of Giving Tuesday we are featuring 2 people who have made an outstanding contribution to Nellie’s over the last year.

What is Giving Tuesday? “It is a new Canadian movement for giving and volunteering, taking place each year after Cyber Monday. The “Opening day of the giving season,” it is a day where charities, companies and individuals join together to share commitments, rally for favourite causes and think about others.”

Natasha McNulty (left) joined Team Nellie’s at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon this year and was the top fundraiser on our team, raising over $2000! Natasha joined Nellie’s in honour of her Aunt (right), a survivor of violence. This is her story.

Who or what inspired you to give to Nellie’s?

I am the adult face of a child who endured a life of severe abuse and watched as my Aunt and cousin endured their own. My mother suffered from addiction and mental health issues as a result of a life of various sorts of abuse and unfortunately I was the object in which she took out her pain on. She has passed away a couple years ago and I had the opportunity to understand her fully and forgive her for what happened to me. She was alone. There was no place for her to go. And nobody tried to understand her.

My Aunt is a beautiful woman with a heart that is full of generosity and love and although you can see the pain she has endured due to decades of physical and mental abuse she remains stoic. I don’t really know how my cousin is. He is hard to reach. He’s quiet and doesn’t share much with many people.

I on the other hand struggled with addiction for over 20 years and am now over 2 years sober and turning 41 in December. A frightened child, an angry adult, and now I have to build a life on a new foundation with a clarity that I did not have before.

How long have you been a supporter of Nellie’s?

My best friend and I were walking in Leslieville last summer and had the opportunity to visit Nellie’s Open House. The beautiful pictures on the wall and the energy of love and compassion that the space holds are magnetic. It made me reflect back on my life, wishing I had known as a child where to go for safety, where my mom could go, my Aunt, my cousin. Where someone would embrace us and let us know that we would and could be OK in a world that seemed like everyday was a war zone.

I had received and email from Nellie’s this year that they were raising money in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and I decided that this is what I wanted to do for my Aunt. I wanted to show her how much I loved her as she has taken over as my mom and was there for me when my mom could not be. With all her adversity and chaos she never forgot about me. So I ran for her.

It was a beautiful morning on race day and I saw the sun and the moon meet in the middle of the sky together as if to wish each other a good day. Every moment I thought about how beautiful it is to be of service and to do something that is about kindness, compassion and love. This was not how I thought nor behaved as an alcoholic and drug addict. I raised a little over $2000 and although I didn’t think it was enough, I ran to honor my Aunt, and I ran to show all of you women and children out there who are still suffering, feeling alone and abandoned, neglected and scared that although I do not know you, I love you.

What is your hope for the women and children at Nellie’s?

My hope for Nellie’s is that this beautiful place will grow and flourish and continue to be a beacon of hope and place of peace for those who need what I wished for my Aunt, my cousin, my mother and myself. That you will be taken care of, regain your self-worth, learn to love yourself, because you are worthy, you have value, that fear will no longer bind you and you will grow into the women and children you were put here to become.

So I thank you Nellie’s for allowing me to feel the joy and gratitude for even just a moment to be a part of your organization. It turns out my best friend was equally touched by our short visit to Nellie’s and she now sits as one of the board of Directors. Our lives changed because we decided to meet for a coffee.

Join the conversation online by following the official @GivingTuesdayCA and @nelliesshelter twitter accounts and using hashtag #GivingTuesdayCA. To support the women and children at Nellie’s with a donation, please visit our Online Giving Page. All donations to our 2013 Holiday Appeal will be matched dollar for dollar up to $5000.

Wanted: Team Members for a Very Important Mission!

Posted on: July 11th, 2013 by Nellie's No Comments

In 100 days, we will be returning to the start line of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon with Team Nellie’s! For the past two years, we have had the privilege of running and walking with dedicated, passionate, strong women and men in the marathon, half-marathon, and 5k challenges and we look forward to returning this Sunday October 20th.

Our cumulative fundraising total from this event, stands at $28,500 and this year we’d like to break through the $50,000 mark by raising $20,000! We know you can do it! Last year, 80% of our team members reached or surpassed their $250 fundraising goal, and 6 runners raised over $1000 each. With an easy-to-use online donations system and support from Nellie’s fundraising team, we’ll make sure you reach your fundraising goal and have fun doing it.

100% of the funds you raise will go to support the many programs and services we offer at Nellie’s. From our Summer Kids Leadership Camp to our Women Experiencing Abuse and Violence Support Group, your fundraising dollars will go straight into the work we do to support and empower women and children leaving situations of violence and abuse.

Since 1973, we have had the honour of helping to rebuild the lives of over 15,000 women and children. On Sunday October 20th, we invite you to come out and show your strength, share your courage, prove your determination, and inspire hope in the belief that every woman and child has the right to live a life that is free from violence and oppression. Challenge yourself to a marathon, half-marathon, or 5k race, and join our team as we run, walk, and wheel to end violence against women.

Team Nellie’s set to Run and Walk in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Posted on: October 11th, 2012 by Nellie's No Comments

Wow. We can’t believe it is only 3 days until Team Nellie’s takes on the Toronto Waterfront Marathon for our second year in a row! Our team has been busy training and fundraising and we are excited to announce that this morning we surpassed the $10,000 mark! Congratulations to our Top 3 Fundraisers Anna Von Frances, Lori Loewen, and Victoria Lucas from Viva Pulse!

(Top Fundraiser Anna Von France)

Running a half-marathon or a 5K is no easy feat, and we feel honoured and privileged that our team members have made the commitment to run for a cause and help us end Violence Against Women. 100% of the money raised will go to support our programs for disAbled women, including our Women and Accessibility Support Group. After we launched this group last year, the feedback from participants has been clear: there are not enough services for this population and our services to them are greatly needed.

This weekend we’ll be keeping you updated via our facebook and twitter pages while we’re at the run! Keep an eye out for some great pictures and messages and follow hashtag #STWM and #TeamNellies. If you’re out on race day, and you see someone wearing this on their back, be sure to give them a cheer!

If you’d like to support our team by making a donation, you can do so here. Thanks to everyone who has supported us so far! Now, it’s time to rest up those legs and wait for Sunday. GO TEAM!

This October Run & Walk to End Violence Against Women.

Posted on: April 11th, 2012 by Nellie's No Comments

It’s April, the sun is shining, the runners and walkers are out every morning and evening, and it’s time to start planning for the 2012 race season!

This year, Team Nellie’s is back with a bigger fundraising goal ($20,000) and we are looking for some new members to join us as we run and walk to End Violence Against Women.

(Anna is back for her second year running the half-marathon for Nellie’s.)

Despite the fact that the most dangerous time for a woman in an abusive relationship is right before she tries to leave, in 2011 over 167 women made the brave decision to leave their homes and come to Nellie’s in search of a brighter future. The money raised by our team members will go to support critical programs and services such as emergency shelter, counselling, support groups, educational programs, advocacy, and food access.

(Adriana running along the highway during the half-marathon.)

Last year our amazing team helped us raise over $11,000 for Nellie’s and this year we’ve almost doubled our goal to $20,000. We would love for you to join us this year! Please e-mail info@nellies.org or give us call at 416-461-0769 if you would like more information about the race. Remember, if you commit to raising $250 or more, your race entry is free!

(Team Member Pedro enjoying the taste of victory at the end of the half-marathon!)

For the most up-to-date information about Team Nellie’s at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, please visit our Charity Challenge Facebook page here or follow us on twitter here.