ABOUT
Villa Charities
Villa Charities Inc. (VCI),
established in 1971 as
the Italian-Canadian
Benevolent Corporation
(ICBC), is a registered
charity that cultivates,
promotes, supports and
celebrates our culture as
Italian-Canadians.
VCI fulfills this mandate through
a broad range of activities,
programs and facilities, both
directly and in conjunction with
its affiliates and independent
Italian organizations.
Affiliates of VCI include
Columbus Centre/Joseph D.
Carrier Art Gallery, Villa
Colombo Homes for the Aged
Inc. (Villa Colombo Toronto),
Villa Colombo Seniors Centre
(Vaughan) Inc. Di Poce Centre
(Villa Colombo Vaughan),
Independent Seniors’
Apartments (Casa Del Zotto,
Caboto Terrace and Casa
Abruzzo) and Villa Charities
Foundation. Each of these
organizations is an integral part
of the Villa Charities family with
separate legal status and its own
governance board.
Key community assets owned
and operated by VCI and its
affiliates include the Lawrence/
Dufferin campus in Toronto
that is home to:
• The Columbus Centre, a social,
recreational, cultural and
athletic complex that also
includes the Joseph D. Carrier
Art Gallery and Ristorante
Boccaccio, and where a wide
array of dance, visual arts,
music and culinary programs
is offered;
• Villa Colombo Toronto, a
provider of culturally sensitive
long-term care and
community support services
to seniors;
• The Caboto Terrace and
Casa Del Zotto independent
seniors’ apartments;
• The Columbus Event Centre,
which hosts and caters
weddings, family events,
meetings and corporate
functions;
• Child care programs;
• Summer and March Break day
camps;
• Numerous special cultural
events and presentations such
as Italian Heritage Month
celebrations, Cultural Tuesdays
and more.
Also located on the campus is
Villa Charities Foundation,
which raises funds in support
of Villa Charities’ programs
and services to our community,
and facilities operated by
other members of the VCI
family of organizations.
Beyond the main campus, the
VCI family also includes a third
independent seniors’
apartment in Toronto, Casa
Abruzzo, and the Villa
Colombo Vaughan/Di Poce
Centre long-term care facility
in Vaughan.
Villa Charities is a hub for the
Italian-Canadian community
and is a champion of Italian
heritage, culture, language,
arts, food and family values. It
carries out these functions by:
Investing in Culture
through the development and
presentation of high-quality
events and exhibitions. During
2019, this included:
• The world premiere theatrical
productions of “Leonardo’s
Last Supper” and “The Nonna
Monologues”
• The Canadian premiere of
Marco Sassone’s landmark
exhibition “Home on the
Streets”
10 | Consolidated Annual Report 2019