Villa Charities Annual Report 2019 | Page 10

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