2024 Awards
In September 2024, Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) recognized two individuals, one company, and one organization whose exemplary volunteerism and contributions to local communities have made a positive impact in Waterloo Region. We are pleased to share the recipients of those awards, and some of the ways they have provided support:
From left to right: Teneile Warren, Lori Payne, Eric Avner (WRCF President & CEO), Isabel Cisterna (Neruda Arts), Payton Randerson (TLC Pet Food).
Walter Bean WRCF Community Volunteer Award
This award was created in memory of the founder of Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation. It has been updated to recognize individuals who best exemplify and reinforce WRCF’s vision of ensuring our communities are equitable, connected, and sustainable; and people are thriving; someone who has made a continued, long-term volunteer commitment to WRCF.
2024 Recipient: Lori Payne
Lori served on the Board of KWCF from 2013 to 2022 including roles as Vice Chair and Chair. She oversaw the unification of KWCF and CNDCF into WRCF. Lori then served as Chair of WRCF from 2022 to 2024.
Lori also served as Chair of the Board at Carizon (now Camino Wellbeing & Mental Health), and has supported organizations like United Way, Hopespring Cancer Support Centre, Junior Achievement, the YW KW, and Family and Children’s Services Waterloo Region. For Lori, volunteering in community is a way of life. She has been supporting organizations in Waterloo Region for over 25 years, and we are fortunate she chose to spend some of that time with us.
Ken Murray WRCF Community Catalyst Award
The Ken Murray WRCF Community Catalyst Award was created in memory of the first President of Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation, to recognize individuals who are demonstrating their commitment to Waterloo Region by "doing more good". The award recognizes a community volunteer or philanthropist who demonstrates character traits evident in Ken Murray's life, including living a life with purpose and generosity, leadership, mentorship, and the ability to creatively tackle issues of today, with an eye to the future, by utilizing innovative philanthropic approaches and solutions.
2024 Recipient: Teneile Warren
Teneile has held seats on numerous boards within Waterloo Region, including ACB Network, the City of Kitchener’s Mayor’s Taskforce on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, as well as the Black Brilliance Advisory Board at the Waterloo Region District School Board. Teneile was foundational in creating the volunteer grassroots movement ReAllocateWR in response to the 2020 uprisings calling for an end to the police killings of Black people.
Teneile is a community catalyst who acts as a connector between community groups such as ACB Network, Textile Magazine, and other Black-led grassroots organizations, and the WRDSB where they are employed as the Equity and Inclusion Officer.
David Borges WRCF Organizational Goodness Award
This award was created in memory of the former Chair of the Cambridge & North Dumfries Community Foundation. This award recognizes businesses or organizations located in Waterloo Region that are committed to building and supporting our community through “doing more good”. This support could be demonstrated through corporate philanthropic giving, the encouragement and motivation of employees to become involved in community, and/or community leadership in local projects and initiatives.
2024 Recipient: TLC Pet Food
New Hamburg-based TLC Pet Food has become synonymous with generosity and doing more good. The company has donated generously to a wide range of local causes including Farwell4Hire, the Wellesley Township Recreation Centre, a dog park in Wilmot, Hospice Waterloo Region, the new sports field at Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School, and the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program.
TLC Pet Food has been recognized with a Waterloo Region Arts Awards “Corporate Arts Supporter Award”, a 2017 Canada 150 award for Kitchener-Conestoga, and as 2019 Citizens of the Year by St. Agatha Lions Club.
WRCF Social Infrastructure Champion Award
This award recognizes individuals or organizations in the community who are demonstrating innovation, excellence and/or ongoing commitment to advancing social infrastructure in Waterloo Region. In 2024, the WRCF Social Infrastructure Champion Award will be presented to an individual or organization that is actively focused on social infrastructure, someone who is already leading the way by making a noticeable impact in Waterloo Region.
2024 Recipient: Neruda Arts
Founded on the vision of building bridges in the community, St Jacobs-based Neruda Arts has been presenting small and large arts and cultural events for over 20 years. Their festivals showcase artists from multiple cultures and represent the under-represented in our community, with a passionate motivation to highlight Indigenous people, women, immigrants and refugees, and other marginalized in our community.
Recently they have added concerts for the deaf and hard of hearing, using their vibrotactile chairs that transform sound into vibration. Neruda Arts has enhanced connections between people of different cultures and created new connections by encouraging interaction and engagement, resulting in knowledge and respect. Neruda Arts has enhanced relationships between immigrant and First Nations communities with an increased understanding of Canada’s history among new Canadians.
WRCF’s 2024 awards were designed by Artist, Fatima Garzan.
