Charitable Choices Archives - Halifax Guardian

Charitable Choices: Tonya Wimmer of Marine Animal Response Society

July 14, 2026 Emilea Semancik

Tonya Wimmer founded the Marine Animal Response Society in 1999 after recognizing a glaring gap in the Maritimes: when a whale stranded or a seal was injured, there was almost no coordinated infrastructure to help. […]

Charitable Choices: Carmen Boyko of JA Nova Scotia

June 30, 2026 Emilea Semancik

The gap between what young people learn in a classroom and what they actually need to navigate the real world has always existed — but Carmen Boyko and the team at JA Nova Scotia are […]

Charitable Choices: Jessica Young of Family SOS

June 23, 2026 Emilea Semancik

Every family hits rough patches — moments when parenting feels overwhelming, communication breaks down, or basic needs like food security become a daily stress. Family SOS exists for exactly those moments. As a free, inclusive, […]

Charitable Choices: Jaydean Jackson of Hope Cottage

June 16, 2026 Emilea Semancik

In Halifax, there’s a place where a hot meal comes with something just as important — the feeling that someone sees you. Hope Cottage has been that place for decades, and under the leadership of […]

Charitable Choices: Lisa Harrison of Brunswick Street Mission

June 9, 2026 Emilea Semancik

Lisa Harrison has spent her career driven by a simple but urgent belief: that no one should go without the basics of a dignified life. As Executive Director of Brunswick Street Mission in Halifax, Lisa […]

Charitable Choices: Jocelyn Hamilton of Hospice Halifax

June 2, 2026 Lauren Kannwischer

For many Nova Scotians, Hospice Halifax represents something deeply important: compassionate care, dignity, and support during life’s most difficult moments. Under the leadership of Hospice Halifax Executive Director Jocelyn Hamilton, the non-profit continues to provide […]

Charitable Choices: Stephanie Clarke of the Halifax Community Fridge

May 26, 2026 Emilea Semancik

Stephanie Clarke, board member with the Halifax Community Fridge, brings both personal experience and professional dedication to her volunteer work. Drawing on a decade in social services and the memory of her own family’s financial […]

Charitable Choices: Anastasia Payne of Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank

May 12, 2026 Emilea Semancik

Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank is Nova Scotia’s largest independent food bank, funded entirely by community partnerships, grants, and private donors. We provide wraparound support for Halifax-area residents experiencing poverty through diverse programs designed […]

Charitable Choices: Trey Russell Johnson of The ALS Society of New Brunswick

May 5, 2026 Emilea Semancik

The ALS Society of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia stands as the sole advocate for ALS patients and their families across both provinces, providing critical support through an Equipment Loan Program that delivers roughly $100,000 […]

Charitable Choices: Sara Coffin of Mocean Dance

April 28, 2026 Emilea Semancik

Sara Coffin, Co-Artistic Director and Program Director of Mocean Dance, has spent nearly a decade building Moving with Mocean into Halifax’s most accessible dance offering—a free, inclusive class that has reached over 1,800 participants since […]