As 2022 comes to an end, we want to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to all of our community partners, donors, and volunteers!
As you know, Twice Upon a Time supports children’s literacy through book ownership. Since we began in 2014, we have given away almost 40,000 books to Ottawa children working with a growing number of donors, volunteers, and community organizations.
This year was not without challenges, but with the help of our supporters, we have begun to return to our regular programming. While Twice Upon a Time found new ways to deliver books during the Covid-19 pandemic, we are so pleased to have recently reopened our twice weekly bookstore at Overbrook Community Centre and to provide books to children enrolled in BGC Ottawa programming at Don McGahan Clubhouse. And more locations will be opening soon!
We have so many plans for 2023, and we look forward to working with our community to make them a reality. Wishing everyone a very happy new year!
This Giving Season, you can make a real difference to Ottawa children by supporting Twice Upon a Time. Since 2014, we have given away almost 40,000 carefully selected books to local children. We are currently working on a number of exciting plans for 2023 that will allow us to continue fulfilling our mission of supporting literacy and fostering a love of reading at home.
As a registered not-for-profit, Twice Upon a Time relies on volunteers and community partners, as well as generous individual donors. By making a financial donation to Twice Upon a Time, you can help put more books into the hands and homes of children in Ottawa. Every donation counts, allowing us to buy much-needed books and cover program costs:
Giving Tuesday is the world’s largest generosity campaign. This year, Giving Tuesday falls on November 29, 2022, when hundreds of thousands of Canadians are expected to give back to their communities. By joining our Giving Tuesday campaign, you can help Twice Upon a Time give the gift of literacy to some of Ottawa’s most vulnerable children.
Autumn has been extra special this year for us because it marks the beginning of our return to regular programming. While Twice Upon a Time found new ways to deliver books to many (but not all) partner organizations during the Covid-19 pandemic, we have so missed our direct contact with the community, especially with the children. Our twice weekly bookstore has reopened at Overbrook Community Centre, and we continue to provide books to children enrolled in BGC Ottawa programming at Don McGahan Clubhouse. And more locations will be opening soon!
Twice Upon a Time supports children’s literacy through book ownership. Since we began in 2014 we have given away almost 40,000 books thanks to our supporters and a growing number of community partners that collaborate with us to bring the books to local Ottawa area children.
This season, you can help Twice Upon a Time by supporting our “Give the Gift of Reading” campaign. Help us resume our regular programming at locations across the city, where volunteers give out new and gently-used books to children and families. Help us to purchase more books that will support learning and health outcomes for more children. Support our ReconciliAction, Joie de Vivre!, and Kids Today! campaigns, and help our children foster a more just and welcoming society for all peoples and cultures.
We are so excited to be returning to our regular programming. 2023 promises to be an excited year full of old friends and new opportunities, and with your support, we can continue to share the gift of reading with children across Ottawa.
Give the gift of reading. Make your donation today!
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NOTICE OF MEETING
The 2022 Annual General Meeting of Twice Upon a Time / Il était deux fois will be held on Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 1:30 pm.
The Board of Directors will meet in person in the Dymon Meeting Room at 323 Coventry Road, Ottawa.
Due to space limitations and the need for social distancing guests are invited to attend the AGM via Zoom. Please email info@twiceuponatime.ca to register.
Twice Upon a Time is planning to resume its free bookstores in communities throughout Ottawa this fall, but we need your help! If you or someone you know is passionate about books, children’s literature, and community, please visit our Volunteer page to learn more about available volunteer opportunities and send your resume to volunteers@twiceuponatime.ca.
The Twice Upon a Time 2021 Annual Report is now available. Click here to access the report.
During last month’s Great Canadian Giving Challenge, more than 190,000 Canadians supported over 16,000 charities across the nation.
We would like to say a BIG thank you to everyone who donated to Twice Upon a Time – with your help, we raised a total of $3,000! These funds will help support our ReconciliAction Campaign, as well as our other initiatives such as Kids Today! Special Covid Project. Be sure to check this website regularly to learn more about our upcoming activities this fall.
Fostering a love of reading and supporting literacy is at the centre of what we do. We were thrilled to receive a donation from local Ottawa teacher, Mme. Rachel, on behalf of her Grade 1 class in celebration of their reading this year. Mme. Rachel’s French Immersion class at Broadview Public School read a remarkable total of 2880 French books from November to June!
The twenty students read all kinds of books about animals, science, transportation, and much more. Students received a certificate and prize after reading 100 books. Eli Mallach read a grand total of 500 French books this school year after learning that another student had read 500 books a few years prior.
Following Mme. Rachel’s generous donation, parents of the Grade 1 class decided to match her donation as a “thank you” for her marvelous teaching this year. We are so thankful to have received over $500 in donations from Mme. Rachel and her class!
Twice Upon a Time would like to offer a big CONGRATULATIONS to Mme. Rachel’s class! Well done on reading 2880 books (that’s like, a lot of books!!), and thank you for sharing your love of reading with us. Thank you to Mme. Rachel for inspiring your students to reach such an amazing accomplishment and for supporting our mission to develop children’s literacy in Ottawa.
It’s time for the Great Canadian Giving Challenge! Throughout the month of June, every donation to Twice Upon a Time will enter us in a draw to win $20,000, courtesy of CanadaHelps.org.
By making a gift to our ReconciliAction: Best Kids’ Indigenous Books campaign, you will help us purchase and distribute books by First Nations, Métis and Inuit authors that share the stories, history, cultures, and characters of these communities.
Please consider making a donation today. $25 lets us purchase three new board books for our youngest readers, while $50 allows us to buy four new books for older children.
Thank you for your continued support!
Twice Upon a Time is thrilled to introduce our supporters to our new President, Audrey Lévesque-Aubut! Audrey brings her passion for children's literature, childhood literacy, and the Ottawa community to the Board, and we are so pleased to have her on the team. Read on to learn a bit more about Audrey:
Hello Twice Upon a Time friends and supporters! My name is Audrey Lévesque-Aubut. I’m from Chandler, a little town in Quebec, and I have lived in Ottawa since 2017 in Vanier. I have become very attached to my neighborhood and Ottawa, and I wanted to get more involved in my community through Twice Upon a Time. I have always loved to read. As a child, I spent hours reading. Our family didn’t have much money, so I borrowed books from my local library. My favorite book was "Les mémoires d’une sorcière" - I must have read that book a hundred times and I would always choose it if it was available at the library! It would have been amazing to have the book at home all the time and be able to read it whenever I wanted. As a mom, I cherish the moments with my child when we’re reading his favorite book. It explains why I think the work of Twice Upon a Time is important to me: to be able to help children and families in Ottawa to discover the wonder of literacy and to read their favorite books all the time. I’m very happy to be part of this wonderful organization and to share my love for books and reading. I would like to help Twice Upon a Time as it becomes more inclusive, collects more books in French and other languages, more Indigenous books, and more books about the LGBTQ2 community, and to assure the perennity of Twice Upon a Time as an environment where we can share our passion for books with children.