Teahen Family Nutrition and Wellbeing Fund
Supporting hungry kids in Stratford and Perth County schools.
Chris and Courtney Teahen had always supported charities that helped hungry children overseas. But it wasn’t until their daughter (now a teenager) started grade one that they became aware of hungry kids right in their own backyard.
“She’d come home with stories of classmates who’d had no breakfast – or maybe had ice-cream for breakfast – because that’s what was in the fridge,” says Courtney. “I was unsettled. But when I asked my adult friends in the school system, they confirmed that basic, healthy food is a real need for a lot of families.”
Meanwhile, Chris was looking for ways to mark the 20th anniversary of their company, Teahen Construction. Together, Chris and Courtney settled on creating a giving program to support the community where they live and work.
Right away, their friends and colleagues were eager to help, and Teahen Construction’s popular charity golf tournament was born. This event supports the Teahens’ giving program, which provides nutritious food and basic hygiene supplies to local schools, and funds a scholarship program for local teens interested in the construction or skilled-trades industry. So far it’s raised more than $83K.
Safeguarding a successful giving program for tomorrow
After a while, Chris and Courtney began thinking about building a future for their program. They were worried about who would keep it going if they were ever unable to do it themselves.
“It was such a relief when we met Heidi,” says Courtney. “She took all the mystery out of establishing a named fund, and explained that anyone could do it – you didn’t have to be a gigantic corporation. So that’s what we did.”
The Teahen family now holds two named funds within the Foundation, and both continue to receive proceeds from the golf tournament. One fund supports school-based nutrition programs, and the other supports the scholarship.
“We’re thrilled to have these funds housed within the Community Foundation,” says Courtney. “This way they’re here forever, supporting the kids who need it the most.”
Thank you, Chris and Courtney!
“Healthy food is ground zero for successful learning. A child who isn’t nourished can’t focus, and is at a disadvantage right away. We want to give every child the best start possible.”
~ Courtney Teahen, fund holder