About ABAW Foundation
A registered Canadian charity rooted in Oakville, Ontario — serving families, youth, and newcomers through education, cultural exchange, and community care.
From a small circle of volunteers to a growing community movement.
ABAW Foundation was formed by a group of neighbours who saw the same thing at kitchen tables, in classrooms, and at community centres across the Greater Toronto Area: families working hard to build a life in Canada, and young people looking for someone to believe in them. What began as informal gatherings — a homework club here, a cultural potluck there — grew into a federally registered Canadian charity dedicated to sustained, thoughtful community service.
Today we run year-round programs from our home base in Oakville, Ontario. Our work is guided by the people we serve, shaped by evidence, and delivered by a dedicated network of volunteers, mentors, and community partners.
Our Mission
To empower individuals and families through opportunity, dignity, and community — one program, one story, one life at a time. We do this by delivering programming that responds to real, local needs; by amplifying the voices of the communities we serve; and by building bridges of understanding across cultures and generations.
Our Vision
A Canada where every person — no matter their background, income, or first language — has the opportunity to belong, to contribute, and to flourish.
Our Values
- Dignity first. Every person we serve is a partner, not a case number. We meet people with respect, listen carefully, and never lose sight of the humanity in every interaction.
- Community-led. Our programs are designed with the communities they serve. We do not assume; we ask, we listen, and we adapt.
- Cultural humility. We honour the wisdom that newcomers, elders, and youth bring to our work, and we commit to continuous learning.
- Accountability. As a registered charity, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of transparency, governance, and stewardship of the trust placed in us.
- Collaboration. Meaningful change requires partnership. We work openly with schools, faith communities, businesses, and other charities.
A team as diverse as the community we serve.
Our board, staff, and volunteer leaders bring together lived experience, professional expertise, and a shared commitment to community. From educators and social workers to accountants, artists, and small-business owners, the people who steward ABAW Foundation reflect the many faces of the Greater Toronto Area.
We are proud to be led by volunteers who have themselves been newcomers, first-generation students, and community organisers — because the best programs are built by people who understand, from the inside, what it means to need a hand up.
Governance & Accountability
ABAW Foundation is a federally registered Canadian charity, Registration No. 734583677RR0001, and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. We file annual returns with the Canada Revenue Agency and operate in accordance with the Income Tax Act and Canadian charity law.
Our financial statements, program reports, and board minutes are reviewed regularly, and we welcome community members to reach out with any questions about how the Foundation is run. Transparency is not a policy for us — it is a practice.
Where We Work
Our office is located at 3123 Colton Way, Oakville, Ontario. From there, our programs reach families across Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, and the wider Greater Toronto Area, in partnership with local schools, community centres, libraries, and faith communities.