#GIVINGTUESDAY is Around the Corner!
Donate Early to Support Our Seniors in Long-Term Care
GivingTuesday is around the corner, which means Christmas is around the corner too.

The holidays are a time for tree decorating, sharing greetings with those we hold dear, enjoying festive meals, and baking Nonna’s Christmas cookies. They are also a time for reflection. Many of our parents and grandparents remember their experiences of journeying to a new country and of arriving in Canada with their suitcases full of hopes and dreams to begin a new life. Now that they are older, we must take care of our elders and provide comfort and care for them. Here at Villa Charities, we have been supporting our long-term care residents at Villa Colombo Toronto (VCT) since 1976.
 
At Villa Colombo Toronto in our 391-bed long-term care home, aging members of the Italian Canadian community receive high-quality, award-winning geriatric care in a culturally sensitive environment, with innovative programs and services geared toward providing ethno-specific social and recreational activities and programming. We work hard to make our seniors feel comfortable, cared for, understood, respected, and appreciated as part of a family. VCT receives government funding for staffing, programs, and services, but for major capital projects, major upgrades, and new equipment, such as beds and furniture they are reliant on community support.
 
Currently, VCT needs new beds and resident room furniture that will directly benefit the residents and provide them with a high level of comfort and care. The beds are technically advanced with therapeutic mattresses and touch screens to assist in falls prevention and include an in-bed scale to help monitor the residents’ weight, and special side rails to assist the resident to reposition themselves while in bed. The new bedroom furniture is both functional and safe, including a matching dresser and nightstand to help create a comfortable and home-like space for each resident. Our goal is to raise over $1.3 million!
 
This #GivingTuesday, help provide comfort and care to our seniors. Your gift will help make the holidays brighter. You can donate online here or mail us at 901 Lawrence Avenue West, Toronto ON M6A 1C3.
 
Our parents and grandparents took a leap of faith when they came to Canada many years ago. Let’s honour them by making a difference in the lives of the seniors who call Villa Colombo Toronto home.
 
Wishing you comfort and care this holiday season.
Villa Cucina Combines a Delicious Cooking and Tasting Experience
Join us for our new Villa Cucina cooking class series, and experience authentic Italian dishes with professional Chef, Luciano Schipano. Each week, Chef Schipano and his team will discuss new dishes in detail and provide step-by-step demonstrations. Participants will learn hands-on cooking techniques, how to best use essential ingredients and foolproof recipes to recreate for family and friends. Each evening ends as you sit back, taste and experience the prepared feast, together with fellow participants. Our next class, “Cannelloni: Carne e spinaci” is Thursday, December 2 at 6:30pm.
 
Villa Charities and Coro San Marco present Christmas Concert / Concerto di Natale
Join us on Sunday, December 12 at 3:00pm in the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery as we celebrate the holiday season with the Coro San Marco Choir, featuring conductor Michael Colla and pianist Adolfo De Santis. Tickets are only $15 with a limited number available to purchase at the door, so don’t wait! 

Don’t Miss the Vesuvius Ensemble Live in Concert
Experience the Vesuvius Ensemble as they perform traditional Southern Italian folk songs, accompanied by instruments typical of the Italian countryside. Celebrate the holiday season on Sunday, December 19, at the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery with this special performance, including a pastorale played on the zampogna, special bagpipes traditionally played by shepherds on Christmas Eve. The Vesuvius Ensemble includes Francesco Pellegrino, Lucas Harris, Louis Simão, Romina Di Gasbarro and special guest Tommaso Sollazzo on zampogna.
 
The Music and Dance Nights Continue Weekly with Ballo Liscio
Villa Charities presents Ballo Liscio, our popular music and dancing nights! Join us every Wednesday at 7:00pm through December 15 in the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery for our free social dancing nights with live musical performances! Mask or face covering required. Proof of double vaccination is required to enter the facilities.

Learning Italian is Now Easier than Ever with our Virtual Workshops
Don’t miss any of our virtual language workshops with our Learn Italian by Doing program this winter! From our book clubs (“Racconti in Italiano” and “Club del Libro”) and exploring the history and culture of Italy (“Travel through Italy”) to our casual conversation session (“Art & Aperitivo”), there is a workshop for everybody. Join us in a relaxed and “simpatico” atmosphere outside of a traditional classroom to learn or just to polish your Italian!

Join this Month’s Ennio Morricone Cultural Tuesdays Lecture
This four-part Cultural Tuesdays lecture series commemorates the late composer Ennio Morricone by examining his career through his unforgettable film soundtracks, from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns to Hollywood films by Quentin Tarantino. Inspired by his biography “Ennio Morricone: In His Own Words”, these lectures will reflect on Morricone’s personal experiences as a composer for Italian and international cinema while exploring the relationship between images and music. Join us for the third lecture, “Mystery and Craftsmanship,” on Tuesday, November 30 at 7:00pm.
Book Your Virtual One-on-One Meeting for Friday Chats with the CEO
You can have a virtual meeting with Marco DeVuono, President and CEO of Villa Charities Inc., for a one-on-one conversation to answer any questions or to share your thoughts on our programs and services. These informal chats with Marco will be held using GoToMeeting on the 2nd Friday of every month, from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Appointments are 20 minutes each and must be scheduled in advance. The final Friday Chats for 2021 is scheduled for Friday, December 10. Contact us today to schedule your virtual meeting – call 416-789-7011 ext. 240 or email [email protected].
Villa Charities
Celebrates 50 Years with #ThrowbackThursday
In celebration of our 50th anniversary this year, we’re sharing lots of fun and interactive social media content for the Villa Charities community. Check out this #ThrowbackThursday moment from 2000 when acclaimed actress Sophia Loren visited Villa Colombo Toronto with members and friends of Villa Charities. Follow us on our social media channels as we continue to celebrate our 50th anniversary.
Take Part in DanzArts’ PA Day Dance Camp – January 14
Join our Recreational program for the 2021-2022 dance season - registration is still open! Classes are available for ages 3+ in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, acro and tap. Not sure what style will best suit your dancer? Come to our PA Day Dance Camp on Friday, January 14 for a full day filled with dancing! Students will be exposed to different styles of dance to explore what they like best, and dancers who enroll in a weekly dance class with us after attending dance camp will receive 5% off their season's tuition! Contact [email protected] for dance camp and full season pricing information.
 
Find Your Passion for Music with the Columbus Centre School of Music
Learn a new instrument! Columbus Centre School of Music offers affordable and practical lessons for all instruments to kids, teens, adults, seniors or groups. From piano to voice lessons, our instructors have in-person and virtual classes available. Contact [email protected] or call 416-789-7011 ext. 248 to for more information or to join.

Finish the Year Strong at the Columbus Centre Athletic Club
Group fitness classes at the Columbus Centre Athletic Club are available in our studios as well as virtually! From spinning and Circuit 55+ to high-energy ZUMBA®, we have a wide range of group classes that are included with your membership. Advance registration is required online through the Antaris Member portal for in-studio classes. Need more motivation? Personal training is also available virtually, on-site in the main gym or in a private studio. Check the website for details. 
 
Massage Therapy Available at the Columbus Centre Athletic Club
Relax your mind and body with massage therapy at the Columbus Centre Athletic Club. Massage is one of the oldest, simplest forms of therapy and is a system of pressing and kneading different areas of the body to relieve pain, relax, stimulate, and tone the body. For an appointment or more information, contact 416-789-7011 ext. 268.
 
Villa Colombo Toronto is Looking for Volunteers
The greatest gift you can give to our seniors is your time. Villa Colombo Toronto is currently looking for volunteers to help assist with religious/Mass escorts, Meals on Wheels delivery, friendly visits and more. Contact Villa Colombo at 416-789-2113 extension 2216 or by email at [email protected].
Villa Colombo Toronto Revitalization Project
We invite all members of the community to join us for a public meeting on Tuesday, December 7 at 6pm, to discuss a proposed Villa Colombo Toronto Revitalization project. The meeting at the Columbus Centre will include a presentation by Marco DeVuono, President and CEO, Villa Charities Inc., followed by a Q & A session with Mr. DeVuono and John Hendriks, Board Chair, Villa Colombo Toronto. Advance registration is required. Please RSVP by Friday, December 3rd to [email protected] or call 416-789-7011 Ext. 240.

Villa Charities Holds 3rd Dose Vaccination Clinics for Residents 
Villa Charities, in partnership with Humber River Hospital, held vaccination clinics for the residents of Caboto Terrace, Casa Del Zotto and Casa Abruzzo at our independent seniors’ apartment buildings on November 10 to 12 for those wanting to receive their 3rd dose. We were happy to provide access to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster for any of the residents who provided their consent. Staff from Humber River Hospital were at all locations with their mobile clinic to administer the shots.