Villa Charities Celebrates Tomato Sauce Season
Last Sunday we celebrated the annual Italian tradition of tomato sauce season! Everyone who stopped by received a complimentary jar of fresh tomato sauce to enjoy at home, courtesy of Villa Charities. Thank you to all of the community volunteers and staff who came out and helped make our community tomato sauce event a great success.
Learn Italian by Doing Programs
Return for the Fall Term
As part of our fall programming, we are excited to bring back our popular Learn Italian by Doing programs. This program for adults invites you to learn or practice Italian in a relaxed and “simpatico” atmosphere outside of a traditional classroom. Join us to learn or polish your Italian. All programs will run entirely online and feature new and exciting topics and literary themes. Learn more about each workshop below!
 
Club del Libro with Violante Binazzi – Our online book club is an opportunity to explore and discuss contemporary Italian literature while learning Italian. Join us for the fall 2021 sessions, where we will embark on literary adventures with extraordinary works by acclaimed prize-winning authors. The first workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 27 at 7:00pm as we read “i pesci non chiudono gli occhi” by Erri De Luca.
 
Travel through Italy with Adele Addorisio – Take a virtual journey through the beautiful regions and cities of Italy! From North to South, get inspired by landscapes, recipes, small towns, poems, art, literature masterpieces and local tales. Whether you are sharing your Italian origins with your classmates or simply your love for this country, you will get to know lots of new Italian words, customs and friends! It all starts on Monday, October 4 at 6:30pm for English speakers and 7:45pm for Italian speakers. Workshops continue every Monday through November 29.
 
Art & Aperitivo with Violante Binazzi – This workshop is an opportunity to talk about art in a relaxed environment while enjoying our favourite drink together virtually. In this online interactive workshop, we will discuss the most significant art news and events from around the world, using Italian magazines and newspapers. We invite you to practice your Italian while expressing your views. The first workshop is scheduled for Thursday, October 7 at 7:00pm and sessions run every Thursday through November 25.

Racconti in Italiano – Short Story Book Club with Violante Binazzi – With a focus on learning new Italian vocabulary, this online book club offers adult students at any level the opportunity to discuss contemporary short stories in both Italian and English. A variety of literary themes and styles are covered including stories by established literary figures, as well as a new generation of writers, with stories that explore aspects of Italian life. The first of three monthly workshops will be held on Wednesday, October 20 at 5:30pm.
 
Visit our website for more information and to register today. Bentornato!
 
Meet with our New President and CEO,
Marco DeVuono
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 next Friday Chats is scheduled for Friday, October 8. Contact us today to schedule your virtual meeting – call
416-789-7011 ext. 240 or email [email protected].
Villa Charities/Columbus Centre Vaccination Policy Update
In light of the recent announcement made by the Government of Ontario requiring proof of vaccination to access certain public settings including gyms, recreational facilities and meetings/event spaces, we are currently reviewing the recommended policies and protocols to be implemented across our organization. We will provide an update with all details for our members and patrons prior to September 22, 2021.
Congratulations to the 2021 Villa Charities Scholarship Winners
Villa Charities is excited to announce the winners of its second annual national scholarship program for post-secondary undergraduate and graduate students. The second year of the Villa Charities Scholarship Program was launched in February 2021 and is available to students of any heritage who help further Villa Charities’ mission of enriching lives through experiences and services that honour Italian culture and heritage. Read the full press release announcing the 2021 winners below.

Villa Charities Celebrates 50 Years with Congratulatory Greetings!
In recognition of our 50th anniversary this year, we’re sharing lots of fun and interactive social media content for the Villa Charities community. As part of the #VCI50 celebrations key community leaders, luminaries and renowned Italian personalities shared congratulatory greetings acknowledging the organization’s milestone. Watch TLN Media Group’s Antonio Giorgi wish Villa Charities a Happy Anniversary. Follow us on our social media channels as we continue to celebrate our 50th anniversary.

Cultural Tuesdays: Renowned Italian Researcher, Veronica Vecellio presents World Gorilla Day
Join us next Tuesday, September 21 at 7:00pm, when Villa Charities welcomes renowned Italian researcher, Veronica Vecellio, as she presents World Gorilla Day. Drawing from her extensive experience working with wild apes and other primates, Veronica will talk about her life with the endangered mountain gorillas of Rwanda in honour of World Gorilla Day on September 24, 2021. Register today to watch this free video lecture.
 
Cultural Tuesdays Ennio Morricone: In His Own Words Continues with Second Lecture
This 4-part 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 second lecture, “Music and Images” on Tuesday, October 26 at 7:00pm.
 
Spaces Available at our Columbus Early Learning Centres
Spaces are now available for the fall at all of our Columbus Early Learning Centres locations, including the new location at St. Raphael Catholic School. For more than 30 years, we have provided the highest quality of child care to those within our community between the ages of 18 months and 12 years. We are proud to offer diverse, engaging services that reflect the values on which we were founded. Columbus Early Learning Centres are taking every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of the children, families, and our staff, and we are following the guidelines from the Ministry of Education, City of Toronto, and Toronto Public Health.
Join us for Italian Parent & Tot Classes
L’ora dei bimbi is a unique and inspired Italian language program for parents and toddlers co-presented by Multilingual Kids and Villa Charities. Embrace your heritage while bonding with your child through songs, rhymes and stories. Join us at the Columbus Centre on Thursdays at 9:30am starting October 7 through November 25 and Saturdays at 4:00pm starting September 25 through December 4. For more information, email [email protected].
New Painting Masterclasses Return for the Fall
Join professional artist and multi-award recipient Sam Paonessa as he guides you on creating your very own masterpiece while enhancing your understanding of specific painting techniques. These stand-alone workshops will focus on light, shadows and colour theory, and students will learn to capture light and paint convincing shadows. Register for the “Light and Shadow” workshop tonight at 6:30pm.
 
Recreational Dance Programs at DanzArts Toronto Now Available
There is still time to register for fall classes at DanzArts Toronto at the Columbus Centre for dancers ages two and up! The Recreational program is designed to develop technical skills and foster artistic expression. Students may choose to enroll in one or several classes of any style, including tap, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, acrobatics, musical theatre and more. Never miss the chance to dance!
 
Fall in Love with Music at the Columbus Centre School of Music
Embrace your musical side! Registration for the Columbus Centre School of Music is now open. We offer affordable and effective lessons for all instruments to kids, teens, adults, seniors or groups. From piano to voice lessons, our instructors offer in-person or virtual classes. Contact [email protected] or call 416-789-7011 ext. 248 to join.
 
Columbus Centre Athletic Club and Pool Open for Indoor Operations
Be your best self this fall and join us for Athletic, Aquatic and Wellness programs and facilities at the Columbus Centre Athletic Club. Indoor programs are offered with capacity limits along with other restrictions and booking requirements for the pool and outdoor group fitness including spinning classes. Appointments for the main gym are not required. Outdoor and virtual programs and classes will also continue to be offered. Contact [email protected] or visit our website for more information.
 
Hold Serve this Fall at the Columbus Centre Tennis Courts!
Summer may be coming to an end, but our tennis courts are still open! Register for outdoor tennis now. Games can be played in doubles. Book the court through October and get your body moving! [email protected] to learn more.
Virtual Group Fitness Classes Still Available
The Columbus Centre Athletic Club continues to offer virtual Group Fitness classes. Our certified instructors are offering courses six days a week! Check out Tuesday's class – Fine Toning. The fine toning method implies leanness in the body, noticeable muscle definition and shape, but not significant muscle size, working the smallest of muscles for the best results! Monthly membership fees are only $24.99 + HST and include access to our full fitness class video library. For more information, visit our website and register today.
 
Now Accepting Applications for our Seniors’ Apartments
Villa Charities is accepting applications for our three apartment buildings designed for seniors living within our community. Caboto Terrace, Casa Del Zotto and Casa Abruzzo offer an independent living lifestyle to seniors with residences that provide excellent amenities and services in a central GTA location. Interested applicants aged 59+ are encouraged to fill out the contact form on our website today.
 
Coro San Marco Opens Rehearsal to the Public
Starting Monday, September 27 at 7:00pm join the Coro San Marco choir as they open their rehearsal to the public at the Joseph D. Carrier Gallery for their fall season. The choir has a vast repertoire of folk, classical, religious and operatic music.
This is a first-come, first served with a max of 15 seats available. The schedule is subject to change. Contact [email protected] for more information and to confirm the rehearsal dates.