THE Stella Co-MMITMENT
The Stella Collective is growing and we are becoming a big role model in our communities, to our team, and to all of our lovely couples and friends who choose the Stella Collective to be a part of their celebrations.
Life is worthy of celebrating whether it is big or little moments- and most often we celebrate the most important day of our couples lives with them- we are in the business of making happy moments. But while we celebrate, we realize that there are big issues, tough moments, and hardships that our community faces.
Before we dive in, what is the Stella commitment exactly? If you don’t already know a bit about our company’s initiatives, The Stella Commitment is our way of raising awareness and donating funds as a company. We donate to causes and organizations that we feel don’t necessarily get the attention they deserve and are not openly discussed when it comes to how they affect women. As a female-owned and operated company, we choose to highlight and focus on initiatives that are near and dear to our hearts- issues that affect women on a deep and personal level that can impact their success, happiness, and lifestyle.
2025
This year will mark our fourth year of The Stella Commitment. In the past, we have focused on reproductive rights & sex education as well as domestic violence and fertility. 2024 was the first year we took donations into our own hands, asking for nominations. We're going back to our roots in 2025. We will, again, give our couples the opportunity to donate $100 towards an organization of our choice and in return, we will discount their final invoice for their wedding by $100. Yes, we could donate ourselves, but the awareness is an extremely important facet of the commitment. We want our couples to get involved alongside us. Without further adieu, here are the organizations we are choosing to donate to this year.
Michael House: A Place of Hope and Transformation:
Michael House is a sanctuary for pregnant and parenting women in crisis, providing them with a safe and supportive environment to rebuild their lives. For over two decades, we have been dedicated to empowering mothers through housing, counseling, and essential resources, ensuring they have the tools to create a stable and thriving future for themselves and their children. Our programs go beyond shelter—they offer hope, guidance, and a compassionate community that walks alongside women on their journey to independence. We are deeply grateful to The Stella Collective for choosing Michael House as their Charity of the Year for 2025, helping us continue our mission of transforming lives, one family at a time.
The Alexander Janke Memorial Scholarship in Brain Research Award: https://alumni.mcmaster.ca/s/1439/ifundmac/project.aspxsid=1439&gid=1&pgid=13280&cid=23787&ecid=23787&crid=0&calpgid=3310&calcid=5366
Alexander Janke, Gilt Restaurant's Chef, suffered his first seizure on his way back from a Gilt catering job ion February of 2019. He was diagnosed with Glioblastoma (GBM), a stage 4 brain cancer. Through the course of 3 surgeries, numerous chemotherapy and radiation treatments, this 29 year old maintained a positive attitude, raised funds for brain cancer and embraced the time he was given with friends and family. He truly was committed to advancing research around GBM. At the end of his life, he donated his brain and spinal cord to McMaster University to further research in Glioblastoma. It is our hope that your contribution to brain cancer research will lead to finding a cure to Glioblastoma. The Alexander Janke Memorial Scholarship in Brain Research Award was established in 2023 and the recipients of this award are individuals who continue the fight that Alexander wasn’t able to finish.
Your participation is appreciated more than you know.
If you continue reading, you will read more on our community involvements and our 2022 and 2023 charity of choice.
Sending love always,
the Stella Collective
WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE GOING ON?
As we engage with our couples, in any given wedding season or year, we encourage everyone to participate in our commitment to the community in different ways. Whether it is donations to enter giveaways, charitable items to access walkthroughs, or matching no-show meals to shelters in the winter, our commitment far exceeds one chosen charity of cause.
THE SANGUEN MOBILE COMMUNITY HEALTH VAN
The Stella Collective hosts an annual clothing and toiletries drive for The Sanguen Health Van of KW. The van has been in operation since 2015 and services in-need areas Tuesdays-Thursdays. They believe "community outreach is one of the most effective strategies to engage with people who live outside of the system, who are marginalized, chronically poor, homeless, or at risk of homelessness, and who use substances".
In our annual efforts to support this organization, we collected:
618 pieces of clothing for the van during our 2022
701 pieces of clothing as well as 404 hygiene products for the van in 2023
1055 pieces of clothing and 2382 hygiene products for the van in 2024
HOT MEAL DONATIONS
Part of our efforts includes donations of hot meals to local youth shelters in KW and the surrounding area. Each wedding season, our team tallies up the number of "missed meals" of those who could not attend a wedding after a final payment was made and food was ordered.
This number of meals is matched and reflected in hot meal donations over the holidays.
40 hot meals were donated in 2022
102 hot meals were donated in 2023
122 hot meals were donated in 2024
what it's all about
2024's commitment efforts focused on fertility and the discussions not had often enough about the topic. Our industry is not shy when it comes to standards, pressures, and expectations put on a woman and having children. You know, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage. If only it were that easy. Having babies is hard and we understand that; the emotions of it all make it challenging to share stories and get the support and help you may need. There are very few places to search for the financial and emotional support the fertility journey often requires. Chances are, you or someone you know are all too familiar with the difficult journey and we want to help! The Stella Collective will select one or more eligible nominees to be donated to. More details?
Anyone was eligible for the donations. The journey looks different to everyone and we wanted to hear all stories. . No story was ineligible.
Why fertility?
Because fertility is something that affects every person choosing to go through it. Even if someone does not want children, the societal pressure in which they are expected to have them is enormous- so now, imagine having trouble getting pregnant if you do want to. The notion of being unable can come with insurmountable grief. We want to be supportive and provide relief, even if it is just a dent.
We donated to 4 very deserving couples to help them continue their fertility journey.
2024
what it's all about
As a women owned and operated company, who employs a vast majority of women, we have chosen the Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region (WCSWR) for our Stella Co-mmitment donations in 2023. This organization provides safe shelter and confidential outreach programs to women and children who are experiencing domestic violence. They empower and support those in violent homes and spaces to "move beyond the violence" through their services. They currently operate two emergency shelters- one in Cambridge and one in Kitchener- that are flexible and always accessible.
This organization does not discriminate against who they help and support all women, transgender and gender-diverse individuals. The 2023 season raised $4300 for WCSWR. 100% of the donation we collected directly by the organization.
We encourage you to visit their website and learn more about their efforts and change to our community.
To donate:
https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E351263QE&id=2
If you have read this far, thank you.
2023
what it's all about
Given the political climate in 2022, and the overturn of some laws in the world's most influential county, The Stella Collective chose The Shore Centre in Waterloo Region as their charity of choice for the Stella Co-mittment. This organization focuses on sexual education + workshops, offer sexual resources and medical services, outreach and support groups for women and children, empowering women through pregnancy and/or abortion, and openly discussed options with women as it pertains to sex and their bodies. They have many programs and services that can benefit from donation which is why we chose to support them in our efforts. Our 2022 season raised $2100 for The Shore Centre. 100% of donations were donated directly to the organization.
We encourage you to visit their website and learn more about their efforts and change to our community.
To donate:
https://www.shorecentre.ca/donate-to-shore-centre/
If you have read this far, thank you.
2022