The Mon Sheong Foundation is proud of its continuing growth and development since our founding in 1964 when Reverend Ron Con, Minister of the Chinese Presbyterian Church in Toronto, with his colleagues, initiated a charity to serve the Chinese community. It has a philosophy of caring and respect, based on the life of Mon Sheong himself, a man of legendary generosity who lived in China around 300 B.C. Mon Sheong Foundation has been a pioneer in service to both the young and the elderly. It was the first Chinese voluntary organization to win charitable status in Ontario.

The Mon Sheong Board today is made up of many prominent philanthropists, business leaders and medical professionals under the distinguished patronage of the Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and his predecessors, the Honourable James K. Bartleman, the Honourable Lincoln Alexander and the Honourable Henry Jackman.

In June 1997, Queen Elizabeth II visited the Mon Sheong Home for the Aged, and laid the cornerstone for the Home’s new wing. The Mon Sheong Foundation was proudly invited to participate at the Festival of Ontario when Her Majesty visited Toronto again in 2002.

The Foundation upholds the Chinese tradition of honour and respect for the elderly with its long standing Mon Sheong Home for the Aged. Opened in May 1975, the D'Arcy Street Home provides a culturally appropriate environment for elderly Chinese Canadians. The expansion in 1999 has changed the Home into a 105-bed long term care centre.

Today, the demand for services for elderly people of Chinese descent is rising. The Mon Sheong Foundation and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care have taken the first step to make our dream of care a reality. In 2000, Mon Sheong Foundation was granted permission by the Ministry of Health to create long-term care beds within the Greater Toronto area. The Foundation has built two new long-term care centers with 192 beds in Richmond Hill and 160 beds in Scarborough, which is a dramatic addition to the original Home in D’Arcy St. All our Centres are state-of-the art facilities serving the needs of seniors and physically challenged individuals in the region.

The Foundation has goals in serving the needs of both the elderly and the young. One mission of ours is to preserve and promote our cultural heritage to our younger generation. The Mon Sheong Foundation Chinese School was thus established in 1968. The primary aims of the School are to teach students to read, write and speak Chinese and to introduce them to Chinese culture. Students also gain an understanding of Canadian multiculturalism that enables them to lead a harmonious life with their fellow citizens.

Today, the School is one of the largest private ones in Canada and providing Chinese classes taught in Cantonese and Mandarin to about 1,000 students. Currently, we have three school locations in North York, Etobicoke and Markham respectively. Our Classes are taught by experienced and qualified teachers, who graduated from colleges of education or universities in Hong Kong and/or Canada. A volunteer board administers the School and there are thirteen levels of instruction for children aged 3 and up.

The Mon Sheong Foundation Youth Group, founded in 1969, provides young people with opportunities to develop leadership and cooperative skills. In 2002, the Group developed into two chapters: the Young Leader’s Chapter (for ages 18 – 30) and the Youth Chapter (for ages 14 – 17). This extension in age group allows the Foundation to create mentor programs for university students and young professionals. Working under the guidance of an advisory committee, these two Chapters meet regularly and work on charitable projects in a spirit of fun, goodwill, and community.

Our ongoing expansion and development have allowed us to be a compassionate leader in community services. In meeting the continuous needs for our senior population, the Foundation is undergoing a new capital campaign to build a 11-storey, 233-unit senior apartment by our Scarborough Long Term Care Centre. The expected completion of the apartment will be in 2008.

We need your generous support to make this dream continues – as ongoing fundraising for our new project, repaying the capital cost and maintaining the existing centres’ operation is a must. "Sharing and Caring With You By Our Side" is our proud theme. We ask you to make it yours as well.