Q3 2026: New Scholars, Stronger Pathways
New WISE cohorts and an Occidental College partnership join summer career exploration, grassroots music, community service and recognition across July to September.
Stories & updates
Stories of care and opportunity
Stories from our programs, partners and communities. Recent updates sit alongside the historical record of how the Foundation’s work has grown.
New WISE Scholars and a New Pathway with Occidental College
September welcomes scholars from Altadena Girls, Debbie Allen Dance Academy and the Texas Rangers Youth Academy, alongside new college-exploration opportunities with Occidental.
Supporting Young Musicians with School of Rock Calgary
Support for the Calgary and Douglasdale House Band’s planned Pacific Northwest Tour reflects our commitment to learning, confidence and creativity beyond the classroom.
Q2 2026: Building Places to Learn and Pathways to Serve
Construction advances at St. Xavier’s Academy, while a new University of Waterloo commitment expands opportunities to learn through community-focused co-op work.
Q1 2026: Education, Wellbeing and a Community of Support
Our first U.S. WISE graduates, a new California Lutheran University partnership, mental-wellness conversations and campus experiences shaped the first quarter.
Grace Sober Living Celebrates Its First U.S. WISE Graduates
Kim Black, Angel Ackermann and Nick Anaya completed 18 months of development and nearly 900 service hours collectively before moving forward with WISE scholarships.
2026: Thank You to Our Anonymous Donor Supporting St. Xavier’s Academy in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India
2026 Update Video – St. Xavier’s Academy
Q4 2025 Education Update: Influence, Pathways, and Gratitude
STACEY RECOGNIZED AS AN INSPIRATIONAL LEADER This fall brought a special moment of recognition for our Education Pillar. In early October, NY Weekly Magazine featured Stacey Steele in its “Top 30 Inspirational Women and…
Children’s Day Celebration at St. Xavier’s Academy, India
St. Xavier’s Academy in India hosted a Children’s Day celebration that brought together more than 450 children from seven parishes across the Hosur Vicariate. The event focused on joy, inclusion, and community. Students…
Creative Minds Talent Expo at St. Xavier’s Academy
St. Xavier’s Academy in Tamil Nadu, India hosted its Creative Minds Talent Expo on November 1, 2025. The event brought students together to present hands-on projects built from simple materials like cardboard, paper,…
Q3 2025 Education Pillar Update: Wellness, Pathways, and Purpose in Motion
From July through September, our Education Pillar has focused on three things in parallel. First, giving WISE participants richer real-world experiences in wellness, leadership, and community. Second, turning career…
A Birthday Message From St. Xavier’s Academy
Students from St. Xavier’s Academy in Tamil Nadu, India shared a birthday message this week for Michael Steele, President of The Steele Family Foundation. The school was built through our Sacred Trust Project and their…
April to June 2025 Highlights: Education, Health, and Global Opportunity
INTRODUCTION From April through June 2025, our Education Pillar stayed focused on real-world support for young people and families, from children’s hospitals and teen centers to refugee classrooms overseas. These months…
University of Waterloo Co-op Students Support Refugee Education in Thailand
Education is one of The Steele Family Foundation’s core pillars, and our work continues through both local and international partnerships. One of these partnerships is with the University of Waterloo’s Changemakers in…
Thank You to Our Anonymous Donor Supporting St. Xavier’s Academy in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India
April 3 2025 - Thank You Letter for Anonymous Donor – St. Xavier’s Academy
Q1 2025 Education Update: Building Quiet Momentum
QUIET START, STRONG DIRECTION As March 2025 closes, the Education Pillar shows steady, behind the scenes support for WISE participants and partner sites. Full time Senior Scholarship Administrators at Grace Sober…
St. Xavier’s Academy opens its first phase
June 2019: the first phase of St. Xavier’s Academy opens in Mathigiri, Tamil Nadu. A milestone in the Sacred Trust school partnership.
$10,000 Donation Made to Pride Stables
The Steele Family Foundation makes its annual donation to Pride Stables, who provides therapeutic horseback riding for people with disabilities by using horses as a medium of therapy.
Sponsoring a day at Covenant House
On February 14, The Steele Family Foundation sponsored a full day of operations and support at Covenant House in Toronto. Covenant House’s mission is to serve suffering children of the street, and protect and safeguard…
Construction Is In Full Force!
The Foundation sends another $20,000 to the Sacred Trust Project this past week, and we are happy to share with you the progress photos from the construction that is well underway. Thank you for your continued support…
Sharelife Mass of Thanksgiving
Michael Steele, Cardinal Thomas Collins, Stacey Coote-Steele & Jennifer Steele On October 18, 2018, The Steele Family attended a mass and reception at St. Paul’s Basilica in Toronto for Sharelife Donors. As Cardinal…
Visit and Donation to Urban Promise Toronto
The Steele Family Foundation visited by Urban Promise on Jane Street to make a donation in the amount of $5,000 and to also have a look at one of their locations.
Update on the school project for our valued supporters!
We are pleased to share the completed renovations The SFF has funded for the St Xavier church Christmas pageant, which now forms part of the larger school campus. (Click on the right image to scroll through the whole…
The SOS School in Varanasi
Following up from our Blog posting in January, we thought our readers would like to learn a bit more about the school in Varanasi, India. Below are some photos and some information on what our donation will be aiding in…
39th Annual Cardinal’s Dinner
The Steele Family Foundation attended the Cardinal’s dinner on November 8th, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, to celebrate all the great charitable works of the Catholic community. In attendance were The…
Update on St. Xavier’s Academy School in India
A historical update on the school closure and practical challenges during the 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic.
Educating for Impact
A gift based on family values will help Waterloo students thrive as competitors and community builders. Michael Steele (BASc ’81) knows first-hand how the influence of an individual or event can change the course of a…
The Duke of Edinburgh Award In Action
Since 2018, Michael and Stacey have supported The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award through the World Fellowship, with a particular focus on the Award in India, as well as supporting the ‘Award in Action’ trip to…
$10,000 Donation Toward the Philippine Typhoon Relief Effort
The Steele Family Foundation donates $10,000 to help those affected by the devastating typhoon in the Philippines. Saint John’s Albion of Caledon East, Ontario matched The Steele Family’s donation. Seen in this photo:…
The Steele Family Foundation Makes a $10,000 Donation to Good Shepherd D.A.R.E Program
The Steele Family Foundation who are generous benefactors of Good Shepherd Ministries this year kindly donated $10,000 to assist with the D.A.R.E (Drug and Alcohol Recovery Enrichment) Program. In their own words….”We…
175 years celebrated for the Archdiocese Toronto
We enjoyed a lovely event yesterday, at Saint Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, celebrating the Archdiocese of Toronto’s 175 year anniversary, with the main celebrant, His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of…
Improving Accessibility of Education in India
STEELE FAMILY FOUNDATION DONATES $25,000 TO IMPROVE THE ACCESSIBILITY OF EDUCATION IN INDIA SOS Children’s Villages Canada received a generous $25,000 donation from The Steele Family Foundation, to increase access to,…
Charity work in the South of India over Christmas 2017
Here is a photo of Michael and Stacey handing out blankets and bedding for the native people who have no permanent homes near our school site. It is winter time and this photo was captured this past December, 2017.…
Progress on the Elementary School in Hosur
We are pleased to share with you the latest report from our school site’s project manager, Rohan Hazrati. Rohan is doing an excellent job liaising with us on the status of work completion while we are back home in…
Construction Site Visit in Hosur, India
Michael recently flew to India for a follow up construction site visit on October 24 and 25. We are completing the ground floor phase 1 structure that will accommodate 10 classrooms and administrative offices.…
The Journey Begins: The WISE Youth Empowerment Program
A March 2023 planning workshop brought WISE and SOS participants together to explore an educational support model and phased development.
Visit and Donation to Covenant House, Toronto.
The Steele Family Foundation makes a $12,000 donation to sponsor a full day at Covenant House for homeless and disadvantaged youth.
Assisting Stranded Super Stars
In 2021, SOS Children’s Villages Canada, the Steele Family Foundation, and the SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College (HGIC) in Ghana, partnered to establish the World Impact Scholarship & Education (WISE) program.…
Improving School Conditions At Purkal Youth Development Society (PYDS)
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT The Kitchen that already existed at PYDS was not sufficient enough to cater to the needs of increased number of students, over the years. The kitchen was not suitable to accommodate more than…
Visit to Bangalore and Chennai, India
From May 8 – 14, The Steele Family Foundation visited Chennai, Dharmapuri and Bangalore, India to further advance the Sacred Trust Project, our foundation’s latest fundraising initiative. A big part of the trip included…
The Steele Family Foundation Attends a Beautiful Fundraising Event in Support of Global Pathways School
What a wonderful event Global Pathways put on last night to raise money for its school and summer camp for children living in impoverished conditions. The Steele Family Foundation looks forward to working with GPS in…
The Steele Family Foundation 2023 Fourth Quarter Update!
We’re excited to share with you the Steele Family Foundations 2023 fourth quarter update on the ongoing progress of our three pillars: Education, Homeless/Hospice/Additions and Grassroots Programs, with a strong focus…
Celebrating Progress and Partnerships
We’re excited to share with you the Steele Family Foundations updates on the ongoing progress of our three pillars: Education, Homeless/Hospice/Addictions and Grassroots Programs, with a strong focus on our WISE…
The “ABC’s” of Life – Never Give Up
“A” is for Abandonment “B” is for Betrayal “C” is for Closure I have 2 stories to tell you today about why never giving up pays off!! My name is Michael Steele…I’m 62 years of age born in Toronto Canada and have lived the “A”, “B” and “C’s” of life 2 times…but nothing hurts more […]
5 Ways Illiteracy in The Developing World Contributes to Reduced Lifespans
Illiteracy is a huge issue in the modern world. Few people realize the full impact illiteracy has on the lives of the illiterate. Here are 5 ways illiteracy impacts peoples lives 1. Creates barriers to economic opportunities Many illiterate people are unemployed or underemployed. Illiterate people may have a difficult time finding employment since many […]
Breaking the Poverty Cycle with Education
One of the largest barriers to ending extreme poverty is the lack of access to education. An estimated 265 million children are unable to go to school. 22% of whom are missing K-6 schooling. 130 million of whom are young girls. Without improving access to education, we may never fully eradicate poverty. What is the […]
5 Ways You Can Help the Homeless in Your Community
While the effects of the pandemic have left nearly everyone reeling with the consequences, those experiencing homelessness have had it the worst. Due to the nature of homelessness, homeless people’s health is typically compromised and such homeless people may be more vulnerable to infectious diseases like COVID-19. Furthermore, the pandemic has made poverty and homelessness […]
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