HBFirst Initiatives

10/06/2026

🎨 CALLING ALL YOUNG ARTISTS!
The 2026 HBFirst Young Artist Contest is officially open! 💚

LINK: https://hbfirstinitiatives.com/youth-artists

Youth 17 and under from Niagara, Hamilton and surrounding regions are invited to interpret this year’s theme:

✨ CHANGE ✨

Bring your vision to life through any creative medium — drawing, painting, photography, digital art, mixed media, or whatever creativity means to you.

📅 Submissions close: October 25,2026 at midnight
👀 Judging: Shortly after submissions close
🏆 Winners announced: Early November after our amazing volunteer artists judge the submissions - stay tuned to find our who is judging this year!

Selected artists will be featured in the 2027 HBFirst calendar and earn a commission from their artwork.

And just like our 2025 winner Lucy, one lucky artist will also have their artwork featured on a limited-edition merchandise print run! 👕🎨
But the impact doesn’t stop there. 💚

Calendar sales will support HBFirst Initiatives’ five charities of choice, helping turn young creativity into real community impact.

We can’t wait to see what CHANGE means to you.
Create. Inspire. Give Back. 🎨💚

10/02/2026

As we flip the calendar to October, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the young artist behind last year’s incredible October artwork — Marwa. 🎨❤️

Marwa’s piece was created in honour of her brother and to help raise awareness for Autism. It was a beautiful reminder that art can do more than fill a page — it can tell a story, create understanding, and bring important conversations to life.

We’re also proud to recognize Lakeside Home Improvements for sponsoring Marwa’s artwork and for their continued dedication and support as an HBFI partner. Businesses like Lakeside Home Improvements help us create opportunities for young people while turning those opportunities into something that gives back to our community. 💚

And now… it’s time for a NEW PAGE. 👀

This weekend, we’ll announce the 2026 HBFI Young Artist Contest THEME! 🎨📸

Youth 17 and under will be invited to bring the theme to life through any creative medium they choose — whether that’s drawing, painting, photography, digital art, mixed media, or something completely their own.

And there’s more…

✨ Every selected young artist will be featured in the 2027 HBFI calendar AND earn a commission from their artwork.

Because we believe young people deserve more than a chance to be seen — they deserve to be recognized and rewarded for their creativity.

📅 Contest opens: October 3
⏰ Entry deadline: October 20
🗓️ Calendars available: November & December

The sale of this year’s calendars will help support five charities of choice through HBFirst Initiatives. 💚
Autism Dog Services
Community Connect
Dare To Be Youth
Heartland Forest
Thorold Community Activities Group (TCAG)

Full contest details — including how the commission works — will be announced this weekend!

One young artist. One piece of creativity. One community partner. And one more opportunity to turn creativity into collective good.

Stay tuned this weekend. The 2026 theme is coming… 👀🎨📸 and congrats again Marwa!

09/01/2026

📅 Hello, September! 🍂

A new month means another opportunity to celebrate one of the incredible young artists featured in our HBFirst Initiatives Youth Art Contest Calendar! 🎨💚

This month, we're celebrating the talented Olivia and her beautiful artwork! 💙 Thank you, Olivia, for sharing your creativity and helping make our calendar so special.

We'd also like to give a huge thank you to Stream Yoga and Meditation for sponsoring Olivia's artwork and supporting young artists in our community. Their commitment to wellness, connection and community makes them a wonderful partner for this initiative.

If you're looking for a place to slow down, reconnect and take care of yourself, be sure to check out Stream Yoga and Meditation and support a local business that believes in the power of community. 🧘‍♀️✨

And stay tuned throughout September — we'll be kicking off our Fall Kids Art Contest for this year very soon! 🎨🍁 We can't wait to see what our young artists create!

Thank you, Olivia and Stream Yoga and Meditation, for helping us make September a little more inspiring! 💙🐻

08/18/2026

Here is your chance to win a $25 ESSO gas card!

WHAT WOULD YOU USE THIS FREE ROOM FOR?
A book club? 📚
A workshop?
A support group?
A team meeting?
A birthday gathering? 🎂
A craft night?
A seniors' group?
A community organization?
A class or seminar?
A club that just needs somewhere to meet?
You might be surprised by how many different groups can use the Niagara Community Room!
We love seeing this space filled with people connecting, learning, creating and bringing great ideas to life. ❤️
So here's our question: If you had the room for a few hours, what would YOU use it for?
- Tell us in the comments
- Tag a friend to follow our page.
- Share this post
— you might even give someone else an idea!

We will select a winner at random on Monday August 24, 2026.

08/16/2026

Thanks to our fundraising B**r Buddies team for kicking off our final Visibility Boosters | Websites • AI • SEO presented 🍀 Clover Cup at Cardinal Lakes Golf Club The Nest at Cardinal Lakes

Our fundraising golfers compete today and fundraise for the rest of August in support of:
Community Connect Port Colborne
Heartland Forest
Dare To Be You(th) Charity
Autism Dog Services
Thorold Community Activities Group (TCAG)

Thank you to all our sponsors for making this all possible and believing in Putting Human Beings First. 👊 💚⛳️🍀

08/14/2026

🎶💚🙏🧸

Live music. Great cause. One unforgettable night in Niagara. 🎶

Join us for the Duliban FORE Charity Concert, featuring The Blackstones from Niagara and Brad James from Hamilton, on September 23rd at Cardinal Lakes Golf Course.

Concert starts at 5 PM, and you don't need to be a golfer to come out, everyone's welcome. Tickets are just $20, and every dollar supports Comfort Bears.

Grab your tickets before they're gone. 🎫

🔗 dulibaninsurance.com/duliban-fore-charity/
📧 Questions? [email protected]

08/11/2026

We can't wait to see families dapper up along side our partner Niagara Mini Rides all while raising awareness and funds for Mens mental health - join us Sunday Sept 27. No matter you drive - we have a way for you to join in the fun with us! 💚🚗💚

The more you can fit, the merrier!

See you September 27th.

📸 .cars
🌎 Spain, Madrid