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The Four Oaks Foundation
Deep roots in making positive change
Left to right: Barbara Lang and Spencer Newlands
For The Four Oaks Foundation, their philanthropic involvement is rooted in a long family history of giving back to the community. Barbara Lang, founder of The Four Oaks Foundation, has spent her life volunteering for charitable causes: sitting on committees, planning fundraising events and chairing galas. When she decided to establish her family’s own philanthropic foundation, it was important for her to instill those same values in her four children, who all sit on the Board of Directors of The Four Oaks Foundation.
“When we started the foundation, we came up with the mandate to serve children and youth in crisis. From there, I sat down with each of the children to understand what pillar was important for them, so they felt close and connected to the causes we chose to support,” explains Lang. Each of Lang’s children have brought forward a specific priority – food security, mental health, animal welfare, and sports – that The Four Oaks Foundation directs their generosity toward.
It was after a tour of Women’s College Hospital’s (WCH) Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre (SA/DVCC) that Lang and her son, Spencer Newlands, executive director of The Four Oaks Foundation, recognized an urgent need to support its services. “We have a very hands-on approach, visiting sites and building connections with the organizations we support. You can read about what an organization does in a grant application, but you don’t get all the nuances or learn about everything that happens behind the scenes until you visit a space,” notes Newlands. Both Lang and Newlands were moved by stories shared by staff at the SA/DVCC, and the level of emotional, mental and physical care that is involved in supporting victims and survivors of sexual assault and domestic/intimate partner violence.
The Four Oaks Foundation has pledged $1.5 million toward anti-sex trafficking research at WCH. This work is especially important for groups disproportionately affected by sex trafficking, such as Indigenous women, girls, the precariously housed, and 2SLGBTQ+ youth. WCH is leading the way in this field, conducting research to identify factors that impact the support of sex-trafficked persons, and learning from those with direct lived experience, in order to make data-informed recommendations that will improve care for individuals who are at greatest risk. “We hope that we are giving someone a chance, or changing the trajectory of someone’s life, through organizations like Women’s College Hospital,” says Lang.
When asked what motivates him to give back to the community, Newlands states simply, “Every little bit helps. Whether it’s volunteering our time, or making a donation, sometimes it just takes someone to set a positive example to inspire others to get involved.” Lang adds, “It’s important for us to stay involved, to look out for each other. Our family stands for the principle of ‘If you can, you should.’”
Women’s College Hospital Foundation is grateful to The Four Oaks Foundation for their ongoing commitment to supporting the safety of women, girls and individuals at risk of being trafficked.