Building Strong Foundations. Creating Better Futures.
Volunteer-led.
Community-driven.
For more than four decades, Generous Hearts has brought people together around a simple belief: when people care enough to act, they can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Generous Hearts is a Canadian registered charity supporting children, families and communities facing poverty in Brazil through initiatives focused on health, nutrition, education, housing, skills development and essential needs.
More Than 40 Years of Generosity
Our story began in Toronto in 1980, when founder Antonieta Lira Silva brought together a small group of Brazilian-Torontonians who shared a love for their Brazilian heritage and a desire to help others.
There was no formal organization. No office. No staff.
Just people willing to give their time, bring a community together and help where they could.
Those humble beginnings grew into a grassroots movement supporting charitable causes in Brazil. Generous Hearts was formally incorporated in Canada in 1999 and received registered charitable status in 2001.
More than four decades later, the organization continues to be guided by the same spirit of compassion, dignity and service upon which it was founded.
As Generous Hearts enters its next chapter, leadership of the organization is being passed from our founder to our new President and Antonieta's daughter-in-law, Dr. Patricia Khamis-Silva.
Message of President
Dr. Patricia Khamis-Silva
“Antonieta has shown us what can happen when generosity is turned into action, and I am honoured to carry forward the legacy she began. My commitment is to build upon that foundation, bringing together people, partnerships and new ideas that allow Generous Hearts to reach further, create meaningful impact and continue building better futures.”
Building Strong Foundations
We believe lasting change begins with strong foundations.
Throughout our history, Generous Hearts has supported projects addressing fundamental needs within communities facing poverty in Brazil.
HEALTH
Supporting access to healthcare, medication and initiatives that promote healthier lives.
NUTRITION
Helping provide food and nutritional support to children, families and vulnerable individuals.
EDUCATION
Creating opportunities for learning, education and personal development.
HOUSING & ESSENTIAL NEEDS
Helping families and individuals access safer living conditions and the basic necessities of everyday life.
SKILLS & OPPORTUNITY
Supporting skills development and initiatives designed to create greater independence and opportunity.
Generosity in Action
Over the decades, Generous Hearts has supported grassroots projects serving children, families and seniors in communities across Brazil.
Our Projects
Vila de Santa Luzia
Instituto Vitória Humana
Blessed by God Community
Abrigo Santa Filonila
Smiling to the World
Educational Scholarships
While our projects have evolved over the years, the purpose behind them has remained the same:
Help where help is needed. Preserve dignity. Create opportunity.
Our Charity Model
Volunteer-Led. Community-Driven. Project-Focused.
At Generous Hearts, we believe that making a meaningful difference requires more than good intentions. It requires commitment, accountability, responsible financial management, and people who genuinely care.
For more than four decades, our organization has brought together volunteers, donors, and community partners to support initiatives that improve lives and create opportunities for those who need them most.
Our charity model is built on three fundamental principles that guide how we operate, raise funds, and support our projects.
Volunteer-Led. Powered by People.
Our greatest resource is our volunteers.
Generous Hearts is a 100% volunteer-led organization. No one receives a salary or compensation for their work with the charity.
Our volunteers contribute their professional expertise, time, and resources across all areas of the organization, including leadership, governance, fundraising, event planning, operations, and project development.
This approach allows us to operate efficiently, minimize administrative costs, and direct as much of the money we raise as possible toward the communities and initiatives we support.
We believe that volunteerism is more than giving time. It is a commitment to responsibility, accountability, and making a meaningful contribution.
Community-Funded. Every Contribution Matters.
Our projects are made possible through the generosity of our community.
Generous Hearts relies on fundraising to finance its charitable initiatives.
Our fundraising activities take many forms, including community events, large-scale celebrations, raffles, individual donations, monthly contributions, and support from businesses and community partners.
Every contribution, regardless of size, plays an important role in helping us achieve our objectives.
By bringing people together around shared goals, we create opportunities for individuals and organizations to participate in meaningful charitable work.
Our commitment is to manage these contributions responsibly, minimize fundraising and administrative expenses, and maximize the resources available to our projects.
Project-Focused. Committed to Lasting Impact.
We believe meaningful change requires continuity, not just one-time assistance.
Our approach is centred on supporting clearly defined projects that address real needs within the communities we serve.
We work with our volunteers and local partners to understand those needs, establish priorities, and identify the resources required to deliver meaningful results.
Fundraising is closely connected to these projects, helping ensure they receive the financial support necessary to carry out their work.
Whenever possible, our objective extends beyond funding an immediate need. We aim to build strong foundations that allow initiatives to continue, develop, and create lasting opportunities.
We recognize that sustainable impact takes time, collaboration, and a long-term commitment.
The People Behind Our Model
None of this would be possible without our volunteers.
Generous Hearts was built on the belief that people working together can make an extraordinary difference.
Our volunteers are the foundation of everything we accomplish. They contribute much more than their time. They bring professional experience, knowledge, relationships, creativity, and a genuine desire to help others.
Their commitment allows us to operate without paid staff, organize fundraising activities, support our projects, and maintain the relationships that make our work possible.
We are proud of this model, not simply because it helps us operate efficiently, but because it reflects the values upon which Generous Hearts was founded.
Our Commitment
Generous Hearts
Building Strong Foundations. Creating Better Futures.
Volunteer-led. Community-driven.
We believe that those who support Generous Hearts deserve to understand how their contributions are used, how decisions are made, and how our projects are supported.
We take this responsibility seriously.
Our charity model is founded on transparency, responsible financial stewardship, and the extraordinary value of volunteerism.
These principles guide our work, strengthen the trust placed in us, and help us remain focused on what matters most: building strong foundations and creating better futures.