Twelve community service organizations in North Simcoe and Southern Georgian Bay have been given a big slice of post-pandemic pie from the Government of Canada.
Streamed through the Huronia Community Foundation (HCF), a dozen local groups have a share in $352,000 from the Community Services Recovery Fund (CSRF)
"Charities have really struggled through the pandemic. A lot of organizations are not able to do what they used to do because a lot of the in-person stuff has disappeared and it hasn't come back," said Scott Warnock, executive director of the HCF.
"These grants will help these organizations pivot from pre- to post-pandemic. Things have to change because the world has changed," Warnock said.
The federal government streamed a total of $400 million through Community Foundations of Canada, of which HCF is one, the Canadian Red Cross and the United Way.
"This was a huge program. The granting was significant. We want to thank the federal government," said Warnock.
Organizations applied online through the federal government. After the deadline, the HCF grants committee reviewed 20 applications and allocated funds to the 12 that were successful.
The HCF works with the guiding philosophy of serving as many organizations as possible, so grants are often less than $10,000, whereas with the CSRF, grants were a minimum of $10,000.
"So it was very exciting for us this time to fully fund seven different programs across our area," said Warnock.
These organizations would never have had the financial resources to fund the recovery projects without having a negative impact on their core services, he added.
Chigamik Community Health Centre and the Midland Public Library are a couple of the grantees with fully funded programs.
Eric Walter, executive director of the Georgian Bay Cancer Support Centre, said the $60,000 is the largest grant the organization has ever received from the HCF.
"Our resources are already spread really thin, as is the way of non-profits," said Walter. "This grant was geared to things we wouldn't be able to justify spending our money on.
"The funds will allow us to refresh and improve our fundraising systems, improve efficiencies and improve the way we connect with the community to spread awareness of what we do and really solidify our place in the community as a valuable charity," said Walter.
This way, they can invest in upgrades without taking away funds from cancer support for the clients, he explained.
"We are still able to use the money we raise from the community and our donors and events to go right into our services. This funding allows us to do the extra things and really revitalize the systems," Walter said.
Suzanne Marchand, executive director of Centre de santé communautaire Chigamik Community Health Centre, said the $60,000 grant, "is a transformative opportunity for Chigamik."
"With this generous funding, we will be revitalizing our strategic plan in close collaboration with our community members. This grant signifies a pivotal moment for our organization, supporting our trajectory for the future, with the primary goal of aligning our efforts to support the evolving needs of our community both now and in the years to come. Undertaking this crucial work is essential, and this grant enables us to do so," Marchand said in an email to MidlandToday.
Sue-Ellen Boyes, director, revenue development for CLH Foundation, which supports people with intellectual disabilities, said the $38,225 grant they will receive will help the organization.
"The grant strengthens our ability to continue to meet the changing needs of our CLH-supported community, helps us to build long-term capacity by adapting and diversifying our fundraising program. It is also allowing us to strengthen our communications practices and donor recognition," she said.
The grant will enable CLH to expand its activities and community reach in a way that has both immediate and long-term impact.
"HCF is a wonderful advocate for all of us," said Boyes.
The following organizations are being funded:
- Centre de sante communautaire Chigamik Community Health Centre: $60,000
- Georgian Bay Cancer Support Centre: $60,000
- CLH Foundation: $38,225
- BGC North Simcoe: $35,000
- Gateway Centre of Learning and Bookmark Used Books: $30,475
- Community Reach North Simcoe: $25,340
- Midland Public Library: $24,162
- Askennonia Senior Centre $22,540
- Huronia Museum and Huron Ouendat Village: $16,458
- Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts: $15,000
- Sistema Huronia Music Academy: $14,000
- Wasaga Beach Blues Festival: $10,800
