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Tiny council will check cookie jar to help local businesses and charities

Deputy mayor also wants some funds set aside for an end of lockdown celebration.
2020-04-15-Tiny-Council
Tiny Township held a committee of the whole meeting via Zoom, streaming it live online. Mehreen Shahid/MidlandToday

Tiny Township is taking a closer look at its finances to try to offer some support for local businesses and non-profit organizations.

The idea was brought forward by Deputy Mayor Steffen Walma during a committee of the whole meeting. Walma wants council members and staff to put some thought into how Tiny could be pitching in.

"Organizations that were helping out in the community may no longer be able to do this and their costs may have increased," he said. "Food banks have also changed their manner of operation, they've opened their doors to everyone. A financial stimulus package kind of thing."

For instance, Walma said the township already has some money to give away that was raised during its annual Mayor's Charity Golf Tournament.

As for a stimulus package, he said he wasn't sure what it would look like, but asked if staff could reach out to non-profits in the community and gather information on where and how the township could help.

"We could reach out and ask why they're not operating," Walma said, adding it could be a resource or a volunteer issue. "Maybe staff could be asking them what we could provide them. Maybe it's not possible, but it's worth finding out."

Once the township has figured out what money it can set aside for these organizations, Walma said it "can put a press release out and say this is how much money we can throw out. We are willing to help the local community."

And once that's all done, Walma said he wants staff to look into funds that can be set aside for a celebration when the lockdown is finally lifted.

Staff were asked to reach out local businesses and non-profits, including Georgian Bay General Hospital, the virtual physicians program offered through the North Simcoe Family Health Unit, food banks in neighbouring municipalities (since Tiny does not have any food banks) and Community Reach of Simcoe North.

"We don't get any federal or provincial funds," Community Reach executive director Cathy Greer said. "We depend very heavily on donations and fundraising."

She said the non-profit has had to let go of one of its two part-time employees, but has been able to retain its three full-time employees. Driving services have also been limited to two paid drivers, who are using the non-profit's two vans to help take people to grocery stores and pharmacies.

Greer said the drivers have masks, gloves and hand sanitizers as well as cleaning supplies they use to disinfect the vehicles before and after each ride.

"And if (a client) has a cough, or they look ill, (the drivers) don't have to take them," Greer said, noting that while there have been some cancellations as doctors suspended non-emergency visits, there has been an uptick in the number of calls they've been getting from people requesting a ride to get to their dialysis or cancer treament appointments.

"We do a lot of work for the township," she said. "And I hope they see our work and send us some funds to help us. That's all we need really."

 Greer said residents who want to register for their services or are willing to help out financially can get in touch with the organization at (705) 528-6999.