DESIRÉE DECOSTE

STAFF WRITER

A dozen Prince Edward County and Quinte Region Non-profit organizations are benefitting from an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant announcement.

At Heal with Horses in Hillier on Monday, Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith announced 12 local organizations will divide $729,400 to help offset the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, the Ontario government is providing $95.8 million this year through the Resilient Communities Fund to help 1,146 non-profit organizations across the province to recover and build.

“Non-profit organizations are a crucial and valued part of any community,” said Smith. “Countless people rely on their services every day, and even facing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, they still deliver. This funding will help them offset those impacts and continue supporting those who need it most.”

Heal With Horses Therapeutic Centre are receiving $39,600 Resilient Communities Fund grant that will help it rebuild and recover from impacts of COVID-19 by engaging experts to develop strategic partnerships, renovating facilities to support year-round programming, and expanding programming to create new revenue streams.

“Heal With Horses Equine Therapeutic Centre will use the $39,600 Resilient Communities Fund grant to rebuild and recover from impacts of COVID-19 by 1) hiring an Outreach Development Coordinator to develop strategic partnerships with others in our community, 2) Renovate our indoor facility to conduct year-round programming, workshops and meetings, and 3) completely outfit the dedicated outdoor sanctuary to conduct the newly created Equine Soul Sessions,” Doreen Rafuse Westall, Development Director stated. “These new initiatives will offer Heal With Horses the opportunity to create new revenue streams thus increasing our sustainability and resilience.”

With locations in Hillier and Quinte West, Heal with Horses offer equine and small animal therapy to children and adults.

Meanwhile, Music At Port Milford are benefitting with a $22,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant payable over 9 months that will help it rebuild and recover from impacts of COVID-19 by completing renovations and purchasing equipment to support safe in-person programming.

“We are thrilled that, as a result of this funding, Music at Port Milford will be able to safely re-open its doors to staff and students,” said Chair Patrick Headly. “This grant will allow us to make renovations to improve ventilation in practice and sleeping spaces, as well as install a dishwasher to improve sanitation. Without these upgrades, MPM would not be able to confidently return to in-person operations.”

Prince Edward County Arts Council is receiving a $33,700 Resilient Communities Fund grant over 12 months and intends to rebuild and recover from impacts of COVID-19 by engaging staff and experts to develop, promote and implement a drop-in studio program, and develop a fundraising plan.

“We are thrilled to have been awarded a Resilient Communities Fund grant to launch Art Together, a drop-in community artmaking studio at the new County Arts Lab,” Janna Smith, Executive Director expressed. “Artist facilitators will help residents connect with their creative side, build new skills, and make new social connections in a welcoming environment. Inspired by the many proven health and social benefits of art making, the Art Together project will allow us to harness the power of the arts to help address Prince Edward County residents’ declining mental health self-reports and sense of belonging, and build a more resilient, healthy, and connected community during and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.”

A $132,100 Resilient Communities Fund will be administered to the Prince Edward Yacht Club over 12 months for new infrastructure and new staff to expand and safely deliver their youth Learn to Sail program.

“The funding will be used to support the recovery/rebuilding of our Learn to Sail program and meet evolving health, safety and service delivery requirements, we need to purchase new infrastructure and expand our staff,” said Moira Coull, Commodore. “This will enable the LTS program that respects Covid physical distancing requirements, can accommodate (10-16 years) participants and operate at increased capacity. These initiatives will allow for an operating environment that meets health and safety needs for our participants,staff and volunteers, offers more advance training and one-on-one coaching. Over the long term, we will be able to meet the needs of the growing population of families in Prince Edward County.”

Picton’s Reaching for Rainbow program is receiving a $37,600 Resilient Communities Fund grant over 12 months for staffing costs, engaging experts for strategic plan development, and purchasing equipment for safe in-person program delivery.

“Receiving this grant has enabled Reaching for Rainbows to move forward with some key objectives for our program,” Jane Wollenberg said. “As the program is provided free of charge to our young girls, grants such as this one from the Ontario Trillium Foundation are critical to providing some essential parts of the program, such as the beautiful space we operate in at St. Andrew’s Church, the nutritious snacks the girls enjoy, the program materials that help them learn and play and the wonderful staff and volunteers who spend time with them each afternoon. This grant has given us the breathing room to pursue some strategic goal planning and skill development with our staff and dedicated board that we know will enrich our unique program for the girls and their families. We are deeply grateful.”

The ROC (Recreation Outreach Centre) will be granted a $101,100 Resilient Communities Fund grant over 12 months, will rebuild and recover from impacts of COVID-19 by engaging marketing experts for a re-branding of ROC, ensuring our role and value is recognized and supported in the community.

“The successful rebranding and marketing of the ROC Youth Centre will address how the community perceives us and allow us to rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19 to fill an important gap in the services available to youth in our community,” said Darlene Thompson, Executive Director. “After 22 years, ROC will redefine who we are, what we do, and why we matter.”

The Resilient Communities Fund provides grants of up to $150,000 to eligible non-profit organizations to cover a broad and flexible range of needs, such as:

Mental and physical health and wellbeing supports for staff and volunteers.
Support to adapt or re-imagine program delivery and services to meet the needs of communities, employees and volunteers, incorporate new health and safety processes, or purchase new technology and personal protective equipment.
Renovations and faculty updates to meet the changing needs of the communities they serve.

“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our government has committed to supporting those struggling the most,” said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “That’s why it’s been a priority for us to fund successful programs like the Resilient Communities Fund, which helps non-profits adapt and grow – ensuring they can continue providing the best services possible to the people of Bay of Quinte and make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and families.”

The Ontario Trillium Foundation will continue to offer the Resilient Communities Fund in 2022-23 to help more eligible non-profit organizations that have been impacted by COVID-Application details and a full list of grant recipients to date are available on the OTF website.

Other local and regional recipients include:

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Hastings-Prince Edward – $25,400

Habitat for Humanity Prince Edward-Hastings – $74,500

Hospice Quinte – $107,900

Music at Port Milford – $22,000

Quinte Rouge Paddling Club – $58,500

Volunteer Information HPE – $55,800

For more information please visit https://otf.ca

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