July 17/20, Orangeville Banner, by Chris Halliday.
A group of 13 charities forced to adapt their service models to COVID-19 have received a combined $112,750 in grant money through a group of individuals forming the Dufferin Community Fund.
Through a new partnership with Community Foundations of Canada, United Way Centraide Canada and the Canadian Red Cross, the Dufferin Community Foundation accepted applications from local charities in need of relief due to the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s $350-million Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF), up to $112,750 has been made available to charities serving the Orangeville, Shelburne and Dufferin County area.
“These funds will help thousands of people in Dufferin County who face ongoing and increasing challenges to food security, mental health, and the negative impacts of isolation,” said Dufferin Community Foundation vice-chair and grants convener MaryAnn Lowry.
“We are particularly encouraged by multi-agency, multi-county partnerships that provide new approaches to program delivery while keeping volunteers and workers safe.”
The list of charitable initiatives to receive funding, what they do and what the funds will be used for includes:
HOSPICE DUFFERIN
Need: Palliative care support for caregivers and families, as well as support for young people losing loved ones
Solution: Information kits delivered to homes and creation of an online educational and social youth bereavement program
ALZHEIMER SOCIETY OF DUFFERIN COUNTY
Need: Social connections and recreational supports for those with dementia and their caregivers
Solution: Increased behavioural supports through more telephone and virtual contact
COMMUNITY LIVING DUFFERIN
Need: Completely new approach to services, engagement and interaction
Solution: Emergency centre equipment
PARKINSON SOCIETY SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO
Need: Increased support for caregivers and those with specific disabilities
Solution: Personalized equipment and virtual programs
ORANGEVILLE FOOD BANK
Need: Installations in new, larger facility to ensure physical distancing and different service delivery models
Solution: HVAC system and PPE to ensure client and worker safety, as well as a backup power generation to ensure continuity of this essential service
EASTER SEALS ONTARIO
Need: Physical changes and protocols to cope with less hands-on help for disabled individuals and continuity of summer activities for children
Solution: Support services and equipment, and creation of an online camp experience
YOUTHDALE RIDING PROGRAM
Need: Therapeutic connection between horse and at-risk youth during stressful times and stringent physical distancing rules
Solution: Creation of a virtual program for interaction and training
CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION OF GUELPH AND WELLINGTON (ORANGEVILLE FOOD BANK AND DUFFERIN FOOD SHARE)
Need: With schools closed, the traditional methods of ensuring daily nutrition for children had to be re-thought.
Solution: A multi-county, multi-agency partnership created a new delivery model called Fresh Food for Kids, which helped get healthy food to children while keeping volunteers and workers safe.
B SOCIAL COMMUNITY LIVING DUFFERIN (DUFFERIN CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES AND FAMILY TRANSITION PLACE)
Need: Ensuring that 19 vulnerable young people with jobs in four local cafeterias got back to work as soon as possible.
Solution: Equipment upgrades for the B Social concession stands to make them COVID-19 complaint
ST. MARK’S ANGLICAN CHURCH
Need: Ensuring spiritual and congregational inclusion during stressful times
Solution: Technology and support resources to continue delivering to vulnerable seniors and those suffering from isolation
FAMILY TRANSITION PLACE
Need: Ensuring shelter and support for vulnerable families while meeting physical distancing requirements
Solution: Shelter bathroom extension to address capacity in communal living spaces
The Dufferin Community Fund is a registered charity created by and for the people of Orangeville, Shelburne, Mono, Grand Valley, Mulmur, Melancthon, Amaranth and East Garafraxa. Its goal is to help local charities by creating new sources of funding for them. There are more than 80 organizations fundraising to support their social and community services work in Dufferin County. That doesn’t even include any churches or sports associations. The result of these scattered efforts — just think fundraising in silos — is that many worthy causes go unfunded in Dufferin. Many vital programs also remain underfunded or extremely difficult to run. “The need for funding is significant and will continue well in to the future,” said foundation president Gord Gallaugher, noting the group has also launched a Dufferin Emergency Support Fund for charities.
“We have taken the unprecedented step of raising funds to help charities that we would normally support and whose fundraising efforts have been diminished by COVID-19,” he added. “We are working to add to the generous contributions of many of you and to flow even more support to organizations making a difference in our community.”
For more information about the Dufferin Emergency Support Fund or the Dufferin Community Foundation, visit dufferincommunityfoundation.ca.