Submitted Story:
The Community Foundation of Swan Valley (CFSV) recently awarded $40,000 in grants to 11 local charities and 2 national charities to support projects undertaken or created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following Charities were awarded grants under the ECSF between May 19 and July 27, 2020:
Canadian Mental Health Association Swan Valley Branch
$5,000 ECHO Housing Emergency Self-Isolation Unit
Swan Valley Crisis Centre Inc.
$3,500 Covid-19 Safety Facility Upgrades
ESRSS Daycare Inc.
$6,500 Hire extra staff to accommodate Covid-19 policies
Minitonas First Baptist Church
$2,000 Oasis Kids Relief baskets
Association for Community Living – Swan River
$1,000 Therapeutic Swing for Group Home
Sunflower Early Learning Centre Inc
$5,000 Support Staff costs due to COVID-19
Canadian National Institute for the Blind – Winnipeg
$1,000 CNIB Virtual Programming–Addressing isolation during COVID-19
Steeprock Bay Bible Camp
$4,500 Additional COVID-19 costs-Camp 2020
Bowsman Early Learning Centre (Wade Philip Galloway Centre)
$2,500 Enhanced COVID-19 cleaning and sanitation
Town of Swan River (Rec Dept)
$6,000 Swan River Youth Day Camp hall rental
Mun Swan Valley West (Benito Child Care Centre)
$1,500 COVID Safe-Additional cleaning costs due to COVID-19
Canadian Liver Fdn – Lac du Bonnet
$1,000 LIVERight: Living with Liver Disease Online Series
Town of Swan River (Veteran’s Hall-Youth Camp)
$500 Swan River Youth Day Camp cleaning supplies
The grants announced here are part of the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF), funded by the Government of Canada. The ECSF is a $350 million fund that was implemented with Community Foundations of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, and United Way Centraide Canada, in partnership with local foundations across the country. Its goal was is to provide support to charities and non-profit organizations serving vulnerable Canadians.
Tim Mendel, Chair of CFSV, says “We appreciate the federal government recognizing the important role that community foundations play in their communities. The additional funding to foundations was critical in helping support many nonprofit organizations survive during this pandemic. Foundations played an important and vital role in distributing funds to a wide variety of organization in an effective and efficient manner. These organization provide critical services and support to many struggling and vulnerable Canadians. SVCF was honored to participate in such a worthwhile endeavor. “
Steeprock Bay Bible Camp was a recipient of one of the ECSF grants and provided this feedback “’The grant received by Steeprock Bay Bible Camp was an immense blessing this summer. The requirements related to COVID-19 came with many extra costs, like increased staff and supplies for frequent cleaning. The grant also allowed us to provide transportation for the children back and forth to camp, so that COVID-19 screening could take place in communities rather than at the camp. This grant ensured we were able to provide four weeks of day camps for a total of roughly 90 children in a safe, clean environment. Thank you to the Community Foundation of Swan Valley for your consideration this summer!”
For a full list of grants awarded through Community Foundations of Canada’s network, visit the CFC website at www.communityfoundations.ca.
The Community Foundation of Swan Valley is a charitable organization founded by local citizens to help people invest in building a community that is a better place to live, work and play. Since its inception in 2005 and by the end of 2020, the CFSV will have provided over $800,000 in funding across the Swan Valley. For more information on the foundation, please contact Donna Martin, Executive Director at 204-734-9129 or visit our website at www.cfswanvalley.ca.