A wide range of local charities will benefit from $182,956 in grants provided by the COVID Relief Efforts of the North Bay and Area Community Foundation (NBACF).
With the dollars granted from the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF), the North Bay Food Bank will be purchasing personal hygiene products and cleaning supplies for clients and also plans on hiring an intake coordinator to help manage increased demand.
Executive Director Deb Marson says the Food Bank welcomes the grant as it helps with stability during uncertain times.
"We are grateful to know that with help from the Community Foundation, we are able to provide continued support to our community’s most vulnerable population," offers Marson.
The NBACF has a mission of sustaining area charities and says it "reviewed and awarded funding to support projects that help ensure no one is left behind in COVID-19 recovery measures," and is grateful for the opportunity to lend support to "those working to help people who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19."
Of the total grant funding, $156,750 is part of the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF), funded by the Government of Canada. The ECSF is a $350-million fund that is being 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 is to provide support to charities and nonprofit organizations serving vulnerable Canadians. The North Bay and Area Community Foundation has now granted the full amount of funding available.
Local ECSF grant recipients include:
- North Bay and District Multicultural Centre
- Frontier College
- North Bay Symphony Society
- PADDLE
- YMCA
- Algonquin Nursing Home
- North Bay and District Humane Society
- Victim Services of Nipissing District
- Capitol Centre
- Township of Bonfield
- Crisis Centre
- White Water Gallery/Art Fix
- North Bay Food Bank
Community Foundations of Canada says it is continuing to advocate for additional emergency funds and emphasizing the importance of sector-wide stabilization funding for Canada’s charitable and nonprofit sector. For a full list of grants awarded through Community Foundations of Canada’s network, click here.
The NBACF says the remaining $26,206 was granted through the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, created in partnership with the Rotary Club of North Bay.
ERF grant recipients include:
- The Gathering Place
- North Bay Food Bank
- Mattawa Food Bank
- West Nipissing Food Bank
- Mattawa Women’s Resource Centre
- Callander and District Food Bank
- Salvation Army
- Near North Palliative Care Network
- Nipissing Serenity Hospice
"Canada’s nonprofits and registered charities continue to provide valuable, on-the-ground support for populations experiencing increased vulnerability during COVID-19. The need for additional support is great," says the NBACF. "Since the start of the pandemic, charities and nonprofit organizations have been leading the charge to assist those who need it most in the fight against COVID-19. Emergency funding is a vital part of the solution to this pandemic, but more needs to be done so they can continue their great work on the ground in our community."
