The Community Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the Vital Community Fund 2024 grants. This year the Fund supported 3 charitable programs for a total of $56,765.99. The Vital Community Fund supports the focus areas of the most recent Vital Signs report, which identifies the most pressing challenges facing our community today. This year’s Fund supports initiatives that focus on supporting safe and affordable housing, increasing food security, increasing mental health supports in regards to substance abuse and suicide prevention, and sustaining community infrastructure. If you’d like to learn more about the Growing Futures: Vital Signs Report 2023, read the report at www.growingfuturesreport.ca
Congratulations to the successful applicants!
Outreach Program:
The Outreach Program aims to reduce inequalities by providing services that address specific challenges in the community – food insecurity, substance use, homelessness, discrimination and poverty. The program offers community members services and supports that improve access to education and employment, safe affordable housing, health services, mental health supports and cultural activities. These services are delivered on both an individual and group level and are customized to meet people where they are at. Examples include, provision of emergency food hampers, money management and budgeting workshops, eviction and landlord advocacy, literacy and writing supports, life skills education, cultural connections, and community referrals.
Emergency Essentials Program:
This initiative is to provide those members who are in food, clothing, medical and transportation insecurity with a financial bridge while they establish themselves at Oxford House Saskatchewan. Administered by staff, the program will see to the purchase of non-perishables/frozen foods, various clothing items (underwear & socks, etc.), the acquisition of bus passes/transportation vouchers, personal hygiene products and the managing of a small fund used to purchase medical prescriptions. When a new member comes to Oxford House Saskatchewan, they’ve made the first step to get sober and live somewhere sober, this initiative, with further bolster their sobriety by maximizing the opportunity to be fully established when beginning their new life.
Facility Revitalization Project:
This project/initiative will ensure that the Elton Davidge Building is safe, healthy, accessible and welcoming for the individuals that come everyday. With over 6000 individuals attending one of SIGN’s programs each year, we want to ensure that everyone feels welcome when they come for services, in a trauma informed environment, as many of those attending are dealing with various traumas. The natural light will assist with this and also provide a more safe environment to ensure we can see what is happening outside the entranceways and is accessible for everyone. The addition of a energy efficient entrance way, will also reduce overall heating costs allowing SIGN to put the cost savings into programs and capital renewal in the future.