A total of nine not-for-profit organizations in Sault Ste. Marie will receive help with additional costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Thursday, the federal government announced $306,000 in funding for the organizations through the Emergency Community Support Fund. The funding has already been distributed through United Way Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District.
“Charities and non-profits are on the front line of this pandemic, acting as lifelines for Canadian families,” said Sault Ste. Marie MP Terry Sheehan during the virtual funding announcement. “They have been working tirelessly to provide critical services for vulnerable Canadians, and they too are experiencing new and unique challenges due to COVID-19 - service delivery, volunteer engagement and fundraising have all been impacted by the pandemic, making it difficult to reach those in need.”
The following organizations have received the emergency funding:
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Welcome Friend Association (virtual Rainbow Camp for LGBTQ2S+ youth)
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Salvation Army (food delivery)
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Sault Ste. Marie Soup Kitchen Community Centre (food services)
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Habitat for Humanity (mortgage relief for clients)
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Canadian Mental Health Association (mental health counselling)
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VON Algoma (seniors programming)
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Kidney Foundation (transportation for dialysis patients, peer support programming)
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ARCH Hospice (tablets)
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Algoma Family Services (seniors food box program)
United Way Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District Chief Executive Officer Gary Vipond says the funding will help organizations that are witnessing an increased need for food and mental health services amid the pandemic.
“The food banks have told us that they’re seeing three and four times the demand for food during the pandemic as opposed to prior to - that is an incredible increase,” Vipond said.
The local chapter of the United Way is seeing struggles of its own, as the organization is falling short of its five-year, $6.25 million fundraising target.
In February, SooToday's Darren Taylor reported that United Way had raised $4.8 million leading up to the end of the fundraising campaign, slated for March 31, 2021.
“We are looking at some different ways of doing business that we’re implementing this fall, that we hope will allow us to increase our revenues over last year,” Vipond told reporters during Thursday’s funding announcement. “But we will adjust accordingly. We know what needs to be done, and we have a plan and we’re working on it.”
“They say hope is a lousy plan, but we certainly hope that we can recover some of those lost funds from last year.”
The second round of applications for the Emergency Community Support Fund are now being accepted by United Way Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District.
