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More Delta charities to receive emergency funding

Delta Foundation granted out another $76,370 through Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund
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Delta Foundation logo. (Delta Foundation image)

Another seven Delta charities supporting vulnerable populations have received a total of $76,370 in funding from the Delta Foundation through the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF).

This second round of funding follows the original one in July, when the foundation granted $181,860 to eight local non-profits.

READ MORE: Emergency funding granted to eight Delta charities

According to a press release from the Delta Foundation at the time, a survey conducted in April found that 80 per cent of charities in Canada were operating with decreased capacity due to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and nearly one in five organizations had suspended or ceased their operations. The projected financial losses for registered charities in Canada was between $9.5-15.7 billion and $15.7 billion.

The federal government launched the ECSF on May 19, and the Delta Foundation is one of 177 community foundations across the country participating in the program. Through the ECSF, the foundation is providing emergency support for charities throughout Delta in partnership with Community Foundations of Canada and the Government of Canada.

RELATED: Feds unveil $350M fund to help charities, non-profits get through pandemic

Fifteen local non-profit organizations applied for the first round of funding, and another 12 applied for this most recent one.

“Charities and non-profit organizations continue to lead our community in assisting those who need it most in the fight against COVID-19,” Delta Foundation president Peter Roaf said in a press release. “The demand for funding has far exceeded the available funding allocated to Delta … for this community emergency relief. That is one indicator of the need in our community and in communities all across Canada. [Through two rounds of funding] we were glad we could support a total of 15 charities. We wish we could have supported more with their important causes.”

The following 12 charities serving Delta have been allocated funding this round:

• Tsawwassen Order of Old Bastards: $17,000 for its support of Deltassist’s Christmas hampers program to brighten Christmas for 600 or more low-income families. Through its 32 years, the program has normally relied on food drives by schools and volunteers to collect, organize and deliver boxes of food to families, which is not possible this year because of the pandemic. Instead this year, the program needs cash to provide clients with gift cards.

• South Delta Baptist Church: $15,000 for the Starfish Pack South Delta program, which providing backpacks of food for children of low-income families to take home every weekend to ensure they and their families receive the healthy nutrition needed to learn and play.

• KinVillage: $10,000 for improving facilities to protect resident seniors and their visitors from COVID-19 transmission in a safe and comfortable environment, allowing more contact with family and friends — as well as with each other — to overcome the isolation and loneliness suffered over these many months.

• Pony Pals Therapeutic Riding Association: $5,370 for its equine-facilitated mental health program, which helps children with mental and physical health and ability challenges by riding horses to bring a sense of well-being, especially during the pandemic.

• ElderCollege Delta Society: $7,000 to provide seniors and elders with educational, stimulating and social opportunities through virtual learning with online courses — instead of those normally in person — relieving the long period of isolation and loneliness felt during the pandemic.

• Delta Community Living Society: $6,000 for personal protective equipment (PPE) for essential service staff to meet the significant increase in demand for services for adults with special needs during the pandemic.

• Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC: $16,000 to meet the demand in Delta for after-school and day programs for children and youth delivered in new ways following the shutdown of physical facilities and group programs due to the pandemic.

For more information about the Delta Foundation, visit deltafoundation.org.



editor@northdeltareporter.com

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James Smith

About the Author: James Smith

James Smith is the founding editor of the North Delta Reporter.
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