NHCC gets 150 grant

February 15, 2017

By Sarah Sobanski

The North Hastings Community Cupboard is upgrading thanks to a 150 grant from the province.

The Cupboard will receive $18,200 over five months as one of 203 community facilities across the province selected for the Ontario 150 Community Capital Program.

Executive director for the Cupboard, Dianne Lang, said the grant would be used to install a walk-in freezer in the NHCC storage shed. It will also help the finish much of the Cupboard’s buildings.

“The grant will also allow us to grade the surrounding area on the NHCC property to allow for better runoff of rain and melted snow. [We will also] parget the cement blocks at the footings of the building,” said Lang. “In addition the interior of the storage shed, which is unfinished, will have panelling applied to the walls and new flooring laid on the cement floor. Lastly, shelving will be purchased and installed to allow for storage for food.”

She added, “This is a great opportunity for the North Hastings Community Cupboard and the board of directors are thrilled to have been awarded this gift.”

The Cupboard had to apply for the grant by September of last year, according to the program’s website, which has released where each of its grants are going. It states the Cupboard’s initiative is helping people who are economically vulnerable be able to meet their basic needs, and has an impact on the lives of 600 people in the community.

According to a release by the province, the program will help not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and Indigenous communities renovate, repair and retrofit existing community and cultural infrastructure. This support will be used to increase accessibility, improve safety and maximize community use of public spaces. The program’s investment totals $25 million. That’s almost 1.4 million square feet of renovated community space and more than 36,000 hours of additional availability for physical activity and arts programming, according to the release. The grants are being administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.