Headline News

United Way HPE allocates money from Community Services Recovery Fund to BCT

August 31, 2023

By Mike Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

According to a media release from the United Way Hastings Prince Edward on Aug. 23, they are allocating over $500,000 locally as part of the Community Services Recovery Fund, which is a $400 million investment by the federal government in charities and non-profits like Bancroft Community Transit here in Bancroft, who received $65,000 from this allocation. Gwen Schutt Coish, the director of operations at BCT, comments on this news.
The allocation of funds to local charities and non-profits like Bancroft Community Transit was announced Aug. 23 by the United Way HPE in a media release. Brandi Hodge is the executive director of the United Way HPE and says that they are proud to take part in the fund.
“[It’s] a collaboration between United Way Centraide Canada, Canadian Red Cross, and Community Foundations of Canada providing funding to Community Service Organizations responding to what charities and non-profits need right now as they adapt to the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she says.
The United Way HPE collaborates with local organizations, the business community, the health sector and individuals to enhance the community’s capacity to respond to human service needs. They support one in four people in our local community.
Jenna Sudds, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, says that the projects supported by the Government of Canada through the Community Services Recovery Fund demonstrate that they are a caring and compassionate society that values the well-being of all its members.
“It is heartening to see the compassion and empathy of our citizens as they give back to those in need. Projects like those listed are a testament to the power of our collective action and our ability to come together to make a positive difference in the world. I am confident that we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in Hastings and Prince Edward,” she says.
According to the media release, charities and non-profits, now more than ever, are playing a key role in addressing persistent and complex social problems faced by all Canadians. A one-time $400 million investment, the Community Services Recovery Fund from the federal government supports charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies as they adapt and modernize by making investments in their people, organizations and program innovation.
Aside from Bancroft Community Transit, the following organizations got funding from the Community Services Recovery Fund, allocated by the United Way HPE; Abigail’s Learning Centre, Community Care for South Hastings, Community Living Belleville and Area, Community Living Prince Edward, Frankford Christian Reformed Church, Gateway Community Health Centre, Stirling Festival Theatre, the Alzheimer Society of Hastings Prince Edward, the Children’s Foundation serving Hastings, Northumberland and Prince Edward counties, the Pentacostal Tabernacle, the Victorian Order of Nurses serving Hastings, Northumberland and Prince Edward counties, and the YMCA of Central East Ontario.
Schutt Coish told Bancroft This Week that the news on the allocation was exciting, and that BCT had gotten $65,000.
“It will be utilized to develop processes in a project that uses our acronym ‘BCT’ Building back to better, Connecting our communities and Thriving together. The purpose is digital transformation. We will create a digital platform using social media, website development, and develop processes, which we desperately need to be able to stay connected to our community at all times. As a non-profit, and especially now, we have nothing extra in our budget to be able to accomplish this much needed piece in our operations, so this grant is incredibly welcome,” she says. “We are very grateful to receive these funds.”