Community service organizations are at the forefront of addressing community needs. During the pandemic, many of these vital organizations struggled with increased demand for their services, reduced revenues, declines in charitable giving and a greater reliance on digital tools. Their post-pandemic recovery is key to their continued ability to offer services and adapt to the changing needs of communities across Canada.

Today, Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, is announcing that local charities and service organizations specializing in health, addictions and social care will receiver over $265,000 toward investments in building capacity, improved technology, training staff, and expanding their programs.  

• SOYA (Saving Our Young Adults) From Drug Abuse receives $25,000
• Breton House (Algoma Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Centre) receives $29,680
• Algoma Family Services receives $39,670
• Algoma Residential Community Hospice receives $15,537
• Alzheimer Society Sault Ste. Marie & Algoma District receives $10,080
• Grocer 4 Good Ability Development Organization receives $25,762
• John Howard Society of Sault Ste. Marie & District receives $34,160
• The Klub Community Centre receives $23,000
• Sault Ste. Marie YMCA of Sault Ste. Marie receives $63,000

The Community Services Recovery Fund will help community service organizations adapt, modernize and be better equipped to improve the efficacy, accessibility and sustainability of the community services that they provide. Whether the funded projects focus on recruitment and retention, modernizing organizational systems and processes, or innovating program delivery, the Community Services Recovery Fund reflects the Government’s commitment to invest in this sector, so that community service organizations can continue to support communities across Canada.

The application process for this fund was managed by three National Funder organizations: the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada. These National Funders were selected to deliver the Community Services Recovery Fund to a broad and diverse range of community service organizations across Canada.

For more information, including a list of funded projects, visit the National Funders’ Community Services Recovery Fund website.

Quotes

The Community Services Recovery Fund will allow SOYA to become an organization that is systematized in many areas.  It will allow SOYA to create donor databases with fundraising capabilities, recruit and maintain records of volunteers, assist service users with various applications, teach service users computer skills and finally day to day activities of the organization.  Also, it will allow SOYA to purchase the hardware necessary to implement all of the above mentioned programs. All of us at SOYA are greatly appreciative of these funds and look forward to completing the project and watching it all come to fruition.

–  Connie Raynor-Elliott, President of SOYA

“I’m very grateful for all the important work done by these organizations in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma. Groups like these that fight addiction, help the sick, and work to keep families together are vital services in our community. I will continue to work with them in the year to come to ensure they can continue to do their important work.”

–  Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Seniors

Quick Facts

• The Community Services Recovery Fund was announced in Budget 2021 as a one-time, $400 million investment to help community service organizations adapt, modernize and build internal organizational capacity. This investment will strengthen the charitable and non-profit sector as it supports post-pandemic recovery in communities across Canada.
• The Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada and United Way Centraide Canada were selected as the National Funders to deliver the Community Services Recovery Fund following a solicited call and open process for expressions of interest. They will deliver funding to a broad and diverse range of community service organizations across Canada, including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies.
• The Community Services Recovery Fund has two funding streams: one for local or regional community service organizations serving a portion of a province or territory, and one for community service organizations serving the entire country, an entire province or territory, or multiple provinces or territories.
• Funding from the Community Services Recovery Fund will enable community service organizations to invest in their own organizational capacity under one of the following three project focus areas:
• Investing in People – projects that focus on how organizations recruit, retain, engage and support their personnel.
• Investing in Systems and Processes – projects that invest in the systems and processes involved in creating the internal workings of an organization’s overall structure.
• Investing in Program and Service Innovation and Redesign – projects primarily focused on program and service innovation and redesign using information gained during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
• The Community Services Recovery Fund builds on the successful delivery of the $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund, where the Government of Canada funded over 11,570 projects serving vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Associated Links

• About the Community Services Recovery Fund
• National Funders’ Community Services Recovery Fund website