County invests over $1.1 million to support local social service needs

Council approved $1.17M to support non-profit organizations in meeting social service needs in Strathcona County. This funding, under the 2023 Social Framework Community Grants program, includes a $77,000 increase in funding for 2023.

“Our community’s needs are ever-changing and increasingly complex. The Social Framework Community Grant is critical funding that supports the well-being of all residents, especially those who may find themselves in challenging circumstances,” says Mayor Rod Frank. “We are grateful to the volunteers on the Social Framework Community Grants Advisory Committee for their dedication to our community through their application assessments and funding recommendations.”

Allocated through an annual process, this grant program offers two funding streams:

1. Core Funding (over 1-3 years) toward prevention and early intervention support for social needs.
2. Collaboration Funding (over 1-3 years) for cross-sector partnerships to address community-wide social issues.

The Social Framework Community Grants policy enables collaboration, learning and innovation by non-profits in Strathcona County. Successful applicants embody the Social Framework outcomes of increasing safety, connection and inclusion, affordability and access to support and services.

Funding being issued in 2023
Additional approved grant funding includes:

• bgc Strathcona County - $85,000 core funding to support a wide variety of youth programs. 
   
• BriarPatch Family Life Education Centre - $20,000 core funding to support grief counselling and programs.
   
• County Clothes-Line Foundation - $15,000 core funding to support the Community Cares Fund, a financial subsidy program that provides financial assistance for residents requiring one-time aid.
   
• Friends of the Pioneers - $5,000 core funding to pilot a collaborative kitchen program for residents at Clover Bar Pioneer Court and seniors in the community.
   
• Parents Empowering Parents - $58,000 core funding to support the Family Recovery program that helps families dealing with the effects of substance abuse in youth and adult children.
   
• Saffron Centre - $145,000 core funding to support public education programs as well as counselling staff who specialize in sexual trauma.
   
• Sherwood Care - $15,000 core funding to fund the hot meals on wheels program, supporting residents to continue living independently in their home.
   
• Strathcona Shelter Society (A Safe Place) - $35,000 core funding to fund a volunteer coordinator for this organization that provides supports and services to women and their children who are fleeing domestic violence.
   
• Strathcona Shelter Society (A Safe Place) - has partnered with Saffron Centre for a Building Hope initiative. With $24,870 in collaboration funding, this organization will have additional resources to engage the expertise and services of Saffron.
   
• The altView Foundation for Gender Variant and Sexual Minorities - $135,000 core funding to support 2SLGBTQ+ people through programs, education and resources.
   
• Volunteer Strathcona Centre - $290,000 core funding to continue to strengthen the community through volunteer and effective non-profit social sector support.

Organizations previously approved for multi-year commitments include:

• bgc Strathcona County - will also receive $80,000 in collaboration funding toward a dedicated multi-purpose space known as the CanTeen Youth Hub, working in partnership with AltView, Saffron, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Volunteer Strathcona.
   
• Boys and Girls Club Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area - $80,000 core funding to increase access and reach of mentoring supports to youth, and to develop more strategic systemic supports through community partnerships.
   
• Boys and Girls Club Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area - will also receive $21,800 in collaboration funding to work in partnership with BGC Strathcona County and Heartland Alliance Church to hire a part-time connector to further actions identified in the NextGen youth strategy.
   
• Drive Happiness Seniors Association - $12,990 core funding to assist seniors in remaining independent by providing access to affordable transportation.
   
• Hope in Strathcona - $55,000 core funding to staff peer support workers who help people transition through post-addiction recovery.
   
• Linking Generations Society of Alberta - $50,000 core funding for intergenerational programs that match junior and senior high school students with seniors in lodges and care centres for social interactions.
   
• Linking Generations Society of Alberta - has partnered with Volunteer Strathcona Centre and will also receive $14,000 in collaboration funding for their Volunteer Grandparent program that brings volunteer seniors into elementary school classrooms for social interactions.
   
• Robin Hood Association - $30,000 core funding to support professionals providing a holistic approach to the well-being of individuals with developmental disabilities.

For more information about the Social Framework Community Grants program, visit strathcona.ca/fcsGrants or call 780-464-4044.
 

Contact: Strathcona County Communications, 780-410-6595