Community Foundation celebrates $162,539.24 in grants to local charities
On Thursday, May 23, 2019 the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area (CKFA) granted $162,539.24 to 18 local charities to undertake projects that have a direct impact on the communities they serve. Each recipient had the opportunity to speak for 60 seconds about their project and how it will benefit the community. These local projects will impact 6,541 people, with 73 per cent of that total (4,782) being youth.
The Community Foundation provides grants to local projects representing a wide range of fields of interest benefiting a large number of charities in Kingston and surrounding townships. These fields of interest include Arts & Culture, Children’s Mental Health, Community Development, Education & Literacy, Environment, Health & Social Services, Heritage Preservation, Recreation, and Youth.
“We are thrilled to be supporting organizations that will be making a tangible difference in the quality of life for our community” said Julie Burch, volunteer CKFA Grants Chairperson. “We are able to provide grants to all of our fields of interest this round, truly making the Foundation a 360-degree grant maker.”
This round of grants awarded included a first-time grant of $5,105.32 to the Kingston Prize Association to provide a unique arts educational experience for students and seniors, as well as $14,000 grant to Ongwanada to create a fully accessible community garden.
“A common theme we saw this round in the applications were projects that aim to create a sense of belonging in our community,” said Tina Bailey, CFKA Executive Director. “We know that providing opportunities for engagement, inclusion and participation are some of the strategies to decrease social isolation. This is particularly true for some of our neighbours, especially youth, newcomers, seniors and those with disabilities.”
Funding for these annual grants comes from the income produced by the Foundation’s endowments, which have been established and built by local donors.
The Foundation has two community grants rounds per year, to which all local charities can apply. To date, the Foundation has funded 346 unique local organizations and invested over $2Million in local charities through its Community Grants Program alone.
Projects funded this granting round include:
Arts & Culture
The Kingston Prize Association
Faces of Canada: $ 5,105.32
From the McArthur Connidis Arts Fund, The Audrey and Peter Scholes Memorial Fund, Robert & Judith Mackenzie Fund
Thanks to the CFKA grant, this program will give participants an opportunity to discover their own artistic ability and engage in a national event, within their own community, one face at a time.
H’art Centre of Smiles Inc
The Love of Dance: $9,000.00
Edward Ratcliffe Fund
From August to December 2019, H’art Centre will engage a Lead Choreographer to audition, supervise and guide six new local dance choreographers who will collaborate with 60 adult dancers with disabilities to create six original dance works for a production to be staged at Isabel Bader Human Rights Arts Festival in April 2020.
Corporation of Loyalist Township
Summer Arts, Culture & Heritage Series: $3,000.00
From the Loyalist Parkway Fund, Edward Ratcliffe Fund
With the distribution of enhanced promotional materials and the engagement within the community, new and unique arts, cultural and heritage opportunities will be offered throughout the summer months.
Children’s Mental Health
Helen Tufts Nursery School
Multi-sensory Corner: $6,330.68
From the Sunnyside Children’s Fund
Helen Tuft’s Nursery School will purchase furnishings and equipment to create an inviting Multi-sensory Corner in their new classroom at the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston and Area (downtown location).
Islamic Society of Kingston
Building Resilience in Syrian Refugee Families — Focus on Refugee Youth and Family Mental Health: $18,000
From the Sunnyside Children’s Fund, The Audrey and Peter Scholes Memorial Fund
The Islamic Society of Kingston and Kingston Health Science Centre will implement a series workshops for refugee youth and their families on the resettlement stress and mental health issues they may have.
Education & Literacy
Queens University Biological Station, Elbow Lake Education Centre
Navigating the Landscape at Elbow Lake: $9,000.00
From the Marion and John Dunn Fund, Environmental Legacy Fund, Douglas Branton Fell Memorial Fund, Marion Meyer Opportunity Fund, Kingston Whig-Standard Literacy Endowment Fund, The Community Fund
The “Navigating the Landscape” program at Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre will provide the opportunity for youth to actively experience their local environment while learning how to use GPS technology.
Lake Effects Robotics
Lake Effect S.T.O.R.M.: $14,870.00
From the Elisabeth Heney Fund for Literacy, Kingston Youth Science and Technology Fund, David Middleton North End Development Fund, Wilson Family Fund, Robert W. Clark Endowment Fund, The Community Fund
Project Lake Effect S.T.O.R.M. is a partnership between local high school members of robotics team 2708 and grade 7 and 8 students who will be attending the new Kingston Secondary School to increase student engagement and develop positive peer relationships through the planned involvement of problem-based learning with Robotics and STEM activities.
Heritage Preservation
Clarendon & Miller Community Archives
Unravelling History — One Tombstone at a Time: $6,650.00
From the Robert W. Clark Endowment Fund, Chown Fund, The Smart & Caring Community Fund
‘Unravelling History — One Tombstone at a Time’ is Clarendon & Miller Community Archives’ creation of a worldwide searchable online database providing historical reference and research of the local cemeteries in North Frontenac, with images to link families with their ancestors and village settlements via a website.
Environment
Cycle Kingston
Special Event Bicycle Parking Social Enterprise: $5,075.30
From the Ruth and Stu Barton Environmental Fund, Opportunities Kingston Fund, Smart & Caring Community Fund
Cycle Kingston will launch a safe, secure valet bicycle parking social enterprise staffed by youth seeking job experience.
Wintergreen Studios
Project Bee: $3,283.00
From the McArthur Connidis Arts Fund, Ruth and Stu Barton Community Fund
Project Bee will educate the general public about maintaining healthy bee populations by establishing an apiary at Wintergreen, coupled with year-round workshops.
Recreation
YMCA of Kingston
Eco Camp: $11,000.00
From the Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation Fund, Larry Gibson Community Fund
YMCA Eco Camp aims to help 175 local children aged 6-12 discover that outdoor exploration and play is critical to overall wellbeing and happiness, and establish an active, healthy connection to our natural world.
Community Development
Kingston Community Health Centre – Kingston Immigration Partnership (KIP)
#SayHello Extension: $10,500
From Aaron and Norma Palmer Endowment Fund, The Community Fund
The campaign extension will include the production of videos and promotional material to invite residents to learn and reflect on what they can do to make our city a place where everyone feels welcome, accepted, included and valued.
Health & Social Services
Ongwanada
Accessible Community Garden: $14,000
From the Marion and John Dunn Fund, Helping Hands for those with Disabilities Fund, Russell and Susan Park Memorial Fund, Smart & Caring Community Fund, Sandiford Family Fund
The Ongwanada Community Garden will be renovated to reduce barriers, improve accessibility, and create new opportunities for meaningful participation.
Breast Cancer Action Kingston
Lymphedema Management for Breast Cancer Survivors: $14,770.00
From The Tragically Hip Community Fund, Smart & Caring Community Fund
The funds will help breast cancer survivors (who very often develop lymphedema) manage their condition with special compression garments, massage, special exercises and swimming, and make them able to maintain function of their arms and hands.
South Frontenac Community Services Corporation
Home Making Services for Rural Seniors: $10,041.20
From Theda Anderson Fund, Richard Moorehouse Fund, Seniors Community Grant Fund, Jim and Julie Parker Fund, The Community Fund
Southern Frontenac Community Services will be able to provide home making services to more physically and financially vulnerable seniors, allowing them to remain living at home safely.
Rural Frontenac Community Services
Share the Ride So No One Gets Left Behind: $5,500.00
From the Anonymous #2 Endowment Fund, Ruth and Stu Barton Community Fund, Ellen Shepherd Community Fund
With this ride share program, more rural Frontenac County residents will have access to social events, medical appointments and shopping, allowing them to participate fully in the community.
R.K.Y Camp
Commercial Kitchen Equipment: $8,946.06
From the Bill and Gladys Kelly Community Fund, Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation Fund, Larry Gibson Community Fund
The new 36” flat-top griddle with an oven and holding cabinet will enable the camp to continue to hire knowledgeable cooking staff dedicated to cooking healthy meals for youth and kids.
Youth
Camp Outlook
Youth Leadership Program: $7,467.68
From the Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation Fund, Cameron & Laurie Thompson Fund
Camp Outlook is offering a growing program to youth from the Kingston area this year with the addition of a nine-day canoe trip in Algonquin Provincial Park.
The next application deadline for local charities is February 15, 2019. Details about the Foundation’s Community Grants program and the projects they have funded can be found on their website at www.cfka.org.