Here’s What the Halton Region is Putting Over $2.6 Million Towards

Published May 27, 2019 at 3:44 pm

The Halton Region is actively working to support the safety, health, and well-being of its residents.

The Halton Region is actively working to support the safety, health, and well-being of its residents. And the region is doing so by putting more than $2.6 million towards programs that support its residents. 

According to a recent press release, on May 22, 2019, regional council approved more than $2.6 million in funding for community programs (non-profit social service and community health initiatives) through the Halton Region Community Investment Fund (HRCIF). 

This fund is something that has grown in many ways over the years.

“The HRCIF has grown in both size and impact, helping enhance the health, safety and well-being of our residents,” Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr said in a statement. “The fund has tripled since 2012 to more than $2.6 million today.”

The HRCIF funding, as noted in the release, is provided in one-year or multi-year grants, and supports programs that address a number of issues some Halton residents face such as mental health issues, housing and homelessness issues, food security issues, as well as safety and well-being issues.

The following list, according to the release, outlines the 26 new programs that will receive funding this year, and what the money will be used for. 

  • Acclaim Health and Community Care Services – to purchase kitchen equipment.
  • Acclaim Health and Community Care Services – to provide free, accessible arts and yoga programming to address loneliness and isolation of low-income older adults.
  • ArtHouse for Children and Youth – to provide free extra-curricular arts programs for low-income children aged seven to 12.
  • Burlington Baptist Church – to support two, 15-week lunch and activity programs that provide vulnerable older adults with opportunities for social interaction with peers.
  • Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch – to provide free walk-in counselling.
  • Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch – to support one-on-one counselling, crisis intervention, and group programming at the Salvation Army Lighthouse Shelter.
  • Capability Support Services – to purchase a backup generator to power 24-hour medical and assistive devices used by residents.
  • Catholic Family Services of Hamilton – to support case management and cleaning costs for adults who live in extreme self-neglect and help stabilize their housing.
  • CNIB – to help blind and partially-sighted older adults adapt to their sight loss.
  • Elizabeth Fry Society of Peel-Halton – to provide programming to educate girls about the risks of sexual exploitation, and to support girls who have been exploited to prevent future abuse.
  • Food4Kids Halton – to support a larger location that can store bulk food, and has more space to accommodate volunteers that pack healthy foods for vulnerable children to take home on the weekends.
  • Georgetown Bread Basket – to support monthly cooking classes and prepare take-home meals for clients.
  • Halton Children’s Aid Society – to provide a pilot program for youth aged 18 to 24 leaving the child welfare system to improve outcomes related to education, employment and/or training.
  • Halton Food for Thought – to purchase meal cards for at-risk secondary school students so they can buy healthy meals at school cafeterias.
  • Halton Fresh Food Box – to support the implementation of an online ordering system for food security organizations to purchase healthy, local fruits and vegetables.
  • Milton Transitional Housing – to provide subsidized transitional accommodation and supportive counselling for up to two years for people who may be in a housing crisis.
  • Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre – to improve service delivery by assessing the needs of food bank users across several Oakville-based food banks.
  • Partnership West Family Support Network (operating as Burlington Food Bank) – to purchase a walk-in freezer that will increase protein-rich foods offered to individuals and families in need.
  • Quality Continuous Improvement Centre for Community Education and Training – to help newcomer women from various backgrounds develop employment skills, enhance social belonging, and connect to needed services.
  • Radius Child and Youth Services – to support staffing for specialized assessment and treatment programs for children, youth, and families who have been affected by abuse and/or neglect.
  • Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) – to provide staff for onsite mental health, addictions and substance use supports for youth and provide educational information sessions to caregivers.
  • Schizophrenia Society of Ontario – to train frontline staff at community organizations across Halton in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy related to psychosis.
  • St. Christopher’s Anglican Church – to support community hub clients with onsite services and referrals to address needs such as food, clothing, parenting, and mental health.
  • The John Howard Society of Peel-Halton-Dufferin – to expand community programming focused on anti-criminal thinking, anger management, and positive parenting.
  • Thrive Counselling Services Halton Inc. – to provide free psychotherapy and community referrals to help individuals, families, and couples cope with challenges such as family and marital conflict, and mental health issues.
  • Wellspring Birmingham Gilgan House – to provide one-on-one peer counselling to adults living with cancer and professional counselling to those in crisis.

In addition to this new funding, 29 programs will continue to receive funding as part of their second or third instalment of multi-year grants that were awarded in 2017 and 2018.

To learn more about the HRCIF, visit halton.ca or call 311.

Photo is courtesy of the Halton Region.

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