An agency providing services for those with intellectual disabilities will be able to reimagine how it does business, thanks to a provincial grant.
Community Living Essex County has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Resilient Communities Fund grant is being used by the organization to overhaul client services.
"There is perhaps no other organization in Essex County that does so much great and important work as Community Living Essex County," said Essex MPP Taras Natyshak in a media release. "This investment will directly benefit the programs and services that enrich the lives of our residents."
To address pandemic safety in group settings, the grant supported the "Be You, Belong!" initiative, shifting the service model to a more individual basis.
"Although the impact of COVID-19 remains, OTF funding has enabled the agency to establish our path forward," said Executive Director Karen Bolger. "We can deliver Community Participation Supports that focus on inclusion and belonging, ultimately empowering self-direction and skill development as each person builds the life they want. I am grateful to OTF because through extensive training, our workforce is equipped to explore new opportunities to respond to each person’s diverse needs and abilities."
The Trillium Foundation's Resilient Communities Fund supports non-profit organizations that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, to help them recover or revamp how they provide community services. Complete information can be found on the Trillium Foundation's official website.
