Vital Sudbury community resources given more than $100K from the feds
It was all about celebrating those community service organizations were on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic during a funding announcement from the federal government in Greater Sudbury on Friday.
Community service organizations, who were at the frontlines during the pandemic, were celebrated in Sudbury Friday at a funding announcement by the federal government. (Ian Campbell/CTV News Northern Ontario)Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe announced more than $107,000 is being given and distributed among three groups in the city.
The Canadian Mental Health Association Sudbury/Manitoulin will receive $66,920, the Blue Door Soup Kitchen will get $26,800 and Bizzy Bea's has been awarded $13,776.
It was all from the Community Services Recovery Fund which enables community service organizations to adapt, modernize and be better equipped moving forward.
"So we know that the pandemic hit us all really hard, now think about the service organizations that provide really important services for some of our most vulnerable populations. So this fund today is to help them recover from that and to help them recover to be able to expand and make their services more resilient for the community," said Lapointe.
"I think what COVID did was it really shone a light on where there is a gap in some systems but it really shone a light on the importance of these organizations and some of them are really small, they're volunteer-led completely so it's important that we continue to support them because they were particularly hit hard by the pandemic."
Among those in the audience was Sudbury Mayor and former MP Paul Lefebvre.
"The federal government is stepping up to continue funding these important organizations with volunteers and supporting them to ensure their services continue,” said Lefebvre.
“We're struggling coming out of COVID, we're still struggling with these organizations, we're struggling as a municipality, the fact that this funding assists us that we have more people, more boots on the ground, people offering these important services to our community and to our most vulnerable population."
Lefebvre told CTV News he was in attendance to say thank you.
- Download the CTV News app now and get local alerts on your device
- Get local breaking news and updates sent to your email inbox
- Want more local news? Check out the Sudbury page
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in four people experienced a mental health issue during the pandemic which are staggering statistics.
The organization’s local CEO said they are focusing on depression, anxiety and a general sense of not feeling well.
"It's amazing because we have so many different staff, they have great skills, but this enhances for the trauma-informed care, the solution focused therapy and dialectical therapy. What it does is it takes a very person-centred approach and impacts on a great many people in furthering their own goals, their own wellness and their own mindfulness," said CEO Patty MacDonald.
MacDonald added the pandemic has had some lasting impacts on the community and they are looking to focus on those individuals who have a higher acuity of needs.
"It's huge, to be acknowledged by the Red Cross, by Viviane and our mayor – it shows we've finally grown,” said Chantelle Dupuis of Bizzy Bea's.
“We're being acknowledged for the work that we do and the work our volunteers put in so it's fantastic to be recognized and we see ourselves growing in the near future.”
Officials with the Blue Door Soup Kitchen said they were also grateful to the recipients of this aid.
"As you know COVID was hard on all segments of the population, so first and foremost we're pleased that we're going to be able to build a more sustainable service for the community," said board member Susan Boyko.
"It's the little people as well as the big funders that make us viable and so this funding that we receive today will help us to create a robust fundraising strategy, a communications plan and an improved social media presence which is really important today. We are a small organization and we have to think big."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.