Project Impact awards 19 community groups with funding as part of Earth Day celebrations

Earth Day is a movement marked all across the globe meant to celebrate and honour our planet and the collective work happening to improve the world for future generations.

Healthy Food For All, a community vegetable garden in Wahnapitae that produces food for low-income neighbours is among the 2024 recipients of funding from Project Impact. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News Norhtern Ontario/Image from video report)

Groups, schools and individuals held events on Monday – including some in northeastern Ontario.

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In Greater Sudbury, the environmental group Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury marked the day by awarding funding to small community projects in the yearly competition Project Impact.

The group will provide over $8,000 in funding for 19 community projects. It’s the culmination of the past several months where the community voted for their favourite entries.

“These are all people who are putting their time and energy to make something happen in their community,” said Naomi Grant with Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury.

“And it’s not just about the new garden or the new little art gallery; it’s about the social connections people make when they work together on this and come together on these projects.”

Project Impact started five years ago to provide funding to small grassroots community groups that come up with ideas to make a difference in neighbourhoods.

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Leading the way this year is ‘Healthy Food For All,’ a community vegetable garden in Wahnapitae that produces food for low-income neighbours.

“I hope that people seeing all of these groups coming together and working on things for the community that it will increase the amount of people that want to help out, want to volunteer, and do things for the environment,” said volunteer Dana Carbone.

Ward 8’s Twin Forks in New Sudbury will be getting $500 for accessible enhancements for its new greenhouse.

“Our neighbourhoods are fragmented. There’s all kinds of reasons for that including COVID,” said Rachelle Niemela with the Ward 8 Community Action Network.

“So it’s really important that we try to bring our neighbours together, to work together on things that will be helping the community.”

“Our community garden is a benevolent garden, which means it’s open for anyone to come and pick if they need it,” she added.

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Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury said holding this event on Earth Day allows participants to reflect on what we can all do as a community.

“Everyone can make a difference and taking action is hope. Taking action is how we feel better in the world and make a difference in the world,” Grant said.

This year’s event was smaller where the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury hosted Earth Day celebrations at the Greater Sudbury Public Library, along with three other local partners.