Community Recovery Fund


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December 13, 2023
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Sault Business Matters has received the following media release from Sault member of parliament Terry Sheehan relative to the Community Services Recovery Fund.

Community Service organizations are at the forefront of addressing community needs. During the pandemic, many of these vital organizations struggled with increased demand for their services, reduced revenues, declines in charitable giving, and a greater reliance on digital tools. Their post-pandemic recovery is key to their continued ability to offer services and adapt to the changing needs of communities across Canada.

Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, is announcing that local charities and service organizations, which provide vital services to Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District communities, are receiving an additional $506,000 toward investments in building capacity, improved technology, training staff, and program expansion.

This builds on an announcement from last month when MP Sheehan announced more than $265,000 for organizations specializing in health, addictions, and social care. The organizations receiving funding announced today include:

  • Batchewana First Nation, receiving $96,851
  • Garden River First Nation, receiving $86,920
  • Habitat for Humanity Sault Ste. Marie and Area, receiving $78,449
  • Entomica Insectarium, receiving $64,000
  • The Ontario Finnish Resthome Association (OFRA), receiving $45,621
  • Huron-Superior Regional Metis Community – Metis Nation of Ontario Region 4, receiving $35,000
  • Sault Ste Marie Innovation Centre, receiving $25,000
  • Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy, receiving $25,000
  • Sault Symphony Orchestra, receiving $25,000
  • St. Luke’s Anglican Cathedral, receiving $20,000
  • Sault Search and Rescue Inc, receiving $5,000

The Community Services Recovery Fund will help community service organizations adapt, modernize and be better equipped to improve the efficacy, accessibility and sustainability of the community services that they provide. Whether the funded projects focus on recruitment and retention, modernizing organizational systems and processes, or innovating program delivery, the Community Services Recovery Fund reflects the Government’s commitment to invest in this sector, so that community service organizations can continue to support communities across Canada. 

The application process for this fund was managed by three National Funder organizations: the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada. These National Funders were selected to deliver the Community Services Recovery Fund to a broad and diverse range of community service organizations across Canada.

For more information, including a list of funded projects, visit the National Funders’ Community Services Recovery Fund website. 

Quotes

“Community Service organizations like these are often the first to identify and respond to emerging needs, and they are often the ones best positioned to create real change at the local level. I am proud of the work they do to help those in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District. This funding will help these organizations expand their reach, build their resilience to better adapt to emerging challenges, and make a greater impact in the lives of the people they serve.”

–Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Seniors

“The Ontario Finnish Resthome Association (OFRA) extends heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Canada for its generous $45,000 grant from the Community Services Recovery Fund. This funding will empower OFRA to acquire an advanced Inventory Management System, a crucial investment that will significantly elevate our operational efficiency. We appreciate the government’s unwavering support, recognizing that partnerships like these are instrumental in our mission to provide exceptional care and services to our residents. Thank you for prioritizing the well-being of our community.”

–Paul Belair, Chief Executive Officer, The Ontario Finnish Resthome Association

“We are so thankful for receiving this Community Services Recovery Funding of $78,449.00. At HFHSSMA ReStore we continue to strive to increase our revenue stream and support Habitat’s mission of supporting affordable home ownership within our community.  By collaborating with local Kitchen Suppliers and manufactures, we will be able to support homeowners, property managers and contractors with an additional option of donating their outgoing kitchen to the Habitat ReStore. This is a win-win for everyone!  Our team will go in and remove kitchen cabinetry, appliances, etc, saving the homeowner or installer, labour and disposal costs. We will provide a donation receipt for what we salvage, recycle, and resell at the ReStore. The Kitchen Salvage Program will certainly provide our community with another cost-effective shopping alternative, benefit our local landfill, and reduce our environmental footprint”.

–Derek Paquin, Director of Operations, Habitat for Humanity Sault Ste. Marie & Area

Quick Facts

  • The Community Services Recovery Fund was announced in Budget 2021 as a one-time, $400 million investment to help community service organizations adapt, modernize and build internal organizational capacity. This investment will strengthen the charitable and non-profit sector as it supports post-pandemic recovery in communities across Canada. 
  • The Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada and United Way Centraide Canada were selected as the National Funders to deliver the Community Services Recovery Fund following a solicited call and open process for expressions of interest. They will deliver funding to a broad and diverse range of community service organizations across Canada, including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies. 
  • The Community Services Recovery Fund has two funding streams: one for local or regional community service organizations serving a portion of a province or territory, and one for community service organizations serving the entire country, an entire province or territory, or multiple provinces or territories.
  • Funding from the Community Services Recovery Fund will enable community service organizations to invest in their own organizational capacity under one of the following three project focus areas: 
  • Investing in People – projects that focus on how organizations recruit, retain, engage and support their personnel.
  • Investing in Systems and Processes – projects that invest in the systems and processes involved in creating the internal workings of an organization’s overall structure.
  • Investing in Program and Service Innovation and Redesign – projects primarily focused on program and service innovation and redesign using information gained during the COVID19 pandemic.
  • The Community Services Recovery Fund builds on the successful delivery of the $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund, where the Government of Canada funded over 11,570 projects serving vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.