Fed funds for Grocer 4 Good
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sault Business Matters has received the following media release from the office of Sault MP Terry Sheehan relative to an investment towards the Grocer 4 Good initiative.)
Young Canadians deserve a chance to grow and thrive in safe communities. Helping them make positive choices, develop their skills and stay in school means they’ll be much less likely to become involved in crime. That is why the Government of Canada is investing in crime prevention projects that meet the needs of youth, through the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS).
Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, announced an investment of over $1.14 million towards the Grocer 4 Good and the Cafe 4 Good initiative.
Grocer 4 Good (G4G) works in Sault Ste. Marie to help provide employment and work experience to those with barriers, and providing food access to those in our downtown community who are on a fixed income. This funding, provided through Public Safety Canada’s Crime Prevention Action Fund, will support G4G with a cafe model which will expand this mandate to address the under-employment of youth in the justice system or at risk of incarceration. G4G collaborated on this application with Algoma Family Services, District Social Services of Sault Ste Marie and the Social Equity Committee to leverage their collective experience in the youth community.
Cafe 4 Good will work closely with multiple stakeholders in creating a welcome space for the community to enjoy and for youth to thrive and begin their journey to wellness and success. Their goal is to support 28 individual youth per year with job skills, paid employment, and social emotional supports – all leading to a healthy life plan.
No single program or initiative can tackle the challenge of local crime on its own. That is why the CPAF is one of many elements in the government’s plan to keep Canadians safe. It operates as part of the National Crime Prevention Strategy, which supports the implementation and evaluation of local, targeted crime prevention initiatives with the objective of developing and sharing knowledge of what works to prevent and reduce crime among priority populations.
QUOTES
“Early intervention and supportive pathways to meaningful opportunities are proven ways of reducing crime. Grocer 4 Good has an excellent track record in our community, and I am thrilled that our government is supporting this new initiative as work with youth at-risk of interacting with the justice system.”
– Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Seniors
“G4G started as a dream of mine in 2018, we incorporated in 2019, opened in 2020 and were dealt the same blow as many with the pandemic, the team never faltered and we not only continued but expanded into a new space and added a teaching kitchen. Food brings us all together, that is our underlying philosophy. The funding from CPAF has completely transformed our ability to connect, train, empower so many more through paid employment training, and expand our reach to youth in justice and indigenous youth. This has formed new partnerships and connections. Grocer 4 Good and Cafe 4 Good are for our community and our team cannot wait to serve our customers.”
– Lisa Vezeau-Allen, Founder and President, Grocer 4 Good
QUICK FACTS
- Grocer 4 Good in Sault Ste. Marie is receiving $1,141,114 over five years towards their work in youth empowerment and the Cafe 4 Good initiative.
- The National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS)’s Crime Prevention Action Fund (CPAF) supports initiatives that address known risk and protective factors associated with crime and respond to priority crime issues.
- The Crime Prevention Action Fund (CPAF) supports initiatives that address known risk and protective factors associated with crime and respond to priority crime issues.
- The objectives of the CPAF are to:
- Support evidence-based models and promising practices which address known risk and protective factors to reduce offending among at-risk children and youth, and high risk offenders in communities;
- Support the dissemination of knowledge and the development of tools and resources related to effective crime prevention practices; and
- Support innovative projects to explore ways in responding to known risk and protective factors related to offending among at-risk children and youth, and high risk offenders in communities.