Eleven community and non-profit groups that provide services to vulnerable populations will be receiving a total of almost $88,000 from Sechelt’s COVID-19 safe restart grant program. Council endorsed those actions at its Aug. 4 meeting, its last scheduled meeting until Sept. 1.
The largest grant of $20,000 was provided to the Sechelt Downtown Business Association for a new program to involve marginalized populations in community cleanup efforts.
Five projects aimed at getting food to those in need were approved for just over $33,000. These included funding the Sunshine Coast Foundation’s administrative support for four Coast food banks and the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre’s kitchen operations as well as its “Buy one – Give one” prepared meal program.
St. John’s United Church received support for meals purchased from that program plus food prepared at the church for distribution to members of the public. That group was also funded to reinstate lunches for Davis Bay Elementary students one day per week.
A commercial fridge purchase and expenses related to the Roberts Creek food cupboard program were approved for the Salvation Army Sunshine Coast Community Church.
The One Straw Society was granted funding for its Ocean Avenue community garden as well as for workshops and coordination of local food production.
The Sunshine Coast Atmosphere Solutions Society, operators of the Coast’s woodstove exchange program, was granted $10,000 to help low-income residents replace their old wood stoves with zero-emission, energy-efficient electric heat pumps.
Four high tea events for vulnerable seniors in Davis Bay, Selma Park and ts’ukw’um neighbourhoods will be hosted by that area’s community association with a grant of $6,180.
The Sunshine Coast Hospice Society received $6,250 to undertake bereavement counselling for low-income, vulnerable clients who have experienced a loss during COVID-19.
A grant of $10,000 was awarded to the Sunshine Coast Resource Centre for its “Community Hub” Program which coordinates community volunteers and helps individuals find and access services in the community. This money will be used for staffing costs and office expenses.
The Sunshine Coast’s Restorative Justice program is set to receive a $1,906 grant to offset office and equipment expenses related to keeping its staff and clientele safe, post-pandemic.
The only group to apply and not be awarded funding was the Sunshine Coast Drag Racing Association. That group had requested $5,300 to offset operating expenses and for roadway improvements at the Sechelt aerodrome site that it has used for racing events.
Council agreed with a staff recommendation that the group’s application did not qualify for funding as it does not focus on services for vulnerable sectors of the population targeted by the initiative.
Sechelt launched the new grant program this year with part of the more than $2.5 million received from the province to help it rebound from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. A second application intake is open, aimed at distributing the remaining $17,234 that was set aside by council for the program in 2021.
The deadline to apply is Oct. 18. Full program details are available on sechelt.ca.
