August 17, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Following the August 17, 2023 announcement of the results of the Community Services Recovery Fund (CSRF) by the Honourable Jenna Sudds, the federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, United Way Greater Toronto is pleased to announce $14.2 million in funding to support 173 projects in Peel, Toronto and York through the Government of Canada’s Community Services Recovery Fund.
The Community Services Recovery Fund is a one-time investment of $400 million to help community service organizations across Canada adapt, modernize and be better equipped to improve the efficacy, accessibility and sustainability of the community services that they provide through the pandemic recovery and beyond.
Mainly funded under the CSRF’s Investing in Program and Service Innovation and Redesign project focus area, UWGT will be providing federal funding to 173 diverse community service organizations across Peel, Toronto and York Region that will continue to innovate, harnessing insights gained during the COVID-19 pandemic to refine programs and services that will address our region’s most significant challenges.
While the full list of community service organizations receiving funding by United Way Greater Toronto is available on unitedwaygt.org, the following four examples illustrate the importance and impact of these programs and services to the communities they serve:
- $90,580 was invested to fund Ontario Water Centre. Ontario Water Centre will collaborate with York Region District School Board (YRDSB) and consultants from the Chippewas of Georgina Island in a process to co-develop land-based learning curriculum and programming at ClearWater Farm for YRDSB students.
- $86,200 was invested to fund Volunteer Mississauga Brampton Caledon. With the pandemic impacting the not-for-profit sector by fragmenting connections with volunteer engagement professionals who they serve and depend on, this project will strengthen their connections with not-for-profit staff by updating its engagement methods, conducting thorough personalized outreach, and modernizing its learning services with a virtual hub.
- $85,311 was invested to fund New Haven Learning Centre for Children. New Haven will invest in technology, essential staff training opportunities, and the expansion of expertise critical to the implementation of evidence-based interventions and life-changing therapy for the Resilience Project.
- $66,490 was invested to fund Romero House. The project will review the new Community Host program that was implemented as a result of the increased need for housing for refugees. Funds will be used to evaluate the model and improve its delivery of this innovative approach to meeting the needs of refugees in Toronto.
Community service organizations are at the forefront of addressing communities’ needs. Since the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have struggled with increased demand for their services, reduced revenues, declines in charitable giving due to the rising cost of living, and a greater need to make use of digital tools. Many organizations are struggling to recover and adapt their services to the changing needs of Peel, Toronto and York.
For more information, visit the Community Services Recovery Fund website. For more information on United Way Greater Toronto and its funding visit our investment page.
Daniele Zanotti, President and CEO of United Way Greater TorontoCOVID-19 has shown us the power, resiliency and creativity of community service organizations as they pivoted their programs and services to address growing food insecurity, mental and physical health, income and housing precarity, and unequal access to resources in the communities they serve. Now, as the innovations spurred out of necessity have become requirements in our new normal, the Community Services Recovery Fund is providing crucial financial support to programs and services across Peel, Toronto and York to ensure the longevity of these organizations’ important work.
Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social DevelopmentThe projects supported by the Government of Canada through the Community Services Recovery Fund demonstrate that we are a caring and compassionate society that values the well-being of all its members. It is heartening to see the compassion and empathy of our citizens as they give back to those in need. Projects like these are a testament to the power of our collective action and our ability to come together to make a positive difference in the world. I am confident that together we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in Peel, Toronto and York.
Quick Facts:
- The Community Services Recovery Fund is a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support community service organizations, including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies, as they adapt their organizations for pandemic recovery.
- Now more than ever, community service organizations play a key role in addressing complex social problems faced by many communities across Canada.
- From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, community service organizations across Canada have shown impressive stamina and creativity in their response to the diverse and increasingly challenging needs of their communities.
- The Community Services Recovery Fund responds to what community service organizations need right now and supports them as they adapt to the long-term impacts of the pandemic.
- As community service organizations across Canada work to support recovery in their communities, the CSRF will help them adapt and modernize their operations to grow their impact.
- The Government of Canada is delivering the CSRF through three National Funders (Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, United Way Centraide Canada). The National Funders are distributing funding to eligible community service organizations, including charities, non-profits, and Indigenous governing bodies, providing services in communities across Canada.
- The Government of Canada supports a more inclusive model of economic growth, one that creates opportunities for everyone in Canada, as the long-term recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Associated Links
Media contact:
Lindsay Kwan
Manager, Communications – United Way Greater Toronto
lkwan@uwgt.org
416-732-9700
About United Way: As the largest non-government funder of community services in the GTA, United Way Greater Toronto reinforces a crucial community safety net to support people living in poverty. United Way’s network of agencies and initiatives in neighbourhoods across Peel, Toronto and York Region works to ensure that everyone has access to the programs and services they need to thrive. Mobilizing community support, United Way’s work is rooted in ground-breaking research, strategic leadership, local advocacy and cross-sectoral partnerships committed to building a more equitable region and lasting solutions to the GTA’s greatest challenges.
