Dufferin Community Foundation providing additional emergency funds to address mental health

February 18, 2021 · 0 Comments

The Dufferin Community Foundation announced yesterday that they are making an additional $30,000 in emergency funding available.

“When the pandemic hit, we understood that it would not be business as usual” explains MaryAnn Lowry, Foundation Vice-Chair.

We reached out to our charities to learn what’s going on behind the scenes, reviewed data from local & regional surveys to confirm our insights and listened to those whose work is so vital to resilient and sustainable communities.

We learned that the effects of social isolation, food insecurity, housing and homelessness, substance abuse and addiction are becoming a mental health and well-being emergency. Even the most vital are impacted.”

In the Spring and Summer of 2020, the Foundation dispersed over $162,000 locally, under the Federal government’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) While we continue to advocate for more funding, it is apparent the need far outweighs available funding and will continue well in to the future.

In response to what we have learned, we took the unprecedented step of creating our own fundraising initiative and are most grateful to our generous donors who entrusted us to disperse the funds where they are most needed. The Dufferin Emergency Support Fund (DESF) grants will address mental health and well-being vulnerabilities in Dufferin County.

Applications are NOW open to registered charities and qualified donees. Successful applicants will demonstrate that a newly planned or modified existing program will address the issues growing out of the COVID-19 emergency in Dufferin.

You will find more detail on the Foundation website dufferincommunityfoundation.ca