Government of Canada is reaching thousands of Canada's most vulnerable during COVID-19

GATINEAU, QC, Aug. 13, 2021 /CNW/ - COVID-19 continues to have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable Canadians, creating a great need for additional supports. Community-based service providers such as charities and non-profit organizations are on the front lines, serving critical social inclusion, well-being and safety needs during the pandemic. This is why the Government of Canada has worked with national intermediary partners—Community Foundations of Canada, Canadian Red Cross and United Way Centraide Canada—to disburse $350 million to community-based organizations since last May. This funding was used to power thousands of projects, train countless volunteers, and support their communities along the way.

Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen, highlighted that over 11,570 projects have been funded through the Emergency Community Support Fund. These critical investments have enabled charities and non-profit organizations across the country to adjust their services and respond to their communities' needs during the pandemic.

The Government of Canada recognizes that charities and non-profit organizations are undertaking essential front-line work, all while facing their own fundraising and service delivery challenges. With funding delivered in two rounds, the intermediaries focused on addressing the evolving needs of communities across Canada by ensuring that the funds reached diverse vulnerable groups in an equitable way.

This funding has allowed organizations to adjust their services and respond to their communities' needs during the pandemic, such as:

• increasing volunteer-based home deliveries of groceries and medications;
• providing transportation services, like accompanying or driving seniors or persons with disabilities to appointments;
• scaling up help lines that provide information and support;
• providing training, supplies and other required supports to volunteers so they can continue to make their invaluable contributions to the COVID-19 response; and
• replacing in-person, one-on-one contact and social gatherings with virtual contact through phone calls, texts, teleconferences or the internet.

For more information on the projects funded across Canada, visit the websites of: Community Foundations of Canada, Canadian Red Cross and your local United Way via United Way Centraide Canada.

Quote
 "As we've passed the one year mark since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian charities and not-for-profits have continued to help the most vulnerable members in our communities across Canada. Thank you to not only the national intermediaries but also the thousands of organizations and volunteers who continue to provide critical services and a helping hand in this time of need. The Government of Canada is pleased that through these organizations, the Emergency Community Support Fund is helping those most in need from coast to coast to coast." 
– Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada invested $350 million through the Emergency Community Support Fund to help charities and non-profit organizations to adapt front-line services for vulnerable Canadians during COVID-19.
• As of March 2021, $300 million has been disbursed, supporting over 11,570 community projects across Canada in this time of crisis. The remaining $50 million supported administration and complementary activities. (The Red Cross trained and equipped volunteers of organizations with personal protective equipment, and the United Way expanded the social services helpline 211).
• Two rounds of funding were administered through open calls for proposals by three national intermediaries – United Way Centraide Canada, Community Foundations of Canada and the Canadian Red Cross. The first call was open from May to September 2020, and the second was open from October to November 2020.
• Eligible organizations were those that work with vulnerable groups, including seniors, persons with disabilities, children and youth, women, Indigenous people, members of LGBTQ2 communities, members of racialized communities and members of official language minority communities.

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Hafsah Asadullah, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]