January 1, 2007 - Durham Charities Receive $50,000

January 1st, 2007 – Charities across Durham Region have received grants totaling $50,000 from Durham Community Foundation, including:

Big Brothers Big Sisters North Durham ($5,000) … to expand their successful mentoring program into Brock Township.

Community Development Council Durham ($1,800) … As the lead agency, the Council will help the Durham Community Garden Network educate Durham residents about starting community gardens – to grow and produce local produce to help feed individual families and/or be donated to Food Banks and soup kitchens to ensure those in need get fed.

Community Living Oshawa Clarington ($3,000)… for their Summer Sizzlers summer camp for youth with an intellectual disability. Many campers have needs that cannot be accommodated at a camp within their community; and many have never experienced any day camp program. The theme of giving back to the community is incorporated into the activities, with visits to local organizations such as a local retirement home, local animal shelter.

Durham Farm & Rural Family Resources ($3,150) … Dedicated to providing farm families in North Durham with flexible and skilled childcare during peak farming season, this grant will help create a developmentally based Infant and Parent Play Space within their play-to-learn drop-in program.

Durham Mental Health Services ($450) … to help families cope with a loved one with a mental illness, with special emphasis on bi-polar disorder.

Durham Therapeutic Riding Association ($600) … to support riding programs for disabled individuals.

Epilepsy Durham Region ($1,000) … A donor-directed grant to support the many
valuable programs offered to assist individuals with epilepsy.

Evelyn Burden Music Bursary ($1,800)… enabled three young Durham students pursue their love of music through piano lessons.

G.L. Roberts Community Collaborative ($5,000) … The Collaborative addresses the high needs of families living in the South Oshawa area, and is comprised of four community partners. This grant will be used to purchase supplies and equipment for craft projects, a wider variety of recreational activities and to replace existing sporting equipment that is badly worn due to excessive use.

Grace Fund Bursary ($2,500) … will ensure a mature female student from Durham can fulfill her post-secondary education goals at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
Grandview Children's Foundation ($1,000) … To broaden the range of programs currently offered for children and youth with special needs.

Jim Witty Scholarship ($1,600)… to support an Ajax student attending the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

Precious Minds ($3,750)… Precious Minds provides support to families living in North Durham with children who have barriers to learning – learning, developmental and physical disabilities. With this grant, an exercise and wellness program will be implemented for youth ages 12 to 18 with a developmental disability (eg. Autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, global developmental delay, etc.)

Station Gallery/Whitby Arts Inc. ($5,500) … for an intergenerational art therapy program for Lakeridge Health Whitby patients in palliative care, geriatric rehabilitation and alternative living units.

United Way Ajax Pickering Uxbridge ($1,000) … receive funds each year from their endowment they established with Durham Community Foundation. The funds support their community grants program.

YWCA of Durham ($5,000)… … receives funds annually from their endowment at The Community Foundation which helps support their community programs.

Grants are awarded from permanent funds established with Durham Community Foundation including the Community Fund, Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation, and individual Donor-Directed Funds. With current assets of over $1.3 million, the permanent funds continue to build each year, creating more grant revenue.

Durham Community Foundation provides the citizens of Durham, the opportunity to make financial gifts that are invested, the returns of which support the unique needs of our community and their individual interests while creating a lasting legacy that keeps on giving to charities in Durham Region. Durham Community Foundation is uniquely positioned in offering flexible granting opportunities; planned giving according to a donors’ broad-based interest; and one-stop-shopping for philanthropy in all areas of our community.

“In a region as large and diverse as Durham it is a challenge to meet the funding priorities and needs of our charities. There are so many valuable programs throughout our eight municipalities,” said Paul Gross, Chair of Durham Community Foundation. “We are proud to have awarded over $200,000 since our grants program started nine years ago.”