Fund Helps Charities With Pandemic Challenges

More than $400,000 has been distributed to 20 local charities through the Emergency Community Support Fund from the federal government.

The fund of $350-million was created to help non-profits adapt to challenges created by COVID-19.

Alexya Heelis, executive director of the United Way for Saint John, Kings and Charlotte, said the fund was administered by the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada and the United Way.

“That got divided amongst those three organizations on a national level and resulted in us having $400,000 to distribute here in Saint John, Kings and Charlotte counties,” Heelis said.

Heelis said they set a maximum grant size of $75,000 for all applications.

“It was about people applying for what they need. I think the smallest one was $5,000 and the largest was about $60,000,” Heelis said.

Heelis said the fund is all about COVID-19 response to ensure all community-based charities have the resources to keep offering programs and services.

Grants were distributed to the following organizations:

Ability New Brunswick Capacité Nouveau Brunswick
Alzheimer’s Society of NB
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Saint John Inc.
Boys & Girls Club of Charlotte County
Crescent Valley Resource Centre
Elementary Literacy Inc./L’Alphabétisation au Primaire Inc.
Family Plus/Life Solutions
First Steps Housing Project Inc.
Home Support Services Inc.
Kidney Foundation of Canada, Atlantic Chapter
New Brunswick Association for Community Living
Oak Hill United Church in partnership with St. Croix Wellness and Renewal Centre
Roots of Empathy
Saint John Boys and Girls Club
Saint John Community Loan Fund
Saint John Human Development Council Inc. in partnership with Brilliant Labs
Saint John Women’s Empowerment Network Inc.
Sussex Regional Library in partnership with Multicultural Association of Sussex
Teen Resource Centre
YMCA of Greater Saint John