The Pembroke Petawawa District Community Foundation held their annual general meeting recently and handed out thousands of dollars in grant money. The Foundation delivers annual grants to charitable organizations as part of their annual general meeting activities. For 2024, $26,500 was granted to local groups to the following recipients:
· $2,363.13 to The Grind for the Valley Warriors hockey program is to ensure that children aged 5-12 of all abilities are encouraged to participate in community hockey regardless of playing ability or financial circumstances.
· $2,100.00 to the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation for the purchase of a Hovermatt, which helps transfer patients from stretcher to x-ray table.
· $2,500.00 to the Robbie Dean Family Counselling Centre to start a program designed for vulnerable adults who struggle with mild to low moderate anxiety and depression, and grief after experiencing a loss.
· $2,000.00 to the Pembroke Regional Hospital Foundation to purchase a thyroid uptake system.
· $4,350.00 to Pflag Canada – Renfrew County to partner with Nourish U Wellness for a six-week wellness and resilience program for 2SLGBTQ+ youth and adults.
· $2,000.00 to the Ontario SPCA Renfrew County’s neuter scooter program, providing transportation and access to spay, neuter and wellness services to the most vulnerable animals.
· $1,150.00 to the Madawaska Valley Public Library for a series of weekly workshops that focus on challenges for young people including low self-esteem, stress/anxiety, low motivation, and dealing with bullying.
· $2,000.00 to the Laurentian Valley Four Seasons Trail for their disc golf program.
· $1,000.00 to First Step Options Pregnancy Resource to educate and empower women through the online lesson platform called BrightCourse.
· $2,250.00 to the Eganville and District Senior Citizens’ Needs Association for four free community dinners to support families and individuals within the community who are in most need.
· $2,000.00 to Community Living Upper Ottawa Valley for the installation of surveillance cameras and to support individuals in need in the community to pursue their interests.
· $1,000.00 to Carefor Health & Community Services to replace furniture with senior-friendly, ergonomic options.
· $800.00 to Whitewater Seniors Home Support and Active Living Centre to provide monthly hot meals to those in need.
· $500.00 to Madawaska Valley Hospice Palliative Care to host a family grief camp.
· $500.00 to Arnprior-Braeside-McNab Braeside Seniors at Home Program to enhance their annual memorial butterfly release event.
Since its inception in 2008, the Foundation has been known as the Pembroke Petawawa District Community Foundation. As those who established funds and benefited from grants increased, the board of directors started to notice the more regional impact it was having. That prompted the pursuance of a name change to better reflect the Foundation’s impact. As of 2024, the organization will be known as the Ottawa Valley Community Foundation. Matt Bradley, chair of the Foundation says “We are one of 207 community foundations across Canada and are part of a growing movement to support local communities”
(Written by: Kyle Robinson)