ECSF grants awarded in the first round

Yorkton & District Community Foundation is pleased to have partnered with Community Foundations of Canada and the Government of Canada to deliver the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) in Yorkton and surrounding communities.

Through round 1 of the ECSF,  $75,000  was  made  available in Yorkton and surrounding communities to  assist  local charities and qualified donees supporting populations experiencing heightened vulnerability during this crisis. We are pleased to announce that the  following grants were awarded in June /July.  

• $18,750 was invested to help  Saskatchewan Abilities Council Inc.  -  Yorkton to  purchase  technology for continued personal development and community connection virtually, augmenting in-person programming during COVID-19.
• $5,730  was granted  to  SIGN  (Society  for  the  Involvement  of  Good  Neighbours)  This project provides delivery of food and family resources to vulnerable families, as well as much needed transportation to seniors in our community.
• $15,000  was  invested  for Rail  City  Industries  in  Melville  to  purchase  technology  to  help provide services to vulnerable persons in isolation and connection for participants with their families, friends and for online learning.
• $21,000 was granted to Boys & Girls Club of Yorkton, Inc. to the BGCY at Home  program which provides children, youth and families with quality, engaging, productive program activities and opportunities to participate from the safety of their homes. 
• $6,538 was invested for the SIGN Kamsack Family Resource Centre to  provide Kamsack and area families, with children pre-natal to age 5, with  materials, resources, and education necessary to help the families stay safe, healthy, and mentally well during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• $7,982 was granted to the Parkland College for mental health and tutorial support of post-secondary students attending fall and winter sessions and who were impacted by the pandemic, examples being students whose grade 12 courses may have been disrupted and persons retraining following disruption of employment.

 The Government of Canada’s $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) is helping community organizations adapt frontline services to better meet the needs of people experiencing heightened vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The ECSF first opened to receive applications on May 19, 2020.  In June and July the Yorkton & District Community Foundation awarded $75,000 in grants to local charities as noted above.  Nationally the first round of funding supported projects in every province and territory and for every vulnerable group. The Fund’s three intermediaries – Community Foundations of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross and United Way Centraide Canada – combined their national reach and local expertise to flow money quickly to where it was most needed.

The balance of the ECSF is now being made available to support communities continuing to address the impact of the pandemic. Yorkton & District Community Foundation will be granting a total of $30,000 in this second round.  Qualified donees can begin submitting applications  from October 5 to 30, 2020 and grants will be awarded early in November, 2020. 

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Individuals  in Yorkton and district who wish to help local charities during the pandemic can do so by donating to the Yorkton & District Emergency Fund . 

Donations to the Yorkton & District Emergency Fund can be made online on this website or email to arrange mail or pick up of donations. Donations to this fund provide immediate resources to assist charities. 

Donations to the endowment funds are another option for donors and provide a meaningful way to help their community long into the future.

Photo by Andre Ouellet on Unsplash