There has been $1 million in Columbia Basin Trust’s (CBT) Social Grants approved for 28 projects that aim towards boosting social well-being in the communities it serves, and four of those projects are located within the Columbia Valley.
“Through these grants, we’re able to help social service organizations meet the needs of Basin communities and residents,” said Liz Gillis, CBT manager, in a recent press release. “These projects will positively impact health and well-being throughout the Basin.”
The Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley was approved for $10,900 to offer enhanced bereavement support training for the volunteers and staff in the East Kootenay region.
In addition, the Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley has plans to use the social grant to develop a bereavement support group in the Columbia Valley for individuals and families who are affected by death due to traumatic events or suicide.
“These support groups will enable people who are bereaved for traumatic reasons to explore their grief and go through the mourning process in a safe environment,” said Maria Kliavkoff, the Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley executive director. “The groups are an important way of normalizing the experience, working through the pain and minimizing incidents of depression in our community. We will also expand the training of our own staff and volunteers, and those of other hospices, so that they are able to provide support to these specialized groups.”
The Windermere Valley Youth Centre will receive $7,000 to deliver an after-school food security program at the Summit Youth Centre to educate youth on meal planning, budgeting and preparation.
The West Kootenay Brain Injury Association, which recently began serving clients from the East Kootenay region, received $21,800 to provide facilitated support and skill development programming to help rehabilitate brain injury survivors in Invermere and Golden.
The Lake Windermere Alliance Church was also approved for $20,000 to expand the outdoor playing area at Sonshine Children’s Centre, which will allow it to meet licensing requirement for a safe and fenced playing area for children.
Since the CBT Social Grants program was launched in 2012, it has distributed over $4 million. The decisions to award money are made by the Social Grants Program Selection Committee, which is a volunteer group of Basin residents with experience in the social sector and community development.
For more information about the program, visit www.cbt.org/2016socialgrants.
To learn more about the Trust’s programs and initiatives, visit www.cbt.org or call 1-800-505-8998.