City councillors have approved the continuation of $3.19 million for community agencies that provide essential services for those in need.
The decision made at last week’s city council meeting benefits agencies specific to Centretown including the Centretown Community Health Centre and The Door. It also benefits city-wide agencies including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa and the Ottawa Food Bank.
The funds are vital to community agencies to run programs that provide food, shelter and emotional and psychological support to low-income families, youth and struggling individuals.
Stable city funding to these agencies is important because it encourages additional support from provincial and federal governments, says Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes.
“It’s good to be able to let them know early on in the budget phase that they are not going to be cut . . . so they can continue with their essential work for the community,” says Holmes.
Community agencies have struggled this year because economic hardships limit options for provincial and federal funding, says Simone Thibault, executive director of the Centretown Community Health Centre. “It’s a rough time where more families are experiencing more difficulties and challenges.”
The centre relies on city funding to continue its programs, says Thibault. These include The Good Food Box that provided fresh fruits and vegetables to about 300 adults and 200 children monthly in 2008. The centre also runs family support programs that teach parenting skills.
The funding is part of a multi-year strategy that began in 1998. The funding has increased under the Ontario Child Benefit program introduced last year that combines efforts from municipalities and the province.
“Very few municipalities offer renewable funding like this,” says Robert Eves, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa. The continuation of funding allows the agency to develop better support strategies, he says.
The agency connects children (called “Littles”) with adults (called “Bigs”) in a community mentorship program. The city provides 16 per cent of the organization’s base budget that connects about 300 Littles with Bigs each year, says Eves.
City funding is important for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa because it does not qualify for much provincial and national support. This is because provincial and federal funding focuses more on agencies that support national communities, says Eves.
But city funding is not enough, says Eves. Currently Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa have just 10 Program and Services staff that connect Littles with Bigs. About 160 children in Ottawa are waiting to be assigned Bigs.
Community agencies such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa do more than help those in need, says Jason Myerson, an aspiring Ottawa police officer. He has been a Big with the program for two years and says the rewards are endless.
“It’s good to know you’re making a difference in a child’s life, and that child also makes you reflect and acknowledge the wonderful parts of your own life,” says Myerson. He says the experiences gained from the program will also help him become a better law enforcer.