Many Voices Together Grant Announcement
Saskatoon Community Foundation Announces Youth Endowment Saskatoon, Quality of Life Grants, and Community Fund for Reconciliation
Saskatooon, May 22, 2019 – Tonight at Gordie Howe Sports Complex, Saskatoon Community Foundation will host “Many Voices Together,” a celebration of its 2019 grants from Youth Endowment Saskatoon, the Quality of Life Grants Program and the Community Fund for Reconciliation. (Complete lists of grants appended to end of this release.)
Youth Endowment Saskatoon
Youth Endowment Saskatoon (YES) has been granting to support youth projects since 2004, and has granted over $545,000 in total since it began. In 2019, the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) found a new home at E.D. Feehan High School, thanks to a partnership of the Foundation, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools and Saskatoon Public Schools. Youth from many schools participate in the Council. As well, new resources were added to the youth portfolio in 2019, including funds that grant province wide. In 2019, the YAC chose to focus grants on healthy living, with grants to address social inequalities, mental and physical health, and social well-being. (List of grants below.)
The Quality of Life Grants Program
Quality of Life Grants is the Saskatoon Community Foundation’s core grants program, which includes donor funds which grant to various fields of interest, as well as the many funds donors for which donors have given the Foundation discretion to respond to the emerging needs of the community. In 2019, the Saskatoon Community Foundation’s Board of Directors chose to strategically focus on supporting belonging through projects that addressed reconciliation and social inclusion. (List of grants below.)
According to SCF Executive Director Carm Michalenko, “The Quality of Life Grants Program has always served a broad range of needs in the community. Our donors have trusted the Foundation to understand and address those issues which can shape the future of the community. Both data and our stakeholders tell us that our best opportunity to ignite change comes when we focus on belonging, diversity and inclusion.”
Community Fund for Reconciliation
Created in 2017, the fund made its second round of grants in 2019. The Foundation worked with cultural advisors to define the criteria for the granting programThe projects chosen involve partnerships among Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations, promote Indigenous leadership in the community, and, of course, address one or more of the 94 Calls to Action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report. (List of grants below.)
Regarding the history of residential schools in Canada, Grants Committee Chair Curtis Kimpton notes, “We cannot go back and rewrite this chapter of Canadian history, but to all the survivors who may hear about our work, I would say this: thank you for your courage, honesty and resilience in both surviving and sharing your stories. We now have the opportunity to find new ways of living together, to support the building of an inclusive and compassionate community, and to ensure that the mistakes of the past do not determine Saskatoon’s future.”
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Contact:
Carm Michalenko
Executive Director
Saskatoon Community Foundation
(306) 665-1766
ceo@saskatooncommunityfoundation.ca
or
Don Ewles
Grants and Communications Manager
Saskatoon Community Foundation
(306) 665-1767
grants@saskatooncommunityfoundation.ca
Youth Endowment Saskatoon
| Organization | Project | Description | Grant |
| Autism Services | Autism Services Youth Social Clubs | A social and recreational program for males and females between the ages of 11 and 18 years and diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. | $2,500.00 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Humboldt | True Potential | Encourage youth to rise to their true potential and speak their truth supported by providing mentorship. | $2,500.00 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Saskatoon & Area | Opportunities for Youth in Care | A biweekly group program for youth 12-24 who are in long term foster care that provides support for the youth as they move out into the community as independent adults. | $3,975.04 |
| Canadian Diabetes Association | Diabetes Canada Pediatric Day | A day of discovery for the entire family with programming for parents, caregivers, children living with diabetes and their siblings. | $3,500.00 |
| Care & Share Saskatoon Inc. | Dignity Fund Program | Dignity Fund Program was established to try to maintain and enhance the self-esteem and dignity of under-privileged children in Saskatoon’s inner-city/community schools. | $3,000.00 |
| CNIB Foundation Saskatchewan | CNIB’s Youth Leadership Program | Providing youth who are blind or partially sighted with opportunities to develop leadership, advocacy, and compensatory skills in a social setting with the goal of building self-esteem, confidence, social and community engagement, and empowerment. | $2,500.00 |
| Creative Kids Canada Inc | So All Kids can Dance – Creative Kids Saskatoon | Removing barriers to arts participation for socially and economically disadvantaged youth in Saskatoon by providing registration fees, dance shoes, performance costumes, and proper attire. | $6,250.00 |
| Elks & Royal Purple Fund for Children | The Elks & Royal Purple Fund for Children | Personal assistance program for children/teens with medical needs who family is not financially capable to cover their medical related costs | $5,500.00 |
| Family Service Saskatoon | Walk In Counseling and Therapeutic Group | Providing support focused on solutions to assist the youth with both walk in counseling and group sessions, specialized psycho-social support interventions on various topics such as anxiety, depression, healthy relationships, etc. | $9,550.00 |
| South East Cornerstone School Division | Hillcrest Community Program | Providing a safe place to support youth who may be vulnerable during unsupervised times after school. | $3,500.00 |
| Kids Help Phone | Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone | A 24/7 texting service that relies on trained volunteers to ensure that when young people in the community are brave enough to reach out for help, someone will be there to respond. | $2,000.00 |
| Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan | Academic Tutoring for children and youth with learning challenges | Support for participants to cover the full cost of tutoring or supplement the cost of tutoring for parents with lower income. | $2,500.00 |
| Saskatchewan Abilities Council | 365 Fun Program (SLYP-Out & Summer Fun) | 365 Fun extends the opportunity to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle to young people experiencing profound physical disabilities. | $3,000.00 |
| Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation (Saskatchewan Alternate Format Materials Library) | Native Reflections – Grandmother/
Grandfather Series in accessible braille | First Nation, Inuit and Metis content will be put into the hands of the visually impaired community when this series is transcribed into braille. | $2,000.00 |
| Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming Inc. | Summer Art in the Park | Summer Art in the Park workshops are intended to work against social marginalization, gang involvement, crime and substance abuse among Saskatoon’s children and youth by providing access to art programs. | $4,500.00 |
| Sum Theatre Corp. | Youth on the Rise | Empowering at-risk young people from a range of backgrounds by providing them a safe space to grow and learn as both theatre artists and as human beings. | $2,500.00 |
| The Saskatoon Downtown Youth Centre Inc./EGADZ | Egadz Summer 2019 | An array of cultural, recreational, and summer sporting activities for “hard to serve” youth to participate in daily, providing them the ability to form strong healthy relationships not only with themselves but with their peers. | $900.00 |
Quality of Life Grants
| Organization | Project | Description | Grant |
| Saskatoon Friendship Inn | Healthy Dad, Healthy Kids | Free six-week certified parenting program assisting fathers in developing their parenting skills and behaviors, often with the motivation to become reunited with their children. | $14,120.00 |
| Family Service Saskatoon | Calming the Volcano Within | A group designed for at-risk youth to learn the skills needed for aggression and anger control. The program is a partnership between FSS and the Saskatoon Tribal Council Extrajudicial Measures program. | $20,000.00 |
| John Arcand Fiddle Fest Inc. | John Arcand Fiddle Fest | An affordable festival focusing on fiddle, music, dance and the arts. Over 100 workshops, Métis Cultural camp, evening concerts, old time dances and more. | $3,000.00 |
| Global Gathering Place | Cultural Health Navigators (CHNs) -Improving Culturally Responsive Access to Healthcare for Refugees | Bridging the gap between a healthcare system that does not incorporate culturally-sensitive approaches into its care and refugees who neither understand the Western approach to healthcare nor speak enough English to navigate the system on their own. | $20,000.00 |
| Northern Saskatchewan International Children’s Festival | 31st Annual Children’s Festival of Saskatchewan – “The Senses” | Arts-based festival where our children play and learn, featuring two live stages and dozens of participatory activities. | $10,000.00 |
| Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan | The Den at Meadowgreen | Creating a safe space for children and youth from diverse backgrounds to come together to build relationship, learn from one another and find encouragement and belonging. | $20,000.00 |
| The Micah Mission | Reconciliation and Reintegration Continued | Building on our efforts to develop Indigenous knowledge for our volunteers, giving them access to education regarding Indigenous life and teachings, to do our part in reconciliation by building relationships with the Indigenous community | $16,067.00 |
| Tamarack Foundation | Camp Tamarack – Connecting Communities | Developing a land-based learning program to include First Nation and other communities through outreach and to target 50/50 Indigenous and non-Indigenous camp enrolment comprised of youth from rural (north) and urban (Saskatoon) communities. | $8,000.00 |
| Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre | Community Engagement at the SFBLC Garden Patch (GP) | The SFBLC GP celebrates Saskatoon’s diversity through community engagement, the Adopt-A-Plot program, and welcoming and inclusive community events. | $9,063.12 |
| Cental Urban Metis Federation Incorporated. | Organizational Review | Building better and stronger capacity in the organization and the community. | $15,000.00 |
| Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Foundation-St Marys Summer Camp | St Mary’s Summer Camp | Providing summer activities and camping trips for the children in the Pleasant Hill Community. The camp provides families with activities they otherwise could not afford. | $5,000.00 |
| Frontier College | Free Literacy Programs in Priority Neighbourhoods | Partnering with schools, community organizations, and detention centres to provide free literacy support to children, youth, and adults in Saskatoon. | $20,000.00 |
| Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming Inc. | Enhancing Cultural Connections & Celebrating Diversity Through Art | Through community partnerships, young Art Leaders will deliver 416 visual art workshops, focusing on cultural knowledge transfer & specifically Indigenous history and culture, supporting the cultural development of 8000 “at-risk” children and youth. | $20,000.00 |
| Community First Development Fund of Saskatoon Inc. | Build Up Saskatoon | Build Up Saskatoon (BUS) is a new social enterprise non-profit contractor and mentorship program for individuals whose socio-economic status prevents them from participating in the labour market attachment. | $20,000.00 |
| Inclusion Saskatchewan | Family Network Program | Supporting families who have a member with an intellectual disability. The Family Network builds supportive relationships, helps families navigate systems, and promotes inclusion, mental health and resilience. | $10,000.00 |
| Care & Share Saskatoon Inc. | Babysitter Program | St. John Ambulance instructors are hired to teach the Babysitter Program to children in Saskatoon’s 20 inner-city/community schools. | $9,000.00 |
| Out Saskatoon | Building OUT: Let’s Grow Together | OUT Saskatoon is moving to a new space which will allow it to reach a broader audience, meet the demands of our new projects, a growing staff, and expand our social and support groups. | $20,000.00 |
| The Saskatoon Downtown Youth Centre Inc./EGADZ | Action to Employment | The Action to Employment Program helps youth to gain employment and life skills while assisting those vulnerable seniors in our community to remain in their homes. | $20,000.00 |
| Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op | CNYC Skills Building | Providing the youth with basic skills in construction, carpentry and home repair as well as helping with life skills, empower, build on their confidence, self-reliance, punctuality, communication and critical thinking. | $20,000.00 |
| FASD Network | FASD Support Worker | Providing direct support in the daily lives of families and individuals who are impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). | $20,000.00 |
| International Women of Saskatoon | Newcomer-Women Initiatives for Support & Empowerment (WISE) | Supporting and empowering newcomer, immigrant, and refugee women to gain the skills, knowledge, social networks and ultimately confidence needed to reach their full potentials in their new community. | $20,000.00 |
Community Fund for Reconciliation
| Organizations | Project | Description | Grant |
| Saskatchewan Alternate Format Materials Library/First Nation, Inuit and Métis Education Unit | First Nation, Inuit and Metis books in braille and large print for the visually impaired community | Providing First Nation, Inuit and Metis books in braille for the blind and large print for low vision readers. | $5,800.00 |
| Whitecap Dakota First Nation/ Saskatoon Tribal Council/ Nutrien | Bridging Economic Reconciliation – Acting on TRC#92 | A one-day conference asking: What does reconciliation mean and how can the economy be better with reconciliation? What organizations and businesses are doing their part, and what can be done for those that are new to the reconciliation process? | $5,000.00 |
| READ Saskatoon/ nehiyawak Language Organization | nehiyawak Language Experience at READ Saskatoon | nehiyawak Language Experience focuses on Cree language revitalization, worldview, and cultural practices. This project will deliver language and cultural programming to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal individuals, adults, and families. | $10,000.00 |
| Reconciliation Saskatoon Network/ City of Saskatoon | Building Capacity for Reconciliation | Creating a strategic plan/sustainability plan for the 100 partners of Reconciliation Saskatoon to move forward as an organization. | $10,000.00 |
| Reconciliation Saskatoon Network/ City of Saskatoon | ConnectR | ConnectR is a digital tool with a Youth Champion initiative led by Reconciliation Saskatoon. This unique online resource invites people to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action in an engaging, interactive and personal way. | $20,000.00 |
| Central Urban Métis Federation Incorporated/ Saskatoon Open Door Society | Reconciliation, Sharing Cultural Knowledge through Music & Dance | Métis Days will not only celebrate Métis Culture for Métis but will allow the average Canadians and new Canadians to participate and learn about Métis culture through music, dance and historical presentation. | $2,500.00 |
| Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan Inc./YXE Connects | Reconciliation through Culture in YXE | Bringing a diverse combination of Indigenous and non-Indigenous accessible, cultural entertainment to the core area of Saskatoon. | $4,000.00 |
| Canadian Roots Exchange/ Saskatoon Open Door Society | Together Here Today: Creating Respectful Relationships between Indigenous People and Recent Newcomers | A group of newcomers to Canada and Indigenous participants will come together to create 12 educational discussion guides for those with limited English language skills. | $10,000.00 |
| Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies/
Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation | Reconciliation Through the Indigenous Arts-The Indigenous Ensemble of Saskatoon Public Schools | An arts-based extracurricular/curricular program serving over 340 Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and providing experiential education regarding Truth and Reconciliation. | $5,000.00 |
| United Way of Saskatoon/ Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan | Wicihitowin Indigenous Engagement Conference | Providing opportunities for attendees to learn how and why they should be incorporating the Calls to Action in their personal and professional lives and where possible, making policy changes. | $20,000.00 |
| Reconciliation Saskatoon Network/City of Saskatoon | Rock Your Roots Walk for Reconciliation | Bringing Saskatoon’s diverse community together to raise awareness around the Calls to Action and Reconciliation, led by residential school survivors. | $20,000.00 |