With dollars allocated by the province, the Sunshine Coast Foundation announced grants to six local charitable organizations on March 28. Those distributions are through the Sunshine Coast Prosperity Fund, designed to support the efforts and long-term sustainability of local community service organizations.
Four groups were each awarded $40,000. Those included the One Straw Society; provided funding for its Capacity Building for Food Security & Community Resiliency project aimed at local food production and security to better meet community needs.
The same amount is earmarked for increasing the capacity for the programs and services of the Coast Hospice Society. That funding will secure the critical operational capacity and help the society develop and implement new volunteer training modules. That is designed to prepare a new cohort of volunteers for their roles in supporting families and residents of the new dedicated residential hospice, which is anticipated to open in late 2026.
The Sunshine Coast Charitable Housing Society received the same amount of funding, to be used to retain an Operations Manager to strengthen that organization’s capacity and impact.
The Restorative Justice Program of the Sunshine Coast is to receive $40,000 for essential operational expenses, needed for long-term program sustainability and growth.
Funded with $28,300 was the accessible library services project of the Gibsons and District Public Library. That initiative will expand on efforts to bring resources and tech support to homebound and/or print-disabled people in the library’s service area.
The Pender Harbour and District Health Centre Society’s “Pender Connection” project aimed at bringing additional resources to that facility and community via its Information Hub, which offers a range of in-person and virtual services to clients was awarded $31,700.
"We're deeply grateful to be a part of this funding opportunity…it’s an honour to support such a diverse group of local organizations that work so hard to strengthen our Sunshine Coast community and create lasting prosperity." executive director of the Sunshine Coast Foundation, Erin Storey stated in a Foundation release. That group manages Sunshine Coast Prosperity Fund.
