KAWARTHA LAKES-Support for local residents who have experienced the loss of a loved one has received a significant financial boost through the Aviva Canada Community Fund.
The Community Care Health & Care Network was awarded $87,000 from the Aviva insurance company’s national competition to fund charitable community initiatives across Canada. Community Care’s Hospice Services application for grief support funding was one of the 500 applications submitted with only 10 projects to receive funding. The winners were announced on Tuesday.
The $87,000 proposal for grief support services was one of more than 500 submitted to the competition from all across Canada. Community Care’s Grief Support programs help people find their way through grief, while helping them live with renewed hope and happiness despite loss. The programs, offered through Community Care Hospice Services, are entirely unfunded by government sources. “Support from fundraising and development initiatives is required to continue operating our programs at no cost to clients,” said Ryan Alexander, Manager of Community Care Hospice Services. The $87,000 proposal represents the annual cost for Community Care to present grief support, he said.
The grief support proposal received a significant boost from many members of the public who cast online votes in support of the funding proposal in October. Over the 10-day period, #GrieveNotAlone received more than 26,000 votes from supporters. The public vote was one criteria used by Aviva to assess the funding proposals. By placing in the top five projects in the Community Health category, the submission moved to the final round of Aviva consideration.
