Columbia Basin Trust announces funding for 31 well-being projects

Non-profit organizations are getting a helping hand from the Columbia Basin Trust for the 9th year in a row.

Nicole MacLellan, CBT Manager, Delivery of Benefits says projects will be supported all across the basin in the East and West Kootenays.

“We are pleased to announce that the Trust will be supporting 31 projects with nearly $680,000 through the Trust’s Social Grants Program which supports community driven projects that strengthen social well-being for residents and addresses a variety of social issues in communities across the basin,” says MacLellan.

Projects in the Basin and West Kootenay include:

• ANKORS (AIDS Network, Kootenay Outreach and Support Society) $60,000 – Promote health and wellness as they relate to substance use, sexual health, mental health and LGBTQ2+ issues within educational settings across the Columbia Basin.
• Castlegar and Area, BC Association of Community Response Networks, $48,000 – Increasing Recreation Involving Seniors: Provide programming in a safe, inclusive environment for people 60+ and support socialization, connectedness and health benefits.
• Creston, Valley Community Services Society, $60,000 – Building Resilience With Young Families. Provide information, direct consultation, referral and ongoing support to young families experiencing barriers resulting in vulnerability; this includes group support and education, nutritious food, one-to-one counselling and referrals.
• West Kootenay , Circle of Indigenous Nations Society $40,000 – Aboriginal Community Outreach: Provide cultural awareness training to organizations throughout the West Kootenay, increasing community understanding of the history of Indigenous peoples, strengthening relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations, and enhancing Indigenous peoples’ access to non-Indigenous services.
• West Kootenay, School District 20: Kootenay Columbia, $35,362 – Hunger Relief Initiative: Support school-aged children through nutrition, food literacy and food sustainability programming to promote lifelong healthy eating habits, strengthen school food programs, and decrease the disparity between food-secure and food-insecure children.  

More projects may be viewed in this link provided by the Columbia Basin trust.

“The Trust has been offering grants since 2012,”says MacLellan. “We will be launching another intake in early 2020. Eligible applicants include registered non-profits, public organizations, municipalities, regional districts and indigenous organizations.”

For more details on how to apply for grants, visit the Columbia Basin Trust website.

‘The Trust created the Social Grants Program in 2012,” adds MacLellan. “Since then we’ve supported 300 projects with approximately $8 million to date.”