Community Groups in Hamilton and Area Receive More Than $865,000 in Grants from The Ontario Trillium Foundation Hamilton, April 7, 2008 – Community organizations in the Hamilton region will benefit from grants recently ratified by the Board of Directors of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). Ontario Minister of Culture Aileen Carroll noted that many of the 14 grants totalling $866,400 will help organizations enhance community spaces. Funding will improve accessibility and comfort, increase energy efficiency or be used for innovative technology. “Our government is committed to fostering healthy and vibrant communities, right across Ontario,” said Minister Carroll. “These Ontario Trillium Foundation grants will help build a stronger province by fuelling local economies and improving the quality of life of Ontarians.” The Ontario Trillium Foundation is one of the few funders of capital improvements for Ontario’s not-for-profit sector. OTF, through the Hamilton Grant Review Team and its Chair Frank Passaro, has listened to community groups when they have told us how much they value our capital grants, and we continue to recognize the importance of these grants.  Good Shepherd Non-Profit Homes will receive $68,500 over one year to support the development of a social landscaping and lawn maintenance enterprise service that will provide work experience for people with mental health disabilities in Hamilton. The Disabled and Aged Regional Transit System will be awarded $14,300 over six months to provide two pilot specialized bus services for seniors living in Dundas retirement residences. This transportation will enable them to gain access to healthy activities and learn to use public transit. The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Ontario's 2008 spring budget boosted the Foundation's annual funding to $110 million from $105 million, which will be further increased to $120 million by 2009-2010. The Community grants listed below were ratified on March 6, 2008. Ancaster Old Mill Race $4,300 over one year to improve the co-ordination of 200 volunteers and recognize their contributions to the 25th Ancaster Old Mill Race where 1,400 people participate each year. Community Centre for Media Arts $22,000 over six months for a part-time co-ordinator, computer and overhead to engage Hamilton youth in Photovoice. The project gives them a voice on important social issues by helping them produce relevant and expressive photographic exhibits. Corrections Consortium of Hamilton c/o The Elizabeth Fry Society of Hamilton Branch $35,400 over one year for a researcher, materials and administration to conduct a community needs assessment. Trends, issues and unmet needs of people using local corrections services will be evaluated for their impact on related local agencies. Disabled and Aged Regional Transit System $14,300 over six months to provide two pilot specialized bus services for seniors living in Dundas retirement residences. This transportation will enable them to gain access to healthy activities and learn to use public transit. Good Shepherd Non-Profit Homes Inc. $68,500 over one year to support the development of a social landscaping and lawn maintenance enterprise service that will provide work experience for people with mental health disabilities in Hamilton. Hamilton CED Network c/o Social Planning & Research Council of Hamilton $130,000 over two years to establish a community economic development network and launch a program that will encourage those with low incomes to start their own microenterprises. Hamilton Olympic Club $39,000 over one year to support the oldest track and field club in Canada and its activities by providing equipment, storage and co-ordination. Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra $140,000 over two years to increase community access to Hamilton's professional musicians by providing two pilot community concert series. The project will also offer greater employment opportunities for 35 orchestra members. Health Initiatives for Youth Society of Hamilton $45,000 over one year to provide support that will enable the organization to offer sexual health and educational workshops to youth aged 14 to 21 years in downtown Hamilton and generate revenue to sustain this programming. North End Breezes c/o North Hamilton Community Health Centre $10,000 over one year to continue volunteer and board development. This will help to ensure the North End Breezes newspaper continues to inform residents of low-income neighbourhoods in North Hamilton about services and programs in their area. Restorative Justice of Hamilton c/o John Howard Society of Hamilton, Burlington and Area $149,600 over two years to train 460 youth and family workers, school-liaison police officers and educational staff to help youth at risk use restorative justice as a mechanism to resolve conflicts. Urban Native Homes Incorporated $150,000 over two years for a co-ordinator and workshop facilitators. Assistance and support for the health and well-being of homeless and disabled Aboriginal seniors in downtown Hamilton will be provided as they relocate to 24 new housing units. Wellness Through Fitness Integration c/o Rygiel Supports for Community Living $48,000 over one year to promote and co-ordinate the Blossom Club, a fitness program for 100 women with disabilities on Hamilton Mountain. YWCA of Hamilton $10,300 over 2 years to assist in bringing the Beautiful Women Project exhibit and associated workshops to the Hamilton area in order to increase understanding, awareness and self-confidence about appropriate body images. Eighteen Community Groups in Hamilton and Area Receive More Than $1.1 Million in Grants Hamilton, December 3, 2007 - Community organizations in the Hamilton and area will benefit from grants recently ratified by the Board of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Ontario Minister of Culture Aileen Carroll noted that funding totalling $1,103,200 will help 18 organizations meet local needs in the arts and culture, environment, human and social services, and sports and recreation sectors.  “For 25 years, the Ontario Trillium Foundation has built healthy and vibrant communities, one community organization at a time,” said Minister Carroll. “Ontarians live better lives today because of the good things community organizations do in their communities.” OTF, through the work of the Hamilton Grant Review Team and its Chair Frank Passaro, is investing in the charitable and not-for-profit sector. This funding plays a tremendous role in financing improvements to community facilities and helping organizations build their capacity, train volunteers and expand their programs. In the Hamilton area, OTF grants make a difference. Hamilton Skating Club will receive $145,000 over three years to support a new Hamilton Skating Council that will co-ordinate figure skating for all seven local CanSkate clubs. More opportunities will be created for people to learn to skate, gain skills and improve fitness. Wayside House of Hamilton will be awarded $138,000 over two years to help men who have addictions and concurrent mental health disorders by hiring outreach workers who will provide counselling and arrange supportive housing.     OTF is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Its annual funding was boosted to $105 million from $100 million in 2007 and will be further increased to $120 million in 2009-2010. This enhanced funding has resulted in an increase to the maximum amount available for capital grants and the creation of a $2 million Future Fund, which will focus this year on strengthening the impact of organizations working on environmental issues. The Community grants listed below were ratified on November 1, 2007 713 Thunderbolt Squadron $22,000 over one year to purchase camping and rope climbing equipment that will promote safe physical activity and recreation for 86 air cadet youth from east Hamilton and Stoney Creek. Ancaster Minor Hockey League $28,700 over two years to equip 470 volunteer coaches with more training, information, resources and equipment, enabling over 1,000 children, youth and adults to safely play hockey. Arts Hamilton $9,000 over six months to develop a new Web space program, which will allow artists to expose their work on the Internet and help them reach a greater public audience. Carlisle United Church $30,000 to replace an aging boiler with an energy-efficient furnace. This will upgrade the community space and enhance the comfort of members of the Flamborough community. Character Development Collaborative c/o Zonta Clubs of Hamilton 2 $29,400 over one year to develop, produce and evaluate an interactive musical drama by and for youth. It will focus on the importance of positive character development for elementary, junior high and high school students in Hamilton. Circle of Friends for Seniors Project c/o Alzheimer Society of Hamilton and Halton $75,000 over two years to develop and pilot a new collaborative volunteer-based model of respite care services for seniors with memory impairments across organizations in Hamilton and Halton. (Another OTF grant will support this activity) Hamilton Artists Inc. $66,000 over three years to increase volunteerism and continue developing community-based arts programming that reflects the diversity in the community. Hamilton Camera Club c/o Hamilton Printmakers Arts Association $75,000 over one year to renovate the print studio’s second floor and install a digital lab facility for the club. The upgrades will increase opportunities for program development and allow more participants to work with new digital media. Hamilton Gymnastic Academy $63,000 over three years to establish and sustain an administrative staff position, which will ensure greater access to the facilities and increase recreational gymnastics programming for over 1,150 youth in Hamilton. Hamilton Program for Schizophrenia (HPS) Family Association $38,000 over one year to support the operation of the newly renovated Cottage Studio, which offers a consumer art program. Programming may then be increased to five days a week for community members living with schizophrenia. Hamilton Roots of Empathy Collaborative Committee c/o Affiliated Services for Children and Youth $99,400 over two years to increase the number of Aboriginal and Francophone school children involved in the Roots of Empathy program. This will help to reduce aggression, bullying and increase positive social attitudes. Hamilton Skating Council c/o Hamilton Skating Club $145,000 over three years to support a new Hamilton Skating Council that will co-ordinate figure skating for all seven local CanSkate clubs. More opportunities will be created for people to learn to skate, gain skills and improve fitness. Pied Piper Co-Operative Pre-School of Hamilton Inc. $5,000 over one year to purchase resource materials and recreational equipment in order to increase preschoolers’ and their parents’ knowledge of the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise. Protecting Mother Earth Elder Youth & Gathering c/o Niwasa Head Start PreSchool $150,000 over two years to promote Aboriginal culture by engaging Aboriginal youth in Hamilton through arts, recreational and learning activities. Native elders will be engaged as youth mentors. Sabawoon Outdoor Artists Market c/o Workers Arts & Heritage Centre $40,000 over one year for start-up costs and fees to establish an outdoor artist market in the waterfront area of Hamilton aimed at supporting immigrant artists who live in the city. Talent at Work Collaborative c/o St. Joseph Immigrant Women's Centre $74,900 over one year to pilot a program to equip 30 immigrant women in Hamilton with skills to communicate effectively in the workplace and find employment. Today's Family-Caring for Your Child $14,800 over one year for equipment, supplies and materials to create a teaching and community garden that will increase recreational opportunities for residents of Hamilton Mountain. Wayside House of Hamilton $138,000 over two years to help men who have addictions and concurrent mental health disorders by hiring outreach workers who will provide counselling and arrange supportive housing. Ratified by the Ontario Trillium Foundation Board of Directors on June 28, 2007 Bay Area Restoration Council of Hamilton and Halton Inc. $284,900 over four years to engage the community through outreach and education programs, encouraging citizen responsibility in protecting the streams and watershed that feed into Hamilton Harbour. Canadian International Tattoo Association Inc. $10,000 over one year to support the marketing of the tattoo, an annual tribute to military music and history, to audiences in Hamilton. Centre Français Hamilton Inc. $75,000 over one year to renovate the newly acquired Staircase Café. This new space will enable the organization to offer more and better activities to the Francophone community in its own space, under one roof. Children's International Learning Centre (Hamilton) $50,000 over one year to market and deliver interactive educational children's programming that focuses on embracing diversity in Hamilton. Collaborative Between Stewart Memorial Church and Jon C. Holland Institute for Leadership c/o Stewart Memorial Church $96,700 over two years to design and pilot a leadership, skill development and mentoring program for black youth and young adults in Hamilton. Conqueror II Drum and Bugle Corps $45,000 over one year to purchase a coach bus, which will be used to safely transport Hamilton-area children and instruments to competitions, performances and parades. Dofasco Hamilton Speed Skating Club $15,000 to purchase equipment for this speed skating club, which will enable them to provide improved and safer speed-skating programs for children, youth and adults in Hamilton. La Garderie Française de Hamilton Inc. opérant sous Le Ballon Rouge $30,000 over one year for a business plan to expand the daycare centre, so it can offer more space for Francophone children aged 18 to 30 months. Funding will also be used for French-language training for staff and purchasing equipment.  Hamilton Association for Residential and Recreational Redevelopment Programs $42,200 over one year for a community centre supervisor to co-ordinate the operations of the Jamesville Community Centre. Safe, accessible programming will then be better provided to help people reach their full potential in Hamilton's north end. Hamilton Chinese Community Services Centre $12,000 to organize Nature in My Heart, a summer craft, game and nature discovery program for children aged 4 to 8 years that uses a Chinese-cultural approach. Hamilton Hammerheads Athletic Club $15,000 over one year to recruit members, provide greater opportunities for training, and increase overall safety during the training and competition of young triathletes. The Malhar Group Music Circle of Ontario $10,000 over one year to pilot an educational, in-school music concert program in eight Hamilton schools featuring Indian classical music. Students will interact with musicians and instruments, gaining exposure to a new form of cultural expression. Neighbour to Neighbour Centre $35,000 over one year to purchase a new van to help the centre’s food bank transport food donations and other items for people living in poverty and the working poor on Hamilton Mountain. Robert Land Community Association $15,000 over one year to install a kitchen in the association’s community centre. Cooking classes will be provided for all ages, increasing nutrition knowledge and healthy eating in one of Hamilton’s poorest neighbourhoods. Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton $129,000 over two years to market and utilize a geographic information service. Data-mapping will then be possible, helping social and community-service organizations in Hamilton to more effectively plan their programs. Trinidad and Tobago Association of Hamilton-Wentworth $45,000 over three years to introduce a musical-literacy component to the association’s steel drum youth program, helping to enhance the skill level of musicians and promote Caribbean music to the Hamilton community. Under The Willows c/o Lynwood Hall Child and Family Centre $37,000 over one year to evaluate the effectiveness of a summer camp program for Hamilton children who have emotional and behavioural challenges. A gazebo and custom tenting will also be obtained to enable operations to continue in inclement weather. Westdale/St. Cuthbert's Collaborative c/o Westdale Children's School $11,200 over one year to create an interactive community garden for use by a local child-care program and many community groups in Hamilton. Winona Peach Festival $75,000 over one year to upgrade the electrical setting in the festival’s park location, improving its safety and allowing more organizations and groups from the Hamilton area to participate. Women Alive! Work Group c/o YWCA Hamilton $104,300 over two years for skills, equipment and child-care services to enhance the health and fitness of low-income women in Hamilton. This initiative will increase potential job opportunities for the group and reduce their isolation.