Community Living gets Trillium grant

ESSEX COUNTY — In 2021, Community Living Essex County received a $150,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

With these funds, the agency engaged consultants who helped transition learnings from the global pandemic and re-imagine the organization’s services to safely meet the individual needs of the people with intellectual disabilities.

“I would like to thank the Ontario Trillium Foundation for the awarding of this grant,” said Essex MPP Taras Natyshak. “There is perhaps no other organization in Essex County that does so much great and important work as Community Living Essex County. This investment will directly benefit the programs and services that enrich the lives of our residents. Thank you for your continued investment in our community.”

As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, safety concerns were identified in congregate/group settings. This investment by OTF has allowed Community Living Essex County to reimagine its Community Participation Supports and introduce the agency’s Be You, Belong! approach to service delivery. The agency’s services are now more individualized, shifting away from traditional congregate settings and towards authentic belonging in one’s own community.

“We are so very fortunate to have been awarded a Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation,” said Karen Bolger, Executive Director of Community Living Essex County. “Although the impact of COVID-19 remains, OTF funding has enabled the agency to establish our path forward. We can deliver Community Participation Supports that focus on inclusion and belonging,ultimately empowering self-direction and skill development as each person builds the life they want. I am grateful to OTF because, through extensive training, our workforce is equipped to explore new opportunities to respond to each person’s diverse needs and abilities.”

Community Living Essex County provides quality supports to 700+ children, youth and adults with an intellectual disability to live, work and participate fully in their community. Visit communitylivingessex. org to learn more.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112-million was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector.