The Multicultural Council of Windsor & Essex County (MCC) has been awarded a $106,500 Resilient Communities Fund grant by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
With the funding the MCC created a new after school program for at-risk youth of diverse backgrounds. The program, for youths aged between seven and twelve, helps them learn new skills in a safe and nurturing environment.
Due to COVID-19, most youth have not been able to participate in any type of group activities in over two years.
Fred Francis, Executive Director, MCC says the after school program helps kids get back to being social through a number of initiatives.
"Homework club, self-esteem, self-confidence, nutrition, phsycial activity. So we're able to provide services and programs to at-risk youth in our community through that grant and through that funding. And let me tell you that made a huge difference to the kids in that group. It gave them something to do. It allowed them to make friends. It allowed them to socialize once again coming out of COVID."
He says this funding will help the MCC get back to normalcy after having to move all of their programs online during COVID.
"This funding allowed us to bring people back together and get back to a sense of in-person groups and services that we've been accustomed to and our clients have been accustomed to. So that funding really helped us get back to normal."
He says without this funding it would almost be impossible to provide the after school program for at-risk youth.
"We usually do a good job of finding things and making it work but when you receive funding in the amount of $106,500 from the Trillium Foundation, that certainly makes your job a lot easier. And it allows you to have a lot more resources to fulfill your ideas and fulfill the programs and services you know will help impact peoples lives and in this case the youth."
The OTF, an agency of the Government of Ontario, has for over 40 years invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships.
-With files from AM800's Rob Hindi