NEWS AND EVENTS
2024 Community Grants Awarded
In January, PDCF awarded $146,619 in Community Grants to 23 local non-profit organizations. Recipients applied for the grants through the PDCF website last Fall. Every year, applications open in September and close on October 31st. We had more applications this year than we ever had, demonstrating that, more than ever before, there is great need for community support.
If you would like to help community organizations and projects like the ones below, please click the button below to donate to the PDCF Community Foundation Builders Fund.
Congratulations to the 2024 PDCF Community Grant Recipients! Click on the name of each organization below to read a brief description of what they plan on doing with their grant.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County in collaboration with Queer Connection Lanark (QCL) will develop an interactive 2SLGBTQIA+ resource and education kit that provides inclusion training for youth and service providers in a rural setting.
Climate Network Lanark (CNL) will provide two sets of education and networking forums about electrifying homes and buildings to help decrease green-house gas emissions. See below for more about CNL in our Community Builders feature.
The ConnectWell Therapeutic Riding Program will purchase new helmets for participants in the riding program.
The Friends of the Smith Falls and District Library will provide a permanent mobile Patient Pastime Library for patients at both locations of the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital.
The Lanark and District Museum will replace the two sash windows at the front of the museum to help with climate control and the preservation of historic documents and artifacts.
The Lanark County Basic Income Network (LBIN) will develop a number of tools, including a website and printed materials, to educate people about the principles of basic income and its benefits.
Lanark County Community Justice (LCCJ) will provide Triple P Parenting of Teens and Pre-teens Education Sessions for parents, caregivers, and legal guardians who are struggling to support the teenager in their lives.
Lanark County Interval House (LCIH) will initiate public conversations on domestic violence by holding a series of targeted presentations to youth and adult community groups and organizations.
The Lanark Highlands Public Library will expand its “Library of Things” and “Experience” collections by acquiring active lifestyle, crafting, and educational items.
The Middleville Museum will provide educational workshops on a range of subjects such as the Hopetown Telephone Company, the museum’s photographic collection, genealogy, and the medicinal use of native plants.
Parkinson’s Community Network (PCN) will increase the awareness of health professionals about the support services available in the community for people with Parkinson’s or their care provider.
PEP (Perth Enrichment Program Seniors Therapeutic Centre) will (1) maintain/enhance the mobility and flexibility of seniors by providing all PEP clients with physiotherapy assessments four times per year, and (2) expand its range of offerings to include Golden Games Afternoon and Music in Movement programs.
Planet Youth Lanark County will hold youth engagement forums in Perth, Tay Valley, Lanark Highlands, and Drummond-North Elmsley to encourage youth to come together to share their views, and amplify their voices to inform and influence decision-makers. This is a critical step in a process with the organization’s goal of improving health and reducing/preventing substance abuse among youth
Queer Connection Lanark and the Perth and District Union Library will host a speakers series in a variety of locations to demystify the 2SLGBTQI+ culture and community, provide vital information, and create a sense of connection, belonging and understanding among communities.
The South Lanark Community Garden (SLCG) will purchase a walk-behind garden tiller to increase the seasonal vegetable yield. The vegetables will be consumed by the community and shared with the Table Community Food Centre.
The Stewart Park Festival received a grant to support the 2024 Stewart Park Festival.
The Hospice Hub (THH), a newly-formed non-profit, will build its volunteer and staff workforce, develop its communications and financial strategies, set up its social and online infrastructure, and start to offer hospice home support.
The Listening Room Concert Series will purchase a portable sound system to eliminate the need to rent a sound system. This will increase the proceeds from concerts that are donated to various local non-profit organizations working in the community.
The Table Community Food Centre will expand gardening opportunities for the community by installing ten new raised garden beds in community gardens and school yards, and improve knowledge and confidence with gardening by developing and offering workshops on key garden topics. A special emphasis will be placed on creating accessible, senior-friendly garden beds.
Watersheds Canada, which is based in Perth, will provide a multi-faceted educational project for community members to learn about and act on the negative effects of road salt on freshwater.
YAK Youth Services (formerly the Youth Action Kommittee of Perth and District) will use their grant to offer weekly one-on-one counseling sessions and regular workshops for local young people free of charge. This project, which is being undertaken in partnership with Open Doors for Lanark Children and Youth, will be especially helpful to youth aged 11-18 years from marginalized or underserved communities, such as LGBTQ2S+ youth, youth with learning or developmental disabilities, and youth from low-income families.