The Community Foundation of Central Alberta (CFCAB) gave out grants to three Sylvan Lake organizations.
Sylvan Lake and Area Community Partners, the Sylvan Lake Seniors Lodge Foundation, and the Sylvan Lake Municipal Library were received the grants on April 9.
The grants distributed in Sylvan Lake were part of the CFCAB's Neighbourhood Grants opportunity through the organization's 35th anniversary community tour, CFCAB Executive Director Erin Peden said.
"Local charitable agencies were encouraged to apply for grants between $500 to $1500 to support programming or operational costs."
For the 35th anniversary community tour, the CFCAB committed $35,000 to support ten rural communities within the organization's catchment area.
"While we were enthusiastic about providing financial resources to grassroots agencies, we were most excited about the opportunities to talk about what is happening in each one of those communities," Peden said.
"We learn a lot through the grant applications we receive every year, but there is nothing more educational than face-to-face conversations about a community's social infrastructure."
Nobody knows more about what a community needs than the community itself, Peden said.
"Sylvan Lake has a fund through the Community Foundation called the Sylvan Lake Community Endowment Fund. Each year, there is grant revenue for charities specific to Sylvan Lake to access."
The organizations receiving those grants are determined by a committee of community members who assess the applications relevant to Sylvan Lake's needs, she added.
"If residents are looking for a way to make a lasting impact on the well-being of their community, the Sylvan Lake Community Endowment Fund is an excellent way to ensure their donation has a long-term impact and stays within the community."
During the tour, the full list of communities awarded through CFCAB's Smart and Caring Communities Fund (marking the organization's 35th Anniversary) included:
- Rocky Mountain House: Mountain Rose Women's Shelter Association received $1,100 to go towards the organization's 'Stop the Violence' Community Awareness project
- Rocky Mountain House: Rocky Mountain House West Country Family Service Association received $1,350 to go towards the organization's Meals-on-Wheels program
- Rocky Mountain House: Rocky Mountain Reunion Historical Society received $1,050 to go towards the organization's live music for their pancake breakfast
- Penhold: Penhold School Parent Council received $2,190 to go towards the Penhold Waskasoo Middle School's accessible playground
- Penhold: Penhold and District Library received $840 to go towards purchasing a projector and screen
- Penhold: Penhold Museum received $1,300 to go towards the organization's Penhold Base Exhibit
- Penhold" Penhold Volunteer Fire Department received $770 to go towards the purchase of flash hoods
- Sylvan Lake: Sylvan Lake Community Partners received $1,000 to go towards the Taxi Program
- Sylvan Lake: Sylvan Lake Municipal Library received $1,000 to go towards the Library's Community Garden
- Sylvan Lake: Sylvan Lake Lodge Foundation received $1,500 to go towards the Memorial Petunia Tree Garden
- Big Valley: The Drop-in Centre received $3,000 to go towards the countertops and backsplash
- Elnora: Elnora and District Agricultural Society received $1,900 to go towards the Community Engagement and Corn Hole Tournament
- Elnora: Elnora District Museum received $1,600 to go towards flooring
- Blackfalds: Anam Rural Youth Association received $1,000 to go towards program fees
- Blackfalds: Blackfalds Library received $1,000 to go towards the Library's Snacks in the Stacks program
- Lacombe: Ellis Bird Farm received $1,850 to go towards the Indigenous Garden Cultural Event or Installation
- Lacombe: Lacombe Family Community Support Services received $1,850 to go towards the Backyard Friends Community Dinner
- Innisfail: Innisfail Band Parents' Association received $1,500 for the Band Program Wish List
- Innisfail: Friends of the Innisfail Library received $1,500 to go towards the Library's Snacks in the Stacks program
- Olds: Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society received $1,850 to go towards the Teen Club and Kristen's Place
- Olds: Olds Boys and Girls Club (Mountain View Moccasin House Society) received $1,500 to go towards the Indigenous Culture Day for the Boys and Girls Club
- Stettler: Boys and Girls Club - Heartland Youth Centre received $2,000 to go towards general project funding
- Stettler: Stettler Community Support Centre received $2,000 to go towards the Community Capacity Building
- Stettler: Stettler and District Handibus Society received $5,000 to go towards the installation of a winch for wheelchair loading
- Stettler: Home Support Stettler and District Association received $2,000 to go towards the organization's Meals-on-Wheels program
"Stettler received an additional $6,650 thanks to a legacy donation received from a long-time Stettler resident last year," Peden said.
Throughout the year, the CFCAB has several grant opportunities that anyone can explore on the CFCAB website, rddcf.ca/grants/.
"We are always looking to connect with both residents who want to know how to make their donation really work for their community, and agencies that are doing the boots-on-the-ground work to make their community a healthy, thriving place to call home," Peden said.
Individuals are welcome to call the CFCAB at any time at 403-391-3368.
