Over $790,000 is being given out by the Prince George & Region Community Prosperity Fund this year and some of those funds are coming to 100 Mile House.
The fund consists of a $25-million investment by the government of British Columbia and is designed to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion. While it is administered by the Prince George Community Foundation, during intake in late 2024 the South Cariboo Community Enhancement Foundation's president Lisa De Paoli encouraged local non-profits to apply for the grants. De Paoli said she is happy that three local organizations will be receiving a combined total of just under $50,000.
"We are very pleased to have worked with the Prince George Foundation to review and recommend applications from the South Cariboo. Applicants who were not successful are encouraged to apply to the South Cariboo Community Enhancement Foundation for funding," De Paoli said. "We appreciate the work of the Prince George Foundation and the Government of B.C. who has brought $49,500 to South Cariboo organizations supporting the health and well-being of our community."
The 100 Mile House recipients include the 100 Mile Pride Society which will receive $4,500, the Canadian Mental Health Association South Cariboo Branch which will receive $25,000 and the Cariboo Elders Building & Recreational Society which will receive $20,000.
De Paoli said she is happy this money is going to groups that are doing "such great work in the community."
Saturn Zezza, the 100 Mile Pride Society's founder and treasurer, said the Pride Society is very grateful to have been chosen to receive these funds. Zezza noted they applied for $4,500 which will go primarily towards funding their 100 Mile House Rainbow Visibility Initiative. This initiative includes the installation of pride-themed street banners the society has partnered with the District of 100 Mile House on to set up in June and July each year.
"$3,500 to go towards the banners and $1,000 to go towards community events like Pride," Zezza explained. "The banners are purchased and paid for, awaiting installation at the district office. Pride 2025 planning is underway!"
Meanwhile, the CMHA plans to use their $25,000 to support senior's poverty reduction in the South Cariboo. Kristin Buxton, the CMHA South Cariboo Branch's community engagement coordinator, said they will be using this money to fund a new program called the Assistance to Senors In Need program.
"This one is really important to us. What we're doing is we've started a new senior's assistance program which is going to be absolutely fantastic," Buxton said. "What we were finding is that seniors who are 65 years and over don't have access to resources while seniors who are 65 and younger can go to the ministry and ask for crisis supplements and food supplements. Once you hit 65 everything up and stops, so the program we started is going to be primarily for seniors 65 and over."
Buxton said seniors 65 and older in need of emergency assistance that their monthly pension can't cover can come to South Cariboo CMHA to get $50 grocery gift cards, $25 gas cards, food or money to buy prescription medication. She added they will be accepting referrals from the 100 Mile House RCMP, Emergency Health Services, 100 Mile Fire Rescue, community partners or individual recommendations.
CMHA plans to stretch the money out over the next three years to fund the program. She encourages any senior in need of some extra support or anyone who knows a senior who needs this support to reach out to CMHA at 250-395-4883.
"We're a non-profit so if it wasn't for funding we wouldn't be able to offer these programs, so we're very appreciative of (the funding)," Buxton remarked.
Finally, the Cariboo Elders Building & Recreational Society, which runs the Creekside Seniors Centre, plans to use their $20,000 to replace the centre's ageing heating and air condition equipment. Elaine Saunders, the society's grant writer and a director at large, said the furnaces they are replacing have been there since Creekside Seniors Centre was built over 30 years ago.
"There are three furnaces, one to heat the main hall, one to heat the office and one for the basement. We're pretty happy," Saunders said. "The new furnaces are ordered, they're here and they're going to be installed very quickly."
Saunders explained the society was informed back in January they were going to be receiving the grant, which gave them time to order the furnaces. Now that the snow has largely melted in 100 Mile House, she said they can move ahead with installation once the contractor they've hired is ready.
"These are the original furnaces so they were in dire need of replacing," Saunders remarked with a chuckle.
Each non-profit has up to three years to use the funding to pay for their declared projects. In their release announcing the distribution of the funds, the Prince George Community Foundation noted the fund supports essential non-profits that serve communities across the region.
“Over the past few years, British Columbians continue to showcase resilience, innovation, and tenacity as they face new challenges. Community service groups across the province are playing a pivotal role in supporting communities,” said Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development and Non-profits Megan Dykeman. “Myself and Premier David Eby are elated to announce $60 million in funding to not-for-profits, and we thank local community foundations who have supported the funding’s distribution.”
Anyone looking to apply for funding from the South Cariboo Community Enhancement Foundation or to find out about potential grants is invited to check out sccef.org.
