jeff | Jan 13, 2016


Just before Christmas, the Community Foundation of Kingston and Area (CFKA) announced they were awarding a record $251,000 in grants to support 23 different programs.

Of those, 21 were located within the City of Kingston and two in Frontenac County.

The largest grant in Frontenac County was a $21,702 grant to Southern Frontenac Community Services.

In announcing the grant, the foundation described the organization's scope: “Southern Frontenac Community Services will purchase, move and retrofit three former school portables to its new Grace Centre site in Sydenham, Ontario, allowing the organization to reduce costs associated with operating two sites, increasing organizational efficiency, providing better networking and shared services with other agencies cohabitating in the facility, increasing the community profile of the organization, and ultimately, providing more and better health and social services to seniors, at-risk and low-income families in need.”

The second grant in Frontenac County went to Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS), which is facing an aging vehicle problem.

The CFKA granted NFCS $7,500 to help them purchase a used vehicle.

“This capital request for funding for a replacement vehicle will provide outreach playgroups and youth recreation programs to residents of the many small hamlets and villages throughout Frontenac County. This service will ensure that rural children and youth have access to local programs where they have opportunities to play and socialize together, attend special events and build social networks,” said the foundation in announcing the grant.

The grant from the Community Foundation is not the only one that NFCS has received for vehicle replacement.

Early this week it was announced that NFCS has received a $45,000 grant from the Trillium Foundation for a new vehicle to be used by staff serving seniors, adults, youth and children who use the services of the agency, which prides itself on providing 'cradle to grave service' in North, Central and parts of South Frontenac. Its youth programs are delivered throughout the County.

NFCS staff travel 5750 kilometres a month throughout the 3150 square kilometre County.

“With this grant we will be able to replace one of the aging 2006 vans that we have. We will be purchasing a seven-seat van so we will be able to transport clients as well as staff. The van may also enable us to enhance the services offered by Frontenac Transportation Service, which is one of our programs,” said Louise Moody, executive director of NFCS.

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