NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT COMMUNITY SERVICES
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CONTACT Community Services is thrilled to share with the communities of south Simcoe the difference they have made in helping their neighbours, friends and sometimes even family, by donating to CONTACT Community Services’ Community Hope Chest.
The Community Hope Chest initiative was launched almost a year ago, August, under the portfolio of Brenda Pufek, engagement and development officer, and is a key priority for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
“It struck me that the government funding available can be very limiting. With community dollars, we have been able to fully support the stability of community members with financial support that ‘doesn’t fit into a box,’” states Pufek.
Thanks to the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation through a Resilient Communities Grant last year, CONTACT Community Services was able to hire this position to capitalize on virtual forums to increase community awareness of the work of the organization and generate needed dollars through initiatives such as the Home for the Holidays online auction. This initiative alone brought in over $16,000. The funds are earmarked to assist low-income households and families.
“I was late on bills, specifically phone and cable — one of which is essential for communication. Any leftover funds, I used for food. It was an easy process and it provided much-needed support. It allowed me to get caught up on bills and get back on track. Thank you, CONTACT staff,” shares one recipient.
CONTACT’s executive director, Emily McIntosh, notes the necessity of this element of service.
“The team brought to my attention that we had new housing all set up for someone, but the landlord required last month’s rent before move-in. Although the person qualified for regional financial support, they were waiting for this money to be processed. Instead of losing the unit, CONTACT created an agreement with the landlord to secure the difference in the interim. This flexible financial support was the difference between this person having a place to call home, instead of experiencing homelessness. We owe the difference we make in the lives of clients to the generosity of the communities in which we work.”
The community-funded Community Hope Chest has assisted over 60 community members to date. It allows CONTACT Community Services to continue to assist low-income households and families to manage emergency needs and unexpected expenses when all other options for sources of assistance are exhausted. The Community Hope Chest helps people in need access food, prescriptions, eyewear, transportation assistance to go to a job interview, translation services, housing viewings, or appointments, and any number of other critical needs that are necessary to maintain their housing and physical and emotional well-being.
The Community Hope Chest is an ongoing initiative of CONTACT Community Services that will continue to raise funds to support our friends and neighbours as they struggle to make it through this extremely challenging economic period, where so many costs, including housing, continue to rise unabated.
Making a donation to CONTACT’s Community Hope Chest or other initiatives couldn’t be easier. Donations can be made in person at CONTACT’s offices, by e-transfer to [email protected] or online at Donate Now — CONTACT Community Services. All funds stay local to the communities of south Simcoe. We gratefully thank the larger community for its continued support of our work, recognizing that crisis does not discriminate. These funds are integral to providing the stability necessary to obtain an improved quality of life for individuals and families in our communities.
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