AUGUST 17, 2023, RED DEER – Today, United Way Central Alberta (UWCA) is pleased to announce over $1 million in funding to support 22 projects in Central Alberta through the Government of Canada’s Community Services Recovery Fund. The Community Services Recovery Fund is a one-time investment of $400 million to help community service organizations (charities, non-profits, Indigenous governing bodies) adapt, modernize, and be better equipped to improve the efficacy, accessibility, and sustainability of the community services that they provide though the pandemic recovery and beyond.  

The following projects are being supported within Central Alberta: 

• $63,000 was invested to fund Bashaw and District Support Services Association towards a regional wellness initiative; 
• $59,609 was invested to fund Boys and Girls Club of Olds and Area towards a Youth and Parental Supports Pilot Project; 
• $75,704 was invested to fund Boys and Girls Club of Red Deer towards program service innovation; 
• $52,000 was invested to fund Camrose Adult Learning Council towards Immersive Technologies; 
• $62,552 was invested to fund Camrose Association for Community Living towards Next Level Wellness; 
• $36,286 was invested to fund Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta East Central Region 2000 towards Recovery College technology; 
• $9,621 was invested to fund Carstairs Public Library towards permanent adaptions; 
• $89,638 was invested to fund Central Alberta Immigrant Women’s Association to transform program delivery; 
• $41,320 was invested to fund Drumheller Community Learning Society towards Empowering Youth; 
• $47,000 was invested to fund Family Violence Action Society: Camrose and District towards infrastructure design; 
• $14,000 was invested to fund Friends to the Drayton Valley Library Society towards a children, family, and youth space; 
• $9,036 was invested to fund Mary C Moore Public Library towards Kinsmen Program Room Makerspace; 
• $76,230 was invested to fund Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter Association towards West Central Community Connections; 
• $16,135 was invested to fund Ponoka Youth Centre towards mental health support;  
• $9,714 was invested to fund Red Deer Public Library towards their Youth and Literacy Program; 
• $98,112 was invested to fund Rocky Primary Counselling Centre of Alberta towards mental health; 
• $98,083 was invested to fund Shalom Counselling Centre of Alberta towards healthy families; 
• $21,296 was invested to fund Stettler Community Support Centre towards community outreach; 
• $81,600 was invested to fund Stettler Information and Referral Centre towards Stettler Circle of Services innovation and expansion; 
• $10,757 was invested to fund The Lord’s Food Bank towards hot meal program revitalization; 
• $40,337 was invested to fund Ubuntu-Mobilizing Central Alberta towards Collective Alberta-Project; and 
• $85,970 Was invested to fund Wetaskiwin & District Association for Community Services towards re-building community and personal engagement. 

Community service organizations are at the forefront of addressing communities’ needs. Since the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have struggled with increased demand for their services, reduced revenues, declines in charitable giving due to the rising cost of living, and a greater need to make use of digital tools. Many organizations are struggling to recover and adapt their services to the changing needs of Central Alberta. 

For more information, visit the Community Services Recovery Fund website. For more information on United Way Central Alberta, you can visit our website or contact us at info@caunitedway.ca or 403.343.3900. 

Quotes: 

“The value United Way Central Alberta adds as a locally governed and operated funder is that we have the trusted systems in place to identify local needs and ensure dollars are invested where they are needed most. United Way Central Alberta is proud to have worked with the Government of Canada and United Way Centraide Canada as part of the Community Services Recovery Fund” – United Way Central Alberta CEO, Chelsea O’Donoghue. 

“The projects supported by the Government of Canada through the Community Services Recovery Fund demonstrate that we are a caring and compassionate society that values the well-being of all its members. It is heartening to see the compassion and empathy of our citizens as they give back to those in need. Projects like those listed are a testament to the power of our collective action and our ability to come together to make a positive difference in the world. I am confident that together we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in Central Alberta” – Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Quick Facts: 

• The Community Services Recovery Fund is a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support community service organizations, including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies, as they adapt their organizations for pandemic recovery. 
• Now more than ever, community service organizations play a key role in addressing complex social problems faced by many communities across Canada. 
• From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, community service organizations across Canada have shown impressive stamina and creativity in their response to the diverse and increasingly challenging needs of their communities. 
• The Community Services Recovery Fund responds to what community service organizations need right now and supports them as they adapt to the long-term impacts of the pandemic. 
• As community service organizations across Canada work to support recovery in their communities, the CSRF will help them adapt and modernize their operations to grow their impact. 
• The Government of Canada is delivering the CSRF through three National Funders (Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, United Way Centraide Canada). The National Funders are distributing funding to eligible community service organizations, including charities, non-profits, and Indigenous governing bodies, providing services in communities across Canada. 
• The Government of Canada supports a more inclusive model of economic growth, one that creates opportunities for everyone in Canada, as the long-term recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continue. 

Associated Links: 

Community Services Recovery Fund Website 

About the Community Services Recovery Fund (ESDC) 

For media enquiries, please contact: 

Chelsea O’Donoghue, UWCA Chief Executive Officer 

403.347.0513 or email: Chelsea.odonoghue@caunitedway.ca