Community organizations in Forty Mile Region receive grants from Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta

Posted on July 6, 2024 by 40 Mile Commentator

By Heather Cameron
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Different community organizations in the County of Forty Mile region recently received grants from Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta.

“Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta (CFSEA) distributed over $466,000 through all their granting initiatives this spring,” said Helene Nicholson, Regional Development Coordinator for the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta, in a press release. “Of that amount, $7,376 was distributed in the County of Forty Mile at the Community Grant Presentation on June 6, 2024, held at Senator Gershaw School.”

Nicholson says that the recipients included Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Michael’s Church, which received $1,626 for a new AED machine and North 40 Mile Recreation Society, which received $2,150 for Summer Games t-shirts. The event, Nicholson stated, also consisted of impact stories from donors and past recipients as well as the distribution of Youth in Philanthropy Grants.

“Youth in Philanthropy (YiP) is a CFSEA program designed to introduce motivated young people to philanthropy and local community development,” said Nicholson. “The program gives students hands-on experience working as a team and with local charitable organizations to help the community thrive. Students and youth groups form a YiP committee in January, research their community’s greatest needs over the next few months, and connect with local charities that address those needs.

By June the program wraps up with the students presenting a cheque to the charity they selected. Through the YiP program, students are engaged and empowered to contribute and support their community.

According to a press release shared by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta shared by Nicholson, three groups in the County of Forty Mile participated in the Youth in Philanthropy program, giving $1,200 to a charity of their choice: Senator Gershaw School donated $1,200 to Nurture Pregnancy Centre for their greatest needs; St. Michael’s School donated $1,200 to Medicine Hat and District Women’s Shelter for their greatest needs; and Shortgrass 4-H Club donated $1,200 to Foremost Evangelical Fre Church for their summer camp program.

The next Community Grant cycle, Nicholson says, will open to applications in early August 2024 and will open with a virtual workshop at noon on August 8, 2024. For more information or to apply to join the Youth in Philanthropy Program, contact CFSEA by calling 403.527.9038 or emailing grants@cfsea.ca or by visiting http://www.cfsea.ca.

“Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta is a registered charity that creates meaningful connections between donors and local charities for the permanent benefit of Southeastern Alberta,” said Nicholson.