“The Great Grants Awards recognize the vision, commitment and energy of Ontario’s volunteers and their community organizations,” said Lindsay Williams, OTF Grant Review Team Chair for Halton-Peel. “This is our 25th year of strengthening communities and we’re marking the occasion by holding 16 award events across the province. We look forward to celebrating with our fellow community members who make Halton and Peel such a dynamic and vibrant place to live.”

The Foundation presents the Great Grants Awards every two years. The award winners were selected by volunteers who serve on the local Grant Review Team. In Halton-Peel, six organizations were chosen for their outstanding achievements in the Arts and Culture, Sports and Recreation, Environment and Human and Social Services sectors.

2007 Great Grants Award Winners:  Halton-Peel

• Arts and Culture:
Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton 

Understanding Canadian history isn’t just about reciting facts and dates; it’s about appreciating the struggles and triumphs of diverse peoples. With the help of a three year OTF grant of $102,800 in 2005, the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton brings black history alive.

CCAH works closely with the Halton District School Board and the Halton Catholic School Board to engage students in a meaningful experience of black history. Through theatre, workshops with artists and a speaker series, students connect with history on an emotional level and learn about their own country in a memorable way. In 2006-2007, the program reached 4,500 students, teachers and school support staff. This year, the official Black History Month Celebration was standing room only. CCAH is dedicated to maintaining its four pillars: education, culture, community and harmony.

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• Sports and Recreation:
Action Sports Coalition
 
There’s no denying it – skateboarding and BMX riding are cool sports. A group of young sports enthusiasts in Mississauga knew it, and in 2003 got a small start-up grant from OTF to build the Action Sports Coalition. Shortly afterward, their membership grew from 100 to 612 people. 

In 2005, the young hipsters were granted an additional $72,700 over three years to establish a year-round program and launch their first ever action summer sports camp. After the tragic death of a friend during a BMX outing at an unsupervised construction site, the Coalition made safety a top priority.  Group leaders worked with city staff to ensure that the new BMX and skateboard facilities would not only be fun, but provide maximum safety. Instructors supervised kids and youth as they practiced their “ollies” and “bunny hops”.  Volunteers help to run skate jams and competitions, which always creates a buzz in the community.

Thanks to the Coalition and OTF, kids who love high energy action sports can “table top” and “tweak” in a space that is heaven sent.

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• Environment:
Willow Park Ecology Centre c/o Rotary Club of Georgetown

In 1997, when a group of local volunteers imagined a neglected trailer park as an environmental paradise on the banks of the Credit River, OTF helped make their dream come true. With two grants in 2000 and 2003 totalling $265,400, the Willow Park Ecology Centre took root.

The first grant helped the ambitious group transform a “wasteland” into a natural habitat, featuring a wetland meadow, butterfly garden walkways, and interpretive gardens. The second grant helped start an ecological- based education and outreach program as well as support the Centre’s operations. Its “Laugh and Learn” series of workshops engage community members through hands-on demonstrations and involvement. In its short history, the park has had over 10,000 visitors.

This little pocket of paradise continues to inform and delight all who visit.

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• Human and Social Services:
Peer Outreach Support Services & Education (POSSE) Collaborative

With the help of a three-year $224,600 OTF grant in 2004, Peer Outreach Support Services & Education (POSSE) aims to reduce the risk to youth of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and overdoses. Run by youth for youth between the ages of 15 and 24, POSSE connects with youth on the street, providing referrals and support. It also connects them to shelters or other emergency services. The program has empowered youth to get involved in the community and care for their peers. Through training from professionals, outreach and a POSSE magazine, they can support and offer non-judgmental information to youth, while helping them to make positive choices for themselves. Being able to talk to volunteers about drug use can be the beginning of making positive choices. POSSE helps youth address their own substance use, violence, abuse, racism, or homophobia with courage.

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• Grant Review Team Chair’s Award - for exemplary volunteerism:
Caledon Countryside Alliance

The volunteers of the Caledon Countryside Alliance (CCA) believe that their countryside is a permanent feature, instead of land waiting to be developed.  With OTF on its side, CCA continues to protect its rural roots.  The Foundation provided grants in 2001 and 2005 to totaling $419,800, to implement its "ecological footprint" initiative.  Residents, local groups and institutions were encouraged to take action to reduce waste and conduct sustainable practices.  Through projects like the Weedgee Kidz Organic Lawn Care Program and the Buy Local Guide for the Headwaters region, CCA involved the community in activities that emphasized the importance of nature conservation and rural life.  Run with passion and determination, CCA's initiatives were instrumental in Caledon winning the Greenest Town Award in 2003 and an Environment Award in the Grassroots Category from the Rural Ontario Award Program in 2002.  CCA can now add the GRT Chair's Great Grants Award 2007 to the mantle.

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• 25th Anniversary Award - for remaining a leader in the not-for profit or charitable sector by consistently delivering on the Foundation’s granting priorities:
ErinoakKids

In 1971, a group of parents formed an association to advocate for children with disabilities.  Today, ErinoakKids is the province’s largest not-for profit accredited treatment facility providing clinical services and family support to children and youth with multiple disabilities living in Halton and Peel regions. OTF wanted to help youth make a good start in life and, in 2005, gave a five-year $375,000 grant to assist ErinoakKids clients make this transition.

Over 300 families received or are receiving support. Help with health care knowledge, household and money management and education planning enable clients and their families make informed choices. Some clients have gone on to attend university, volunteer in the community, obtain part time jobs and live independently.  A portion of the grant also went into a drama program in collaboration with Cawthra Park Secondary School.  All ErinoakKids clients graduate cum laude with the Foundation!