COVID-19 – Emergency Community Support Funding
The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unpredictable and challenging time, with some communities experiencing higher levels of vulnerability than others. Marginalized groups, youth, children and the elderly, essential workers, and newcomers are just some of the communities that have faced increased challenges.
WRCF is proud to have partnered with Community Foundations of Canada and the Government of Canada to deliver the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) in Waterloo Region.
In our community, Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF), and United Way Waterloo Region Communities (UWWRC) collaborated on this initiative. We jointly created a Committee including volunteers and reviewed applications to ensure we coordinated and aligned funding to flow ECSF support to those organizations who needed it most.
The organizations supported by the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) are on the ground and making a difference in communities. Here are three examples of how local funding made a difference in Waterloo Region.
Teens and their caregivers: responding to increased conflict during COVID-19
Tension and conflict can arise when people stay in close proximity for long periods of time with little to no relief. This is evident in families that were forced to be together as a result of lockdown restrictions. So, it was no surprise that Community Justice Initiatives saw an increase in self and community referrals for their caregiver/parent and teen service – services that assist in building skills to better manage conflict, nurture understanding, and build stronger relationships.
The organization needed to increase staff capacity in order to keep up with increase in demand. The impact of the funding received through the ECSF was profound according to Julie Friesen.
“The grant allowed us to shift to online and telephone engagement with teens and their caregivers. We were able to support 137 teens and their caregivers in one to one coaching sessions, 4 group coaching sessions, and 45 mediations,” she said.
The services are mobile and are able to meet caregivers and teens at a location of their preference. The facilitator then walks with the participants and discusses what needs to be shared, skills that need to be practiced, and techniques to improve dialogue.
Conflict resolution is a learned skill that needs to be. With the potential for ongoing waves in the pandemic, restrictions may continue to force more family time, and the skills that this service offers will continue to be in demand and will be necessary for all caregivers/parents and teens to learn.
Home is not a safe place for everyone
One of the many results of the pandemic is youth voicing experiences of going "back into the closet". In-person support is usually available to these vulnerable youth at school or in community centres, but the pandemic left many stranded, while remote learning and recreation was in place.
KW Counselling Services provided a solution for LGBTQ2+ youth by moving to a virtual counselling and connecting program, in order to offer ongoing assistance.
“Through our OK2BME program, we have been providing counselling services for LGBTQ2+ youth for 15 years. During the lockdown phases of the pandemic, we saw the demand for these services rise, as youth sheltered at home, where in many cases it was not safe for them to be out – and they couldn’t get in-person support through their school or community centre,” explained Rebecca Webb of KW Counselling Services. “The ECSF funding allowed us to support LGBTQ2+ youth with individual counselling supports. We provided 367 counselling sessions as a result of this grant.
“During this pandemic, we know that both young people and the LGBTQ2+ community have been disproportionately and severely impacted by the pandemic in terms of their mental health outcomes and experience of loneliness and isolation,” stated Webb. “With low income being a barrier to accessing proper mental health support, the OK2BEME program offers a welcome relief for members of the LGBTQ2+ in our community.”
Supportive Housing of Waterloo - Stay Healthy, Stay Social
Being social and connecting with other people is a core human need.
“Throughout the first few waves of the pandemic, there were seniors and low income residents within our community with virtually no services or assistance. Supportive Housing of Waterloo (SHOW) was inundated with requests for supports of all kinds.” said Gael Gilbert of Supportive Housing of Waterloo.
Social isolation became an increasingly critical issue. SHOW responded by applying for a grant through ECSF to develop and launch a new project to improve health, decrease loneliness and improve community connections with the populations they serve; seniors and elders not in care, as well, people with low income or living in poverty. The solution included physical activities delivered via online support, or through outdoor classes on site and in large spaces.
“Although it took time and persistence, we began to see a core group of participants in each of the scheduled activities. Individuals began to form bonds with other participants, and instructors could see the confidence in each participant growing with each activity they participated with.” added Gilbert. “We made sure to follow public health recommendations and were able to achieve our goals of improving health, decreasing loneliness and furthering community connections.”
There were some other positive unintended consequences as well.
“For many, their ability to navigate technology also improved. By providing tablets to participants they were taught how to attend virtual events as well as how to navigate their emails,” Gilbert mentioned. “We were able to teach them how to access local news, look up recipes, and listen to music. SHOW staff were able to make dozens of health referrals for participants to doctors, social workers, dentists, and other non-emergency medical services that they otherwise may have not had access to.”
SHOW’s Donor Engagement Coordinator, Leigh-Ann Christian, stated “With the funding provided by WRCF, we were able to connect with these individuals and offer some programming to eliminate their feelings of isolation, create a sense of community engagement and provide a safe space for social interactions”
To learn more about these impactful organizations, participate in their programs, volunteer or provide support to their initiatives, visit: https://cjiwr.com, https://ok2bme.ca and www.showaterloo.org.
Note: This story was written prior to Cambridge & North Dumfries Community Foundation and Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation unifying to become Waterloo Region Community Foundation. Although the story was created by KWCF, we have updated the organization name to WRCF throughout the story.