LISTOWEL – In 2020, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Listowel and District received a $7,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to upgrade the agency’s technological resources. This grant has allowed the agency to adapt to COVID-19 by building its capacity, increasing its productivity, and reaching out to the community, families and young people it serves.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters does so much good for so many local children and youth,” said Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece. “I have always supported this organization, and I have no doubt they will put this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant to good use. I congratulate them on their success and thank all staff and volunteers on their continued good work.”
Following the onset of COVID-19, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Listowel quickly shifted to virtual program delivery to protect the health and safety of all children, staff and volunteers. However, out-of-date technological infrastructure made it difficult to adapt and improve the agency’s traditional and community-based programs for online delivery.
Support from OTF’s Resilient Communities Fund helped the agency upgrade its technology and move forward in a new digital age, which was critical to recovery and rebuilding over the last year. These technological upgrades have also prepared the agency to meet the community’s changing needs and expectations into the future.
“These past two years have really shown us what we’re capable of when we utilize technology to its fullest capabilities,” said Ashley Carter, president of Big Brothers Big Sisters Listowel’s board of directors. “As an organization, our goal is to provide mentors to our local youth to help them thrive and build confidence in themselves – and this goal was at risk when the pandemic began and face-to-face interactions were not possible. This grant gave us the technology to adapt and allowed us to continue to find creative solutions to continue virtual matches and continue to grow our volunteer base.
“We are extremely thankful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for providing us with this grant to advance our organization and help us become resilient to the current times.”
As Canada’s leading child and youth mentoring charity, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Listowel facilitates life-changing relationships that inspire and empower children and youth to reach their full potential both as individuals and citizens.
To learn more about the organization or to inquire about enrolment as a Big or Little, please visit www.listowel.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112 million was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non–profit sector. In 2020-21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non–profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID–19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
