The PADDLE Program is welcoming $200,000 in provincial funding.
Megan Johnson, Executive Director, says this is one of the single largest investments in the program’s history.
“This is groundbreaking,” she says. “What this is going to do is to help us alleviate some of the stress on people living in North Bay and surrounding areas who are people with complex disabilities, or family members of people with complex disabilities, who are currently on our waiting list.”
Johnson says they currently have 30 people waiting to join the PADDLE program.
“What this Trillium Grant will do is allow us to hire a transition coordinator who will support these individuals to come off our waitlist and into our program,” she says.
Johnson also says the money will pay for an economic sustainability officer to help revitalize their business plan and charitable endeavours.
“It’s been a difficult go for programs like ours, who have no operating funding, throughout the pandemic,” she says. “Our fundraising plan is based largely on large group events which didn’t happen during the pandemic and still pose a concern to the people that we support.”
The PADDLE program, which started in 2007, is all about Providing Adults with Developmental Disabilities Lifelong Experiences.
MPP Vic Fedeli also announced funding for two other area non-profit organizations, through the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Community Resilient Fund.
$65,000 for The Gathering Place will be used to provide meals to in-home seniors who experience food insecurities and provide training and supports for staff, volunteers, and clients.
Fedeli also announced $52,900 for Mattawa Legion Branch 254.
Funding will be used to purchase new kitchen equipment, lounge furniture and computer/photocopier equipment to increase services for veterans and the community.
