Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant Helps Local Charity Build Capacity
Matthew House Ottawa team meets with Ottawa West-Nepean MPP Chandra Pasma for a tour to recognize a recent grant from Ontario Trillium Foundation. From left to right: Sylvie Legary, Abdul Al-Kaf, Allan Reesor-McDowell, Chandra Pasma (MPP, Ottawa West-Nepean), and Soroush Jafari.
On Friday, October 14th, 2022, local MPP Chandra Pasma met with the team at Matthew House Ottawa (MHO) to hear more about the $76,100 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The funding is being used to help MHO continue to rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
“I am thrilled that Matthew House will receive a $76,100 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation,” said Chandra Pasma, MPP for Ottawa West—Nepean. “For many low-income residents and refugees, Matthew House is a critical service that can provide life changing resources and supports. Unfortunately, the specter of Covid-19 is still here with us today. Grants like this are vital in ensuring that non-profit organizations in Ottawa West - Nepean have the resources they need to serve their local community. I am so glad this grant will allow Matthew House to rebuild and develop a comprehensive human resources strategy to ensure the sustainability of its vital programs and services.”
MHO has invested the funding in developing a comprehensive human resources strategy that addressed staff and volunteer shortages and created operational efficiencies to ensure sustainability of our programs and services.
“Demand for our services at Matthew House Ottawa has grown significantly during the pandemic,” says Allan Reesor-McDowell, Executive Director. “This grant has ensured we have the right mix of volunteers and employees to carry out the important work of supporting refugees and low-income residents in our community.”
As part of the OTF grant, MHO was able to hire a full-time volunteer coordinator – a first for the 12-year-old charity.
“As a newcomer to Canada, I feel lucky and grateful to have the opportunity to work as the volunteer coordinator at Matthew House Ottawa,” says Soroush. “Matthew House is providing life changing services to its clients. Both programs, Furniture Bank and Refugee Services, are making significant contributions to the community, and this grant will have a substantial social impact.”
Matthew House Ottawa is a volunteer-driven, charitable organization that helps Ottawa’s marginalised population to establish connected, safe, healthy, and dignified homes within our community. We do this by providing shelter, food and refugee settlement assistance in a family atmosphere to refugee claimants and distributing quality used furniture and household goods to Ottawa’s marginalised population.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund.
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Here’s how you can help open more doors at Matthew House Ottawa:
Donate: you can make a donation online or cheques can be mailed to 380 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa ON K2G 6A1.
Volunteer: We currently need volunteers to support our furniture bank and refugee services programs. Click here for more info and to apply.
Donate Furniture: If you have gently-used furniture to share give us a call at 613-591-6681. And please spread the word among your networks as well.
Pray: for past, present and future residents and furniture bank clients
Since 2010, Matthew House Ottawa has welcomed hundreds of refugee claimants, and provided quality used furniture to 7000 families in need. Thank you for helping to make this important work possible!