Ontario Trillium Foundation grant helps local charity expand needed capacity
Matthew House Ottawa team meets with Ottawa West-Nepean MPP Chandra Pasma and Ottawa Centre MPP Joel Harden for a tour to recognize a recent grant from Ontario Trillium Foundation. From left to right: Chandra Pasma, Joel Harden, Abdul Al-Kaf, and Allan Reesor-McDowell.
On Friday, the team at Matthew House Ottawa (MHO) met with local representatives to hear more about the $55,200 Resilient Communities Fund grant awarded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The funding is being used to help MHO continue to expand its program as the need for services continue to increase following the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The team at Matthew House Ottawa works hard to bring homes to refugees and families in need within our city and I am thrilled to know that they will be receiving this Resilient Communities Fund grant by the OTF. Their positive impact deserves recognition, and I am incredibly grateful for all of the work they do in our communities,” said Chandra Pasma, MPP for Ottawa West—Nepean.
Ottawa-Centre MPP Joel Harden added: “Matthew House provides tremendous supports for refugees, newcomers, people with disabilities, victims of abuse, LGBTQ+ neighbours, indigenous peoples, folks moving out of the shelter system, and more – making sure that anyone sent their way is given the essentials they need to thrive in our community. I’m glad to see that this important work can continue, and grow, with the generous support of OTF.”
MHO will invest the grant in enhancing a previously developed Transitional Housing Program, which allows the organization to increase capacity of its services going forward.
“Demand for our services at Matthew House Ottawa has grown significantly during the pandemic,” says Allan Reesor-McDowell, Executive Director. “This grant will ensure we have the right staff and expertise necessary to take on the continuously growing need and operate with efficiency.”
As part of the OTF grant, MHO was able to hire another fulltime program assistant, to assist with the growing Transitional Housing Program.
"Having this funding has already been a huge benefit to our Refugee Services program,” says Abdul Al-Kaf, Assistant Program Manager. “We’ve been able to bring more clients through the program which is increasing our impact incredibly.”
Matthew House Ottawa is a volunteer-driven, charitable organization that helps Ottawa’s marginalised population to establish connected, safe, healthy, and dignified homes within the community. They 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), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
Brynn Brieda, Fundraising & Communications Coordinator
communications@matthewhouseottawa.org
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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!