Kelowna

Kelowna City Council has approved recommendations from the Central Okanagan Foundation to provide $102,000 in grant funding that will see $112,000 distributed to 20 groups in the city.

The Community Social Services Grants and Grants to Address the Sexual Exploitation of Youth range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Cheryl Miller, grants manager with the COF, says a total of 21 requests were received requesting a little more than $140,000 in grants.

Included in the $112,000 approved are two emergency grants of $5,000 each to Resurrection Recovery Resource Society (Freedom’s Door) and the Friends of the Kelowna Fire Museum.

These grants are distributed annually based on applications submitted by social agencies offering services to Kelowna residents. The applications are reviewed by the Central Okanagan Foundation, which makes the funding recommendations to the City of Kelowna.

The complete list of the 2010 grants follows:

Community Social Development Grants

Seniors Outreach Services - $4,000

Resurrection Recovery Resource Society – 6,750

Reach Out Youth Counselling & Family Services Society - $10,000

Project Literacy Kelowna Society - $7,000

Church Serve Canada - $10,000

Kelowna Community Food Bank - $5,000

Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society - $10,000

Society of St. Vincent de Paul - $1,000

Arion Therapeutic Riding Society - $5,000

Living Positive Resource Society - $2,500

Kelowna Family Services Centre Society - $5,250

PLAN Okanagan - $5,000

Kari’s Support Society - $2,500

Mennonite Central Committee $6,000
Grants to Address the Sexual Exploitation of Youth

Community Against Sexual Exploitation of Youth - $7,000

New Opportunities for Women - $4,800

YMCA-YWCA of the Central Okanagan - $2,700

Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society - $7,500
Emergency Grants

Resurrection Recovery Resource Society (Freedom’s Door) - $5,000

The Friends of the Kelowna Fire Museum - $5,000

The Kelowna Community Food Bank received less than half of the $10,500 it requested for a one week 'Kids Snack Pack' program.

Councillor Graham James expressed concern over a lack of full funding for the Food Bank program.

Miller stated that a lack of available funds was the only reason they were unable to receive the full amount asked for.

"Our children are the most precious thing and I think we should be investing in them more so than a lot of things," says James.

"A healthy diet is one of the main things that promotes positive living in our children and I think that's very, very important to fund. I wish we had more money because I think that type of program should be financed throughout the year for our children."

Funding for the two emergency grants came from a reserve fund.

Council was told the reserve fund is made up of money that either was left over from previous years or monies which an organization was unable to use for one reason or another.