Kindred Credit Union Charitable Fund Announces 2024 Grant Recipients

$10,000 grant
Theme: Community Food Security
Project: Spirit Bundle Food Program
Kitchener, ON
aocan.org

Anishnabeg Outreach Employment and Training Inc. assists urban First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in overcoming barriers by creating a sustainable and comprehensive suite of centralized wrap around services. The Spirit Bundle Food Program supports Indigenous families by delivering vital food and household items to 450 Indigenous families while addressing the unique challenges and needs of the community.

$9,000 grant
Theme: Safe and Affordable Housing
Project: Waterloo Region Home Share
Kitchener, ON
cjiwr.com

Community Justice Initiatives of Waterloo Region is a volunteer-based organization seeking to inspire safe, healthy, and peaceful communities where all conflict is resolved in a restorative way. The Waterloo Region Home Share program connects precariously housed youth and adults experiencing low income with people who are interested in sharing their homes in order to explore co-housing together. WRHS provides a supportive conflict resolution and relationship-building process to increase the success of home sharing and co-housing.

$5,000 grant
Theme: Financial Empowerment
Project: Project Financial Empowerment Toolkit
Cambridge, ON
dawncentre.ca

The Dawn Centre provides compassionate care for individuals with unintended pregnancy decisions. Our purpose is to support our clients in their plan of care working towards physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual wellness (Whole person care). The Financial Empowerment Toolkit project provides supports and tools to help clients make wise financial decisions during financially demanding times in their lives.

$8,000 grant
Theme: Community Food Security
Project: Basic Need of Food
Leamington, ON
deerrun.church

A community church focused on outreach and supporting local families who are struggling financially to pay for food and/or shelter. The grant will provide local families expereinceing food insecurity with grocery gift cards. Funds will also support the elementary school snack and meal programs giving students access to the basic need of food.

$5,000 grant
Theme: Community Food Security
Project: Operating Costs
Aylmer, ON

Mostly run by volunteers, East Elgin Community Assistance Program provides community members in need a hand up, versus a hand out. The grant will suppport ongoing operating costs associated with providing groceries, meal tickets, hot meals, warm winter clothing, emergency funding for housing and utilities, transportation, and holiday hampers.

$2,000 grant
Theme: Community Food Security
Project: Fridays at First
Waterloo, ON
firstunitedchurch.ca

First United Church provides nutritious meals and a welcoming place for people with low or no income to gather and feel welcome. Each Friday from November to April the church hall opens up to offer a warm place to play games, and recieve a hot meal. Funds will help augment the food received from The Food Bank of Waterloo Region as well as provide special meals, hygiene items, and Christmas gift bags.

$4,807 grant
Theme: Community Food Security
Project: Food System Networking / Speaker Series
Waterloo, ON
foodsystemroundtablewr.ca

The Food System Roundtable of Waterloo Region provides education on food systems to improve the sustainability of Waterloo Region’s local food environment and the health of its residents. Through partnerships with producers, vendors, and educators, the Roundtable enables research and education on food policy, agricultural and health sciences, and sustainability to raise awareness about key issues and bring people closer to their food. Funds will support ongoing operating costs, promotion of events, and convene interested community members around local food issues with the goal of building relationships across the food system.

$7,500 grant
Theme: Financial Empowerment
Project: Providing Financial Learning Experiences in Kindred Credit Union Communities
London, ON
jaswo.org

Junior Achievement delivers programs to students on financial health, work readiness, and entrepreneurship from grade 4 through high school. Programs are designed by people with experience in the education system and are aligned to student curriculum. Funds will be used to recruit, train and assign volunteers to deliver financial learning experiences in Southwestern Ontario schools.

$5,000 grant
Theme: Financial Empowerment
Project: Free Tax Clinic
Guelph, ON
hopehouseguelph.ca

Hope House operates and advocates with the belief that poverty, food insecurity, inequality, health, and community are all interconnected. Funds will support hiring a permanent Tax Clinic Coordinator to assist volunteers who prepare taxes for community members so they may be eligible for government benefits and housing assistance.

$6,500 grant
Theme: Financial Empowerment
Project: Financial Safety for Seniors
Aylmer, ON
mcson.org

Mennonite Community Services of Southern Ontario advocates for the integration of newcomers while faithfully linking community recourses. Funds will support the costs associated with hosting financial planning events for Low German speaking seniors who are a target for financial fraud.

$10,000 grant
Theme: Community Food Security
Project: For the Love of Cooking
Cambridge, ON
oakbridge.ca

A not-for-profit elementary school providing education for children with special needs who struggle to succeed in a traditional classroom setting. The grant will support the development of a cooking classroom for students aged 5 – 21 who are living with disabilities. For the Love of Cooking will offer students the opportunity to prepare healthy meals, gain confidence with cooking skills, and provide job pathway opportunities for those with special needs.

$10,000 grant
Theme: Safe and Affordable Housing
Project: Next Steps Housing
Kitchener, ON
oneroof.org

oneROOF Youth Services is committed to providing for the safety, support and overall well-being of youth who are experiencing homelessness, and youth who are at-risk of homelessness, between the ages of 12-25. Funds will help with the maintenance and repairs of a 44-unit supportive housing building for youth.

$7,500 grant
Theme: Safe and Affordable Housing
Project: HOMES - Crow Shield Lodge Accommodation Partnership
Kitchener, ON
stirlingmennonite.ca

The HOMES program offers affordable, medium-term (2-3 year) housing options to local groups and individuals who are supported by partner organizations of the church. Grant funds will be used to provide subsidized housing accommodations including the costs associated with owning, maintaining, and furnishing a home for Crow Shield Lodge tenants.

$5,000 grant
Theme: Safe and Affordable Housing
Project: The Family Central - Mental Health Access Fund
Aylmer, ON
thefamilycentral.ca

The Family Central exists to serve as a source of hope, working toward restoration of agency (no longer a victim), and transformation for those experiencing the challenges of poverty, homelessness, mental health, and addictions. The grant will provide members of the vulnerable community access to mental health funding as part of their plan of care.

$5,000 grant
Theme: Community Food Security
Project: More Shelves = More Choices
Wheatley, ON
villageresourcecentre.ca

The Village Resource Centre helps neighbours thrive by building a safe and sustainable community for residents to have equitable access to information, food, and goods. Clients accessing the food assistance program will benefit from larger capacity accessible shelving and shopping carts creating a dignified shopping experience.