NEWS RELEASE
CATHOLIC FAMILY SERVICES OF SIMCOE COUNTY
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Thanks to a $150,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), Catholic Family Services of Simcoe County (CFSSC) has renovated its headquarters to continue serving the community throughout COVID-19.
The grant, which was awarded in 2020, is already making an impact: seven Barrie-area residents are a step closer to exiting poverty after graduating from the ‘Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World’ program offered this fall by CFSSC.
“Catholic Family Services is an incredibly valuable organization within our community, and the life-changing impact their services have on our fellow residents cannot be understated,” said Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte. “I am so glad to see funding directed to where it is needed, to support organizations like Catholic Family Services in doing what they do best — helping others, lifting them up, and creating new pathways for building better futures.”
The ‘Getting Ahead’ program has equipped a diverse range of Barrie residents to build attainable action plans for their future. “This free, 10-week program is designed to empower participants in changing their lives,” said Amanda Fellows, CFSSC’s community development program manager.
“Our inclusive mandate invited any participants who are currently experiencing situational or generational poverty to take part. It’s been great to host this program for the first time from our newly renovated Barrie location. Starting in 2022, CFSSC expects to offer the program at least twice per year from our new Barrie space.”
Hired to co-facilitate the group with Fellows was Lynn Peterson, a 2019 graduate of the program when it was offered by CFSSC from its Orillia Common Roof location. As a subject-matter expert, Peterson was able to provide mentorship and coaching from a “walk-the-talk” position. She also saw the role as an opportunity to give back.
“I can totally relate to where they’re at and where I’ve moved forward from,” said Peterson, who recognized and reaffirmed her own progress through her participation. “There was a lot of discussion about limiting beliefs that aren’t necessarily true, so we don’t have to sit back and wait for the things we need.”
The new renovations to CFSSC’s Barrie headquarters were a large part of the program’s success. Pandemic protocols previously had CFSSC staff offering remote mental-health services from home offices. But thanks to the OTF grant, a new suite of fully accessible community rooms was built to better serve clients in person and via digital technologies.
According to Fellows, the Barrie program was also made possible through funding from Catholic Charities, ShareLife and the County of Simcoe.
“We have recently become involved in the Barrie Bingo Sponsors Association,” added Fellows, “and we anticipate the revenue from that initiative to become a sustainable source of program funding.”
For more information about CFSSC’s adult wellness programming, click here.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112 million was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020-21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non\profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
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