Medicine Hat's Sanare Centre has received grant funding to put toward its Fund Development for Organizational Resilience and Sustainability project.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
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The Community Foundations of Canada has awarded the Sanare Centre $100,000 from the Community Services Recovery Fund. This fund is going toward a project called the Fund Development for Organizational Resilience and Sustainability.
“We’re extremely thankful for their support,” says Christina Johnson, executive director of the Sanare Centre.
The funds are going to support the relationship curator. This will allow the person in that role to strengthen co-ordination and collaboration with community partners. The aim is to build a base of sustaining donors and develop communication materials and supports. The grant will allow the organization to diversify how it is funded so services can be maintained through a long-term sustainability plan.
“Basically it’s to build relationships with our community, to increase our fundraising capacity and to diversify our programming so that we can provide sustainable services to the community,” explains Johnson. The Sanare Centre is currently highly dependent on grants. This results in the programs ending when the grants end.
“What we want is to be able to ensure that our community is getting consistent service across the board.”
The awarded funds will now allow the centre to be a benefit to the whole community. The services of the centre are open to everyone regardless of gender or age who have dealt with sexual abuse, domestic violence or trauma. This has come with challenges such as wait times, which are expected to get longer in the fall according to Johnson.
“They want to heal and we’re here to help,” says Johnson. “Our community and survivors deserve consistent services.”
It is hoped that by establishing this base of connections and support that Sanare will be able to combat underfunded programs and raise dollars to support services, especially those of child survivors. The aim is to accomplish this through a better financially supported fundraising strategy.
“We’re extraordinary excited to be able to build those relationships in our community,” says Johnson. There will be a counselling program, education program, outreach program, therapy program, and even a police and court support program.
“These dollars through this fund are going to support a position to help us increase our capacity to provide services by funding those programs.”
The organization wants to rely less on one-time funding and replace much of it with longstanding programs to better help survivors heal. This includes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing.
“We’re grateful and humbled,” says Johnson. “There is an extreme need for services for survivors of sexual violence and abuse in our community.”
