MOOSOMIN — The latest round of Community Initiative Fund allocations have been announced, with a total of 58 communities receiving a share of just over $2.9 million.
Locally, two Moosomin groups benefitted from the funding, the Moosomin Family Resource Centre with $30,000 and PlayFair Daycare, which received $10,000. The Town of Wapella also received $7,836, and the Southeast Regional Library in Redvers was given $600.
“For several, especially smaller organizations and smaller communities, they rely a lot on our funding, just because they don’t always have access to other sources like you might in a larger city,” said Tracey Mann, executive director with CIF. “We do really try and get as many dollars as we can out to those rural communities because we know it is more challenging for them.”
There are two community grants per year, plus a summer grant also available through the CIF. This recent round of funds was distributed in December. Through the Community Grant Program, CIF was able to approve 165 grants in December 2024, focussed on the well-being of children, youth, families, and communities. Fostering healthy lifestyles, resources to nurture supportive environments, and promoting positive mental health are a few things considered for the grants.
“I would say a lot of communities are certainly aware of the Community Initiative Fund and the grants that we offer,” said Mann. “We provide approximately 500 to 550 grants per year, so lots of organizations are certainly aware of us.”
Another factor that might bolster the CIF’s popularity is a recent increase in maximum funding dollars.
“We’ve just actually increased the Community Grant Program maximum to $35,000 so that will come into effect for the April 1 deadline,” said Mann. “We’ve also increased the Summer Grant Program from $6,000 to $7,500. We know organizations are struggling out there, and if we have the capacity to be able to provide a few extra dollars, then hopefully that helps out.”
The CIF was created in 1996 through the Saskatchewan Lotteries and Gaming Corporation Act and is managed by a government-appointed board of volunteers. The special purpose fund receives a portion of net profits from Casino’s Regina and Moose Jaw.
Grants keep MFRC going strong.
Sheryl Willms-Bromm is the program co-ordinator at MFRC and says it’s exciting to be a recipient and have such a strong relationship with the CIF.
“I apply for both annual grants every year, so they’re both maxed out at $30,000 and I’ve been really fortunate that I’ve gotten both,” she said. “They’re a huge supporter of the centre, which is wonderful! It covers programming costs, but a big chunk is our overhead and staff wages from those grants. We’re non-profit, so everything is fundraising, donations or grants.”
This round of funding will be devoted to three programs the MFRC offers, beginning with Alphabet Soup, which promotes early literacy and language. The popular after-school craft sessions will also benefit, which Willms-Bromm says are a real hit with kids.
“We’re about a year in with that program, and it’s really popular,” she said.
Finally, the Diverse Learners program— which is for children with special needs— will also benefit.
“It’s not a designated program, it’s a program that parents call in for and if they want to book time because it can be really overwhelming here with sounds and stuff,” explained Willms-Bromm. “So I have a shelf designated with specific sensory toys that come out for those.”
The MFRC is a place bustling with activity once again with attendance making a sharp climb since the pandemic.
“Covid shut us down, obviously, but ever since we’ve reopened, we cycle through parents,” Willms-Bromm said. “They start with our baby program, move to our toddler programs, and then their kids age out or can’t come, so then they come to our after-school programs, and then by that time, we have more new babies! There’s days where my Time for Baby program, I have upwards of 25 kids with parents, and then some days are really slow. It just depends on the day.”
Playfair Daycare receives $10,000
For the Playfair Daycare, $10,000 will go a long way for art supplies, wages, food, and materials.
“It’s from December, so it’s already started,” said Terri Lowe of the funding dollars. “And then it goes until the end of the school year, so it will go until June ‘25 I do believe.”
This was the first time the group applied for funding through CIF, and Lowe says they plan to submit future applications for other programs Playfair Daycare offers.
“We do have a program after school for the school-age kids,” she said, noting that there are around 20 that participate in the program.
“It’s kind of nice, too, because they’re all different ages or different classes, so this way, they’re interacting with each other when normally they may not,” Lowe explained.
Boost to Wapella’s after-school program
In Wapella, the Town will devote the $7,836 they received to the after-school program that runs from 3:30-5:30 on weekday afternoons.
“We’ve transformed the old Town Hall upstairs, which used to be the dance hall, into what we call The Loft,” explained Town of Wapella Administrator Daphne Brady.
The Loft is furnished with games, books, ample seating, and snacks.
“With this program, we’re able to buy all kinds of craft supplies,” Brady said, noting that some of the science-themed activities proved quite popular. “The kids love making little geode stones and then breaking them apart after.”
The time together also strengthens community bonds between those young people who attend The Loft.
“Lots of times, we see kids making friendship bracelets for each other, playing a game in the corner together, and just everybody getting along and playing games and having fun,” Brady observed.
The funding also covers wages for the program co-ordinator at The Loft, plus extra materials for Tuesday night yoga sessions and upcoming paint nights.
“Our first one is in January, and that goes to pay for her wages and supplies, too,” Brady said. “We used to just do it for the kids—the after-school program used to just be for the kids—but this year, we opened it up and tried to include more—more ages, more abilities, more everything, so that everybody gets out during the winter.”
Seniors’ sessions in Redvers
Building on a popular program from last year, the Southeast Regional Library in Redvers will once again offer information sessions for seniors.
“I began it last year, we did a 12-week session where every week there was a different theme for seniors in the community to come to,” explained Branch Librarian, Katy Soroka. “This year, I’m doing the same, but it will be once a month instead, and I worked with the seniors in the community to find what worked best for them.”
On the last Thursday of each month, a different topic will be featured at the library, with the majority of the $600 funding being used to provide free transit to the library with the handivan. Other associated costs include possible facilitator fees and general supplies such as printed handouts.
“Last year, the RCMP came and talked about scams,” Soroka said. “I would like to reach out to them to see if they’d be interested in doing that again. I have the Redvers EMS coming this month to talk about safety at home.”
Other topics include nutrition, chair yoga, and legal advice.
“Lots of questions had come up in the past about making wills and estates, retirement and financial planning,” Soroka said.
