Newmarket Today Staff 17 October 2022
On Saturday, MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy met with the team at the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) to hear more about the impact that a six-month $49,600 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) has had on delivering an innovative mental wellness program for Black youth, led by Black youth.
“I am proud of our government’s initiatives like the Resilient Communities Fund grant program that have afforded this innovative program developed by the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association to come to fruition,” said Dawn Gallagher Murphy, MPP for Newmarket—Aurora. “Through this grant, NACCA has created a much needed support program for local Black youth who have experienced ongoing incidents of anti-Black racism while combating isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The seamless entry program helps to support strategies for those experiencing ongoing anti-Black racism that has had a tremendous impact on their well-being. Delivered with an afro-centric focus, the program enables Black youth to experience a greater awareness of themselves, their mental wellness and community of peers. It is intended to be delivered in a partial virtual environment at the NACCA Black led Community Centre located at 449 Eagle St. in Newmarket and at various on-site community-based projects.
OTF’s Resilient Communities Fund grant has allowed for NACCA to hire a full-time project coordinator and a part-time youth project lead who are hard at work and in the midst of the program creation and implementation. Funds from the grant were also used to help with a Zoom licence, as well as other key program costs.
"The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be overstated,” said Jerisha Grant Hall, chair of the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association. “Youth are a foundational part and important beneficiaries of our programs and services and will continue to be a big focus for NACCA. This grant sets in motion the start of a mental health literacy, advocacy and healing support network for Black youth that is so needed.”
The NACCA Community Centre is committed to preserving a legacy for Black youth in the community, nurturing and ensuring pathways of support to success through validation, access, healing and empowerment. NACCA invites you to learn more about their work and this project. Please visit the website.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Resilient Community’s FUND. Since 2020, OTF has 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.