Latest news with #OntarioTrilliumFoundation
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Native Centre gets $73K grant for HR role
The Niagara Regional Native Centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake announced yesterday it received a $73,100 seed grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation for a human resources manager. Halley Irwin, the centre's director of development and community engagement, said the funding will support a human resources manager, who will be a part of recruitment and strengthen the centre's capacity to serve the Indigenous community. Cynthia Whyte was hired for the position on a one-year contract in February and works closely with the executive director to create an internal system for human resources at the centre and strengthening its team of staff — a 'strictly internal' role, said Irwin. 'To help us put some structure in place to support our staff,' Irwin told The Lake Report. 'Which, in turn, will help us better run our programming,' she said. Serving about 2,000 Indigenous people annually, the centre hopes the funding will help it reach more of the estimated 14,000 Indigenous residents in Niagara, said Irwin. 'Having Cynthia (will) help us cast a little bit of a wider net to secure talent,' she said. 'A key piece of what she is here for.' To Irwin, having a dedicated HR manager 'is a signal of the growth' of the centre and a 'sign of the good things' it's doing, she said. The grant isn't going to all be used for salary — Irwin says it will also support updating policies, performance reviews, staff onboarding and supporting existing employees to better run programs. 'I'm very excited. I'm honoured,' said Whyte. Whyte, who works in the office two days a week, said her top priority is building a strong HR foundation through her policies, procedures, internal training, recruiting and long-term plans to develop the workforce. 'It's really building the HR structure,' she said. 'It's actually been a need in First Nation communities for years.' Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates attended the announcement to recognize Ontario's support. 'We invited Wayne to join us today,' said Irwin, who called Gates 'a great ally' and a consistent supporter of the centre's work. 'The indigenous community is extremely important,' said Gates. 'In particular, the Native Centre.' Gates called the funding a great step made possible by the Trillium grant process and said it will help support a new position 'which can now work really hard on different programs,' he said. 'Every once in a while, you need help and that's where the Trillium Fund comes in,' he said. Irwin described the provincial grant as a 'great show of support and a good step in the right direction,' she said. 'It's a good opportunity for Indigenous organizations to apply for support from the provincial government,' she said. The centre plans to seek additional grants to extend Whyte's contract beyond next February. 'Even in the few months Cynthia has been here, it has been life-changing,' said Irwin. paigeseburn@
Global News
08-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
Big Brothers Big Sisters to expand programs to increase mentorship
Big Brothers Big Sisters Centre Wellington is expanding its mentorship programs. The agency received more than $465,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation's Grow Grant to expand the programs over a three-year period. Though the expansion, Anneli Segura, the executive director of BBBS, said the agency is looking to create 25 to 30 new mentor-mentee matches each year. 'What's really important to us is that young people that are paired with mentors develop meaningful relationships with caring adults, and that they have some job readiness and academic support as they become young adults,' Segura said. Among the new features of the new and enhanced programs will be job shadowing and career planning to boost job readiness, mindfulness through nature sessions to support mental wellness, and nutrition and cooking classes to address food security. Story continues below advertisement The expansion will also help Big Brothers Big Sisters try to recruit more volunteers through different programs and initiatives, particularly male volunteers. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Segura said there has been quite a shortage of male volunteers since the COVID-19 pandemic. BBBS recently changed its Bigs and Blue initiative to the 1st Responder Empowerment Program. The program initially offered opportunities for mentorship of an OPP officer, but Segura said it has since expanded to include other first responders, such as firefighters and paramedics. Segura said they want children to have these opportunities to explore all kinds of different things about themselves. 'Kids, and we know as humans, we don't all come in one box, we don't all like the same things,' she said. The activities that youth participate in not only develop skills for future job opportunities but also allow them to simply be a kid. She said the exposure to these new and different types of activities can pique a young person's interest in pursuing that interest as they navigate through their young adulthood. Segura said the agency is really important to the community's future. 'This is our future residents and our future workforce. Hopefully, these kids will grow up and maybe study somewhere away at school but maybe come back to this area to raise their families,' she said. Story continues below advertisement The agency is hoping to get the program 'off the ground' in the next couple of weeks.
Hamilton Spectator
05-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
New podcast amplifies survivor voices on gender-based violence in Peel
Embrave Agency to End Violence has launched 'Brave Voices,' a 15-episode podcast series focused on gender-based violence (GBV) in Peel Region. The podcast, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation's Seed Grant, offers a platform for survivors to share their stories and provides essential information about the resources available to those affected by GBV. By amplifying voices often silenced by stigma, 'Brave Voices' aims to educate listeners and encourage those in need to seek help. Embrave Agency to End Violence, which provides shelter, counselling and advocacy for those in Peel experiencing gender-based violence, views the podcast as an extension of its long-standing advocacy work. 'Experiencing GBV is incredibly isolating, and this podcast aims to create a survivor-focused space to empower survivors with knowledge about the critical resources necessary to obtain safety, justice, and agency,' said Luxana Ramesh, Public Education Project Co-ordinator at Embrave and host of the podcast. Each episode will focus on different aspects of GBV — featuring perspectives from survivors, experts or other relevant voices. Topics include survivor experiences and practical guidance, such as episode two, which takes listeners through the process of reaching out for shelter services. 'The podcast helps survivors connect with the right resources and take that first step toward safety. It really helps empower someone to take that next step because learning about how to navigate a system while in the middle of crisis is really difficult,' Ramesh added. While gender-based violence affects communities everywhere, the podcast's focus on Peel Region addresses specific local challenges. Ramesh noted that stigma and fear of community judgment often prevent survivors in the region from seeking help. 'It's really hard for folks to just get up and walk into an organization like Embrave or even show their face at one of our events,' she said. 'They might be worried if their partner is going to find out, what their community may think.' By offering a private and accessible format, the podcast allows individuals to engage with the content at their own pace. 'The unique positive of a podcast is, it's on your phone, it's very private,' Ramesh said. 'If you're even thinking about reaching out for help, it's a safe, easy access way for you to get that information without being worried about your community, your partner, the stigma.' As a survivor, Andrine Johnson, CEO of Embrave, reflected that a resource like 'Brave Voices' would have been valuable in her own life. 'If I had the opportunity back then and I had heard someone speaking out to say, 'this is what gender-based violence looks like, these are the experiences', perhaps I could have called it out even sooner.' Ramesh said she hopes the podcast not only supports survivors directly, but also sparks conversations within the wider community. 'It's all of our responsibilities to respond to gender-based violence and to help prevent it,' she said. 'I hope this podcast can even start conversations, if it can help someone notice signs in their neighbour, in their friend, to start a discussion to let them know they're not alone.' Johnson reflected on the importance of the podcast's potential to make a difference in people's lives. 'Even if we can save one person's life, that's a lot,' she said. 'We're going to keep pushing to ensure that no person gets left behind.' The Brave Voices Podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, with new episodes released three times a month.
