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On Friday, local MPP John Jordan met with the team at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County (BBBSLC) to hear more about the $89,700 Seed grant they received from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to support programming initiatives to 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth across Lanark County.
“The big Brothers Big Sisters team that worked together to create a cohesive, insightful mentoring program is to be commended for their ongoing commitment to supporting our 2SLGBTQIA+ youth through positive role-modelling within the community” said Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MPP John Jordan. “The credibility of a lived experience brings so much to the table when situations call for an empathetic understanding of the tools needed to move forward from difficult challenges. The 89,700 Seed Grant is provincial funding which, when nurtured by strong leadership to meet the program initiatives, will move to the next stage of growth funding. My congratulations and my thanks to the hard-working members of the Lanark County chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters.”
The project will benefit the community through role modeling for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, fostering pride and self-confidence, creating inter-generational connections within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and educating/supporting families when needed. Further, the whole community will benefit as at-risk 2SLGBTQIA+ youth receive support/resources to be well adjusted and contributing adults. Funding supports the development and delivery of the Prism Youth Group and one-on-one Prism mentorship programs through the outreach, screening, onboarding, and matching of mentors with mentees. Funding also supports the background work necessary including Staff and volunteer training and hiring of a new full-time program coordinator to manage approximately 30 identifying youth.
“The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) seed grant will allow for our community the crucial and necessary resources; specifically, those needed in providing trusted group and mentorship programming for 2SLGBTQIA+ at-risk youth in order to support their growth into well-prepared and contributing members of our community,” said Jordan Thompson, Board Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County.
It is the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County to enable life-changing mentoring relationships to ignite the power and potential of young people in Lanark County. The first meeting to launch the local Big Brothers Association was held in Carleton Place on May 16, 1973 resulting in a consent of corporation from Big Brothers of Canada in October 1973. As the agency grew the decision was made to include girls needing our special service, and in December 1982 the first Big Sister met her Little Sister. Since 1974 hundreds of men and women have offered friendship to local children. These volunteers are screened and receive on-going support and guidance from agency professional staff.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities across the province. Last year, OTF invested nearly $105M into 732 community projects and multi-sector partnerships. Projects aim to enhance economic well-being, foster more active lifestyles, support child and youth development, provide spaces for people to come together and connect, and create a more sustainable environment. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
