Big Brothers Big Sisters of Barrie & District undertook significant work this past year to better understand how our programs and services impact our local community and to find ways to ensure our agency continues this work for years to come. Now more than ever, community service organizations, including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies, play a key role in addressing complex social problems faced by many communities across Canada. To support the vital work done by these organizations, the Government of Canada provided a one-time $400 million investment to create the Community Services Recovery Fund.
Through significant partnerships, like the ones between Barrie Community Foundation, the Community Services Recovery Fund, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Barrie & District our agency has been able to identify new ways of creating strategic priorities to ensure our impact of igniting the power and potential of young people not only continues, but thrives in the post-pandemic world. The Government of Canada delivered the Community Services Recovery Fund through three National Funders – Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada. The National Funders distributed funding to eligible community service organizations, including charities, non-profits, and Indigenous governing bodies, providing services in communities across Canada.
At the local level, this brought Big Brothers Big Sisters of Barrie & District face to face with our community stakeholders while we created a new strategic plan and vision. We now move through these priorities to better engage, support and call to action our community and programs to reach more youth through the power of mentorship. Returning social investment of $23 to $1 helping address poverty, homelessness, mental health, education, family systems, employability Big Brothers Big Sisters now calls on you to join us in changing the future of our community and beyond. One youth at a time.
For more information on ways to get involved, please visit https://barrie.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca