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“They didn’t forget us,” Joann Smiley, general manager for the Elder Citizens Recreation Centre, said about getting $11,250 from the Prince George Community Foundation Interior Savings endowment fund.
The Prince George Community Foundation and Interior Savings announced the Spruce Credit Union Legacy Fund grants in the amount of $241,250 that were presented to three recipients Wednesday morning.
The grant recipients are Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation that got $150,000 to go towards a portable cardiac care machine, the Prince George Agricultural & Historical Association that got $80,000 for a tractor to help with the BC Northern Exhibition Outdoor Ag Arena revival project and the Elder Citizens Recreation Centre for their kitchen renewal project that will cost the non-profit group a total of $35,000 but they narrowed their request for a grant to target the stainless steel counter tops that will be installed quickly so that the centre can better create and serve those hundreds of meals to the residents of Prince George each week.
“What’s most important is the show of support from the Community Foundation for our little project,” Smiley added and yes, she was smiling.
“It really makes a difference to know that we have community support. I’m just so excited. It’s all about giving to our seniors and supporting our chef and volunteers who put so much effort into feeding our seniors and having stainless steel counters will make that so much easier than the worn laminate we have now. So making it easier for them to do what they do is so important.”
Catherine Pennington, president of the Prince George Community Foundation, said the foundation was honoured to award the grants for the important work the groups do in the community.
“Thank you again to Interior Savings and Spruce Credit Union for placing your trust in the Foundation to manage this grant cycle and these fund,” Pennington said. “We are awarding a large amount in grants today, but by nature of an endowment fund, this Spruce Credit Union Legacy Fund will continue to support the community forever.”
The grant money is part of the Spruce Credit Union Legacy Fund that has an endowment of $500,000 that will generate community investment grants every year in perpetuity. There will be an announcement in the fall with details about how community groups can apply for the next grant funding cycle.
“These are big projects – the Spirit of the North and the BCNE – but ours is a smaller project," Smiley said. "For me the honour is that they didn’t forget us. I am so thrilled these big projects got support, too. If you think about it the grants have touched everyone in the community. They are with everybody, for everybody.”
For more information about the Prince George Community Foundation and the work they do visit https://pgcf.ca/.
