Ontario Trillium Foundation Gives CR new Van

$59,700 OTF Grant Gives Community Reach an Accessible Van for north Simcoe County to their Transportation Linking Communities program!  Late last year, Community Reach North Simcoe learned that it had received a six-month, $59,700 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. In the months since then, the organization has bought a new 2020 accessible van that enables it to continue providing rides for people who need accessible transportation to get to medical appointments, community services, and grocery shopping. This now means that the group has two accessible vehicles to serve area residents. Funds from the grant were also used to install a plexiglass partition by the driver, and to buy sanitizing equipment, as well as to help with the costs of marketing the driving program in the area.

 “The province is dedicated to ensuring Ontarians have access to the high-quality health services they need and deserve. This funding has been critical in ensuring the residents of north Simcoe have accessible and reliable transportation services to get to their medical appointments, including COVID-19 vaccinations, and other critical community services. I’d like to extend my sincerest gratitude to the drivers and workers who have made these services possible and to ensure no resident was left behind during these unprecedented times and in the future.” says Jill Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North. 

"The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be underestimated. Adding this accessible vehicle will help us serve the vast number of people in north Simcoe who need accessible transportation get to their vaccine/medical appointments and many other community services. This supports a healthy community, both physically and emotionally, encourages independence, and allows many to stay in their own homes that they love and feel comfortable in.” says Cathy Greer, Executive Director, Community Reach North Simcoe. Quick facts• Community Reach provides close to 4,800 rides annually to people living in north Simcoe County who do not have access to transportation, has limited income, or needs accessible transportation.• 74 per cent of the riders are over 65 and many have mobility issues.• Most drivers (volunteer and paid) are retired first responders and have completed rigorous training and security measures before joining Community Reach.• For more information, please visit the www.communityreach.ca or https://www.facebook.com/CommReachNS. Follow https://twitter.com/CommReachNS on Twitter @CommReachNS• The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awarded $115 million to 644 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario. Ontario Trillium Foundation 

http://www.otf.ca/