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Submitted by Leila.Abutaleb on
Peace Region non-profits benefit from BC Hydro’s GO Fund

FORT ST. JOHN: BC Hydro is donating $70,000 to support seven Peace Region non-profit organizations through its Generate Opportunities (GO) Fund.

Award recipients are providing community services and programs in support of literacy, community outreach and accessibility, seniors' health, and arts and culture. One of the seven recipients, Fort St. John-based Northern Environmental Action Team (NEAT), received $10,000 for its NOURISH program. NOURISH works to freeze, dry or can grocery store foods that would otherwise be discarded, and then donates them to local food banks.

NEAT's 2017 Community Can event
L-R: Phallon Stoutenberg (Women's Resource Society), Karen Mason-Bennett (Northern Environmental Action Team), Cassia Lawrence (North Peace Savings and Credit Union) and Cameron Eggie (Salvation Army) display rows of produce preserved during NEAT's 2017 Community Can event. The Community Can has donated more than 1,500 jars of locally preserved produce to the food bank since 2014.

"NEAT is really grateful to be working with our community partners to increase food security and reduce food waste in our region," said Karen Mason-Bennett, NEAT's executive director. "This funding will help support the development of food and job skills and ensure that the most food possible reaches those who need it."

In addition to NEAT, the other recipients receiving $10,000 grants are:

  • Fort St. John Women's Resource Society for community outreach programs;
  • North Peace Cultural Society for its Let's Art! Program;
  • Fort St. John Association for Community Living, to assist with the purchase of a wheelchair accessible van;
  • Hudson's Hope Public Library Association for child and youth library programs;
  • Chetwynd Public Library Association for its Library on Location – Good Food and Community Program; and
  • North Peace Seniors Mouth-Eye-Foot Care Foundation, to help seniors obtain access to dental, visual and foot care services.

This is the sixth time grants have been awarded from the $800,000 fund, which was established in September 2016 as part of Site C mitigation measures. To date, a total of $266,645 has been distributed to 29 projects that support Peace Region non-profit organizations providing services to vulnerable groups, including children, families and seniors.

The GO Fund, which is administered by Northern Development Initiative Trust on behalf of BC Hydro, is being distributed over an eight-year period. Applications for funding are accepted on an ongoing basis and funds are distributed on a quarterly basis.

For more information on the fund, including past recipients and application details, please visit www.sitecproject.com/GoFund.

Contact

BC Hydro Media Relations
604 928 6468