December 21, 2006 The Regional Municipality of York invests more than $1.5 million in community serv

NEWMARKET - York Regional Council has approved the disbursement of more than $1.5 million to community agencies under its Community Development and Investment Fund (CDIF) strategy for 24 community service projects in 2007.

"The community service projects funded by the CDIF strategy will provide York Region's most vulnerable individuals and families with much needed community services, " said Regional Chair and CEO Bill Fisch. "As in past years, these valuable services will be directed to residents in all nine area municipalities and are expected to bring measurable benefits to residents across York Region."

Projects range from housing support services to a literacy enhancement program that will assist an estimated 300 people in preparing for, obtaining and maintaining employment through the development of essential literacy, life and employment skills. Housing supports help young parents and homeless youth and families to secure and maintain affordable housing.

Under the CDIF strategy, York Region manages a number of community funding initiatives that provide services to York Region residents. These include the National Child Benefit, the Provincial Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Program and the Municipal Purchase of Service Fund.

Last year, more than 30,000 York Region residents directly benefited from the services purchased and delivered under the CDIF strategy.

In mid September, York Region issued a Purchase of Service Request to purchase community-based services for 2007. Proposals were reviewed by staff from York Region, other levels of government and the not-for-profit sector.

"The CDIF strategy allows York Region to fund the purchase of community-based services in an accountable, fair and equitable manner, " added Chair Fisch. ��This is the fourth year of implementing what has proven to be a very successful community investment strategy."

Set by Regional Council and our provincial partners, the selection criteria focused on these priority areas:

Homelessness Programs
Family and Children's Services
Employment Supports

2007 CDIF Purchase of Service Projects

Agency and Project Name	Project Description	Approved Funding ($)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of York Empower the Kids, Empower the Community	A project to help reduce the depth of child poverty by providing an estimated 90 children from low income families access to experiences and opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them because of financial barriers. The programs build resilience in children at risk because of their family circumstances, and help them to cope with what life throws at them. Early intervention through mentoring relationships increases a child's potential for success.	48,250
Canadian Mental Health Association York Region Community Development Project	A project that assists residents at three York Region social housing communities to become more organized and work together to overcome a variety of significant problems and move towards a more cohesive community - important prerequisites for the development of strong families and the reduction of child poverty. The project will increase youth involvement, strengthen the resident planning committee and pursue fundraising to sustain the project.	50,000
Canadian Mental Health Association York Region Identification Clinic	The objective of this project is to provide identification clinics where staff work with individuals who are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless and those with no or low income to obtain necessary personal identification to access services, find employment and to facilitate referrals for urgent needs.	100,000
Catholic Community Services of York Region Focus on Fathers Multicultural Parenting Programs II	The project will provide multicultural parenting courses in several languages across York Region. In addition, the project will increase the number of languages in which resources are available.	55,868
Future Possibilities Canada Ready, Set, Goal! & Kid Council	The objective of this project is to provide life skills and leadership development programs to children and youth ages 8-15 from diverse, underserved communities (performance plus schools) in York Region. The project targets 70 youth participants and 100 mentors, each of whom will pursue activities that provide benefits to their local communities.	31,235
INN From the Cold Inc. INN from the Cold	Conducting outreach and direct services to the homeless, including helping people to get off the streets.	25,080
Jewish Family and Child Service Youth Volunteer for Youth	The objective of the Youth Volunteer for Youth project is to establish an educational and recreational program (based on a scouting model) that will engage high school and university newcomer students in supporting, leading and mentoring children and youth of newcomer and economically challenged families. Training for youth counsellors and tutors will occur. The project will benefit 120 children plus counsellors, students and tutors.	15,000
Jewish Family and Child Service School Social Worker	The project will expand and develop partnering arrangements for culturally appropriate diversity services to low income newcomer and high needs families. The project will provide clinical early intervention services that meet the needs of students at risk and their families. The project will provide an additional 14 hours of service per week in three schools to an estimated 1,000 clients.	33,740
Jewish Family and Child Services The Family Resource Centre Enhancement Project	To increase outreach and drop-in programs to respond to the growing number of young families in the Bathurst corridor. The project will address needs of new immigrants, single parents and low income families and those with special needs. The program will address an estimated 20% increase in the drop-in program and additional clients in other program areas.	56,630
Job Skills Job Track PLUS	A project to provide unemployed low-income residents with a Return to Work Action Plan to identify and overcome their barriers to employment and be better equipped to find employment. Throughout the structured group program, a strong emphasis will be placed on job search computer skills and individual job counselling. Participants will develop strengthened job searching skills and maximize practical techniques to carry out an independent job search and find employment.	100,000
Literacy Council York-Simcoe Learn for Work, Learn for Life	The objective of this program is to assist an estimated 300 individuals to prepare for, obtain and maintain employment through the development of essential literacy, life and employment skills.	80,870
Loft Community Services - Crosslinks Housing and Support Services York Region Street Outreach Van Program	The York Region Street Outreach Van program provides basic, potential life saving services to individuals in York Region who are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, street involved and/or have mental illness. From a mobile van, and utilizing a harm reduction model, street outreach mental health workers and public health staff provide food, clothing, sleeping bags, assistance finding and accessing shelter, needle exchange, sexual health counselling and supplies, mental health and general health assessments, short term support, and referral to other community agencies.	120,000
Pathways Home Base Youth Drop In Centre	This project's objective is to assist an estimated 1,000 youth in making the transition from the street to permanent housing by providing counselling, employment, life skills, housing search, social/recreational activities, food, clothing, housing search and support.	225,000
Pathways Housing Support Services	This project will help young people aged 13-24 years transition from the street to long-term housing, in group homes and or residences.	51,855
Rose of Sharon Services for Young Mothers Housing Support Program	To provide young parents in York Region with the information and skills necessary to secure and maintain affordable housing and to problem solve practical solutions to these obstacles	54,000
Rose of Sharon Services for Young Mothers Young Mothers Transition Support Program	1. Provide services that link young mothers to early years programs in their community and to work with early years programs to develop strategies to best support young mothers access to their programs. 2. Give young mothers access to group counselling and self help training, to help support them through the early transition to parenting.	54,000
Salvation Army, Sutton Youth Shelter Employment Supports	Provide employment supports for the youth staying at the Sutton Youth Shelter. The services will include Employment Skills and job specific skill training.	30,000
Salvation Army, Sutton Youth Shelter Housing Support	To provide housing support services that address the housing needs of youth who reside at the Sutton Youth Shelter. The project will assist with life skills, budgeting, landlord/tenant relations and completing rental applications.	60,000
Transitional & Supportive Housing Services York Region (TSHSYR) Community Housing Support Worker	The project will help an homeless individuals and families living in the homeless shelters and attending the programs operated by TSHSYR to find and get housing in the community, to connect to community resources for support and to develop skills to help them to retain their housing. The project also serves those at risk of becoming homeless.	135,000
Women's Centre of York Region Poverty Relief Services	The objective of this project is to enhance and expand the continuum of supports presently addressing homelessness, the risk of homelessness, and child poverty through accessible programming and enhanced coordination of community services.	34,693
York Professional Care & Education After School Drop In	To provide informal supervised safe "club-like" environments in an after school program to a minimum of 100 children, aged 4-12 years living in low income housing, at an informal drop-in program that utilizes Future Aces and Character Matters strategies to develop confidence and reinforce courteous and respectful behaviour.	50,000
York Region Alliance to End Homelessness (YRAEH) Education and Capacity Building for community engagement	Assist the Alliance to conduct research, expand its existing education tools, create an YRAEH web site, develop new partnerships, facilitate educational events and support community engagement though the development of networks.	43,450
York Region Food For Learning/ Family Day Care Food for Learning	This project will provide nutritionally balanced breakfasts and snacks to the children of York Region in an inclusive, non-stigmatizing environment, thereby enhancing health and classroom learning. In 2007 the Food for Learning program as a whole is expected to feed approximately 14,433 children daily who will receive 457,985 breakfasts and 779,180 snacks through the course of 1 year.	45,000
York Region Food Network Extending the Table: Providing accessible information on York Region Food Network Programs to Ethno cultural communities	A project to reduce barriers and accessibility to food security programs for residents by providing program information in the first language of clients and residents who are at risk	22,000

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For more information on The Regional Municipality of York, please visit www.york.ca

Media Contact: Tim Paleczny, Corporate Communications, York Region
Phone: (905) 830-4444, or (416) 297-9696, Ext. 1238
Email: tim.paleczny@york.ca Cell phone: (905) 251-6413

Attachment �V 3 pages, ��2007 CDIF Purchase of Service Projects��

The Regional Municipality of York invests more than $1.5 million in community service projects for vulnerable residents