submitted by MWCF
The Merrickville-Wolford Community Fund began the year with a $500 donation to an important local cause. Fund representatives, Ann Martin and Dan Black, presented the donation to the Food Cupboard and Emergency Fund which is managed by the Merrickville District Community Health Centre (MDCHC). Accepting on behalf of the health centre was local representative Jacques Pelletier, Chairman of the Rideau Community Health Services Board.
“This donation will help the Food Cupboard and Emergency Fund continue to assist those among us who need help at times in their lives,” explained Mr. Pelletier. “There are many people in our communities who regularly need food they cannot afford, or oil and gas for their homes in the dead of winter. People face other emergencies as well, such as losing their home to a fire or flood, or some other natural disaster. As the need is born, the Food Cupboard and Emergency Fund is there to help and the MDCHC has the staff on hand to facilitate this unique support to our communities.”
Those communities include Merrickville-Wolford, Elizabethtown-Kitley, Montague, Augusta, North Grenville (former Oxford-on-Rideau), and Burritt’s Rapids. “The timely assistance from the Merrickville-Wolford Community Fund (MWCF) is very much appreciated,” added Mr. Pelletier. “This donation is not only generous, but it helps elevate the social importance of the Food Cupboard and Emergency Fund, and the people it supports.”
Meanwhile, the Merrickville-Wolford Community Fund continues to grow. It is only in its second year, but thanks to the generous donations from local, community-minded citizens, Ann Martin and Dan Black have created an endowment fund of $10,000 and are in a position to award small grants on an annual basis. The Food Cupboard and Emergency Fund was seen by Ann and Dan as an important local charitable cause in need of immediate support.
The MWCF is now making preparations to consider and decide on grant applications for later this year. In the lead-up to that, Ann and Dan are working to establish a Grant Committee which would oversee the grant application process. The committee will be composed of people from the community who are knowledgeable about local needs, opportunities, and services related to issues such as health, education, the environment, and the arts. It would be the committee’s responsibility to review applications, award grants, and assist the community fund representatives in developing the grant-making strategy and process.
The first public meeting to establish this committee will be held Monday, March 4, at the Merrickville District Community Health Centre. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. and those interested in serving on the Grant Committee, or learning more about the MWCF, should contact Ann Martin 613-269-2042 or Dan Black 613-269-3255.
Community funds are not new. They exist in towns and cities throughout Canada and while they are not widely understood, appreciation for what they do continues to grow quickly. This is because community funds are about improving the quality of life in a community, as seen with the Merrickville-Wolford Community Fund’s recent donation. Community funds accomplish this by enabling all individuals and corporate citizens to give back to their community through endowments that support charitable activities.
And, like other community funds, the MWCF is autonomous, governed by a local volunteer board that provides the means of keeping charitable donations within the community. From a donor’s perspective, the community fund makes it possible for them to target their charitable giving through a well-managed endowment fund that ensures their generosity will remain meaningful for years to come. “We are simply providing a way for people to contribute to the community we all love—now and well into the future,” explained Ann Martin. “The next crucial step is to attract volunteers to serve on the committee that will oversee the fund’s grant application process,” added Dan Black. “We are looking for six or seven fair-minded volunteers from Merrickville-Wolford who know the community and would be willing to assist with the committee’s setup and also review grant applications.”