SurreyCares Community Foundation and the Government of Canada's Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) have provided a total of $7,776 in grants to Surrey Crime Prevention Society.
Vulnerable populations continue to be disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Surrey Crime Prevention Society takes a 360° holistic approach to community safety through programs delivered by our trained and dedicated volunteers. They are committed to supporting youth by providing them with an opportunity to learn the value of civic pride and making a difference.
“Due to COVID-19, we had to temporarily suspend our programs until we established safety measures to protect our staff and volunteers. This includes having our volunteers use their personal vehicles for programs because of the safe distancing requirements. This resulted in us having to reimburse them for their fuel. We have to purchase PPE, cleaning supplies including hand sanitizers for all programs, disposable masks, disposable gloves and additional fuel for our staff to use their own vehicles as volunteers cannot travel with them at this time,” explained Executive Director of Surrey Crime Prevention Society, Karen Reid Sidhu.
SurreyCares and ECSF grants are supporting the Surrey Crime Prevention Society’s program, titled the “Community Safety Modification Program.” This program was created to fund the necessary safety measures put in place for volunteers and staff, to ensure they can deliver their programs in a safe manner.
“The continuation of our programs will engage youth while enhancing community safety and increased public awareness. Our programs support our community partners including the Surrey RCMP, Metro Vancouver Transit Police, City of Surrey By-Laws, community businesses and other agencies,” said Karen Reid Sidhu. “Engaging youth is a critical component of our program and its success. Currently, we have 350 volunteers supporting our programs, resulting in significant costs for additional safety equipment.”
The grant is made possible through the Government of Canada's new $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund, which saw over $900,000 allocated to SurreyCares.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has required many charitable organizations to pivot the way in which they provide their services,” explained Christine Buttkus, Executive Director of SurreyCares “Surrey Crime Prevention Society is no exception. This organization has had to ensure that they are delivering their programs in the safest manner possible, through social distancing and the use of PPE, hand sanitizer and masks. The Emergency Community Support Fund and SurreyCares have made the administration of this safe program a possibility.”
The Emergency Community Support Fund is being delivered through a national partnership with Community Foundations of Canada, United Way Centraide Canada and the Canadian Red Cross.
"We’re grateful to the Government of Canada for this much-needed boost benefitting local charities," said John Lawson, Chair of SurreyCares. “Charities and non-profit organizations have been leading the charge to assist those who need it most in the fight against COVID-19. We know the need for funding is still significant and we’re continuing to advocate for additional emergency funds.”