The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area (CFKA) will be awarding more than $106,000 to twenty-four local charities at its Community Grants awards ceremony May 14th.

“Our Community Grants Program is designed to support innovative projects that address identified needs and enhance the quality of life in our community” explains CFKA’s Executive Director, Tina Bailey. “I encourage anyone interested in learning about the amazing projects that are about to be undertaken in our community to come to the event where they will hear directly from the grant recipients how they will be using their grants to make difference. These events are always energetic and inspiring; a great way to learn about the wonderful organizations doing great things in our community and to meet the people who make it all happen”.

Linda Lysne, who chairs the Grants Committee, notes that, “thanks to the generosity of our donors and the interesting range of proposals, this spring we are able to support a high number of innovative arts and culture programs, in addition to our other fields of interest.  These programs include music, visual art and puppet programs for children, gallery space improvements, an international outdoor festival, fiddle workshops, using art for self-exploration, choir sound recording and more.”

Annual funding for CFKA’s grants come from earnings from its endowed Community Grants Fund, and over forty individual donor endowment funds that have been established with the Foundation. This model allows CFKA to invest in the community in perpetuity. To date the Foundation has granted over $8 million dollars, which includes investing over $ $1,821,000 in local projects through its Community Grants program, which holds open calls for project proposals twice a year.

The Community Grants Ceremony will take place May 14th from 4-5:30pm at the Seniors Association Kingston Region, 56 Francis Street. All are welcome.

Community Grants Spring 2015

Arts & Culture

Agnes Etherington Art Centre, ArtZone, $3,489
From the Edward Ratcliffe Fund and the Marla and Gregg Rosen Fund
ArtZone is a free drop-in after-school art program for youth ages 14-18 to be offered in the beautiful André Biéler Studio of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre. Local artists will facilitate this program for artistically-inclined youth who want to explore materials and ideas in-depth, encouraging creative expression and building skills. This ten-week pilot program will run from September to December 2015, on Thursdays, 3 to 5 pm.
(This is a combined arts & culture and youth project!)

Blue Skies Fiddle Orchestra, From the Valley to the Sea 2015, $5,425
From The Mrs. Rupert Davies Fund, the McNevin Family Fund and The Ruth and Stu Barton Community Fund
The Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra is a fun and affordable teaching orchestra open to everyone- even fiddles are provided!  In July 2015, the orchestra will travel to Kings County Prince Edward Island to learn and perform in a musical heritage exchange.  This exchange will help preserve and strengthen our Eastern Ontario fiddling traditions and inspire young fiddlers to deepen their knowledge and skills from the renowned Celtic, Acadian and Old Time fiddlers who gather at the time of the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival.  Feet will be stomping to a new beat when they return!

Independent Living Centre, Art and Self Exploration, $5,000
From the Edward Ratcliffe Fund
The Art and Self-Exploration project provides opportunities for people with disabilities and people with mental health challenges, through visual art, for self-expression, awareness and direction.  Individuals benefit from a process which allows them to gain skills and a sense of achievement, providing ownership of their successes and communicate what is sometimes difficult to put into words.

Kingston Chamber Choir, Sound System Improvement, $1,629
From the Mrs. Rupert Davies Fund
Professional sound recording of each concert in the four-concert season to be used by KCC artistic director and choristers to improve the overall choral sound of KCC which will ultimately improve the choir, resulting in increased concert attendance numbers and more collaborations and performances.  A new, wireless microphone that will belong to the KCC to ensure the KCC always has a microphone for use at concerts and to ensure the microphone in one that does not malfunction.  This will ensure concert audiences can always hear the artistic director and guest speakers.

Kingston School of Art, Gallery Lighting, $3,500
From The Ross and Susan Kilpatrick Fund, the Neil Currie Davis Fund and the Community Fund
The Window Art Gallery, operated by Kingston School of Art, will enjoy new, efficient, professional quality gallery lighting, in order to better display art by Kingston artists, and to enhance the art experience of visitors to the gallery.  The Window Art Gallery provides Kingston’s only community art space, staffing and sales services for local and regional artists.  With new lighting installed, the gallery will sparkle!

Neilson Store Museum & Cultural Centre, Dry Stone Wall Festival Initiative, $5,646
From The Amherst Island Fund, the Ellen Shepherd Community Fund and the Tragically Hip Community Fund
The Canadian Irish & Dry Stone Walling Associations are holding and International Dry Stone Wall Festival on Amherst Island to celebrate & commemorate Canada’s rich Irish Cultural heritage.  The Irish Ambassador to Canada, other VIPs, members of the Associations, and celebrated Dry Stone Wallers and Stone Carvers from around the world will be attending.  There will also be music, dancing and story-telling.  Amherst Island contains Canada’s largest concentration of historic Irish dry stone walls.  The Neilson Store Museum and Cultural Centre on Amherst Island will use funds provided by the Community Foundation to enhance the festival by providing free education workshops for families & children; a time capsule for the Irish Ambassador to install in the new “sampler wall” that will showcase examples of traditional Irish dry stone walling techniques; a permanent interpretive panel; photographic record for archives, exhibits & promotion; and for self-guided dry stone wall tour pamphlet.  The intention is to continue this Festival tradition as an ongoing celebration and educational event.

Community Development:

Farmers’ Market Association of Kingston, Making a Year Round Market, $4,000
From the David Middleton North End Development Fund
The Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market has been tremendously successful over the past three years. Now is the right time to plan for what will become a Kingston fixture: a year-round, all-local market the community can rely on for their fresh, local food needs! Funding will be used to plan a sustainable year-round market through consultations to ensure the market meets the community’s needs. Funding will also be used to create promotional materials to advertise the market.

Howe Island Garden Buds, Howe Island Community Development, $2,393
From The Howe Island Community Fund, the Frank and Sarah Good Memorial Fund and the Community Fund
The Howe Island Garden Buds are thrilled to be spearheading the Howe Island Community Development Project, which will be an enduring legacy on the island.  The enriched environment will highlight the natural surroundings, beautify the island & develop public access to the waterfront where the Bateau Channel meets the St. Lawrence River.

The Limestone Players, Purchase of a Passenger Van, $5,000
From the Larry Gibson Community Fund and an Anonymous Fund
A local group of young adult actors with learning and developmental challenges known as the Limestone Players will now be able to increase the geographical scope of their performances and educational opportunities through the purchase of a passenger van made possible in part by the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area.

Recreation:

Central Frontenac Railway Museum, Heritage Play Structure, $12,200
From The Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation Fund
With the assistance of the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area (CFKA), The Central Frontenac Railway Museum wishes to announce the installation of a major play structure at the Heritage Railway Park in Sharbot Lake.  Actual installation of the equipment will take place in the spring of 2016.  The Railway Heritage Themed structure will consist of a steam engine, coal car and ramp surrounded by a safe engineered play surface.  This highly visible addition to the park will attract children and youth to connect, through play, with the important railway heritage which is so evident in the area.

Seniors Association Kingston Region, Older Adult Program Enhancements, $2,445
From the Cameron and Laurie Thompson Fund and the Theda Anderson Fund
As you grow older, an active lifestyle is more important than ever. Regular exercise can help boost energy, maintain your independence, and manage symptoms of illness or pain. Exercise can even reverse some of the symptoms of aging. It’s inspiring to see a group of older adults participating in an exercise class. They are doing everything in their power to stay active. The Seniors Association Kingston Region, with the purchase of the new equipment, will help and support more older adults to continue on their healthy lifestyles journey.

Limestone Advisory for Child Care Programs, Family Game Night, $1,750
From The Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation Fund
Limestone Advisory for Child Care Programs – Family Game Night – Board Game Lending Library. “Win or Lose, we’re still a Family”

Environment:

Algonquin to Adirondacks Collaborative, A2A Trail, $5,000
From The Environmental Legacy Fund, the Larry Gibson Community Fund and the Chown Fund
The Algonquin to Adirondacks Trail will eventually reach from the Adirondack Mountains to the Algonquin highlands, across a critical link for the wildlife movement in North America. The trail will begin being built in the precious pinch point of the Kingston area, already a trails destination for residents and visitors alike. This project will see local partners collaborate on the design, location, mapping, and communications project – keep your eyes open for further announcements through summer 2015!

Elbow L. Environmental Education Centre, Queen’s U. Biological Station, Environmental Outreach Assistant, $4,000
From the Douglas Branton Fell Memorial Fund
The Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre is the public outreach arm of the Queen’s University Biological Station, providing outdoor programs to enhance biodiversity conservation teachings in the community. This fall, we welcome an Environmental Outreach Assistant to our team, and encourage all local high schools to visit the ELEEC and experience our expanded selection of curriculum-based programs. Put the principles of ecological diversity and scientific investigation into hand-on practice in a stunning natural setting – you’ll be amazed by what you discover at ELEEC!

Frontenac Stewardship Foundation, Frontenac Invasive Species Program, Elbow Lake Demonstration Site, $7,430
From The Ruth and Stu Barton Environmental Fund, The Douglas Branton Fell Memorial Fund and the Ruth and Stu Barton Community Fund.
The Frontenac Stewardship Foundation in partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Queen’s University, County of Frontenac and the Elbow Lake volunteer roster for the local community are establishing an Invasive Species demonstration at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre (Hewlett Packard Lane, Perth Road). This partnership will provide the community with the tools and information to combat this growing problem of invasive species. Some of the target species in question include Purple Loosestrife, Dog Strangling Vince, Lilac, Zebra Mussels, Emerald Ash Borer and many more. For more information, please contact the FSF by email at Frontenac_stewardship@outlook.com.

Children’s Mental Health:

Queen’s Conservatory of Music, Sistema Kingston, $10,000
From the Sunnyside Children’s Fund
Queen’s Conservatory of Music, in collaboration with the Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library (Hoe’s M.I.L.L.) and First Avenue Public School (LDSB), is excited to launch Sistema Kingston (SK), an intensive after school music program for at-risk children that focuses on positive social change through the pursuit of musical excellence. Through free, group centres music instruction, SK will emphasize teamwork, and personal persistence, and foster creativity and personal responsibility in all of its activities. Using the Venezuelan El Sistema as its model, SK aspires to bring social change to inspire children to reach their full potential as individuals, musicians, and citizens.

Canadian Families and Corrections Network, Strengthening Families Affected by Incarceration Day, $2,375
From the Terry Harris Endowment Fund and the Sunnyside Children’s Fund
Canadian Families and Corrections Network, the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area, Kingston Frontenac Public Libraries, the Correctional Service of Canada, and Sesame Street are teaming up to host a ‘Strengthening Families Affected by Incarceration’ Day. The intent of this library event is to raise awareness, education and tolerance; and to decrease bullying and isolation for innocent children in our schools who may have crime in their families. This event is open to ALL families who want to talk, read and play together at Sesame Street activity stations with their favourite Sesame Street characters. Come and join us!

Youth:

Birdbone Theatre, Shadowbox Theatre, $2,932
From the Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation Fund
Parallel tales of Monsters and Man in the Moon will roll enchanted upon looming canvas screens accompanied by soda bottle choirs and creaking hurdy gurdy- accordion orchestra.  Birdbone Theatre joins forces with the grade 7/8 class of First Avenue Public School to invent and craft fantastic, mysterious and courageously experimental shadow puppet theatre for the people!  Shadowbox Theatre will perform for Kingston audiences and as part of Skeleton Park Music Festival June 9th-14th.  Tour dates TBA in May on birdbonetheatre.org

Heritage Preservation:

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, St. Andrew’s Interpretive Signage, $1,683
From the Douglas Branton Fell Memorial Fund
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kingston produced signage to complement its summer tour program which highlights historical, architectural, cultural and political features of the Church and Kingston. The bilingual signage further enhances the visitors’ experience by providing a code that is scanned and offers and audio description by historic personalities on the guests’ smart phone.

Health and Social Services:

Autism Ontario Kingston Chapter, Directory of Services, $4,675
From the Richard Moorehouse Fund
Autism Ontario Kingston will collect and maintain information about a wide range of both general community and Autism related services, both publicly and privately funded, available for adults with Autism and their family members/caregivers in Kingston, Frontenac and surrounding areas. This information will be available free and online.

Canadian Diabetes Association, Camp Banting – Camp for Kingston and area Children with Type 1 Diabetes, $4,800
From the Cameron and Laurie Thompson Fund
The Canadian Diabetes Association’s camping tradition began in 1953 with the opening of Camp Banting in Eastern Ontario. Since then our camping program has grown extensively, and the Association now operates 12 overnight camps across Canada. The Association is the only organization to offer overnight camp specifically designed for children with type 1 diabetes. The focus of these camps is to provide children living with type 1 diabetes the opportunity to enjoy an authentic camp experience while having all of their diabetes needs monitored by a team of trained medical professionals and where they can learn to best self-manage their disease.

Loving Spoonful, Gleaning: Increasing Healthy Food Access from Farm to Fork, $4,424
From the Richard Moorehouse Fund
Everyone needs healthy food to thrive. So how do we get more healthy food to those 20,000 Kingstonians living below the poverty line? Gleaning! Loving Spoonful is bringing back the forgotten practice of collecting the food left in farmers’ fields, with help from the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area. Through this new initiative, the gleaned produce for over 8,000 meals will be delivers to 25 shelters and meal programs that serve those in need in Kingston. There’s room for everyone to be involved, so join in and celebrate healthy food for all.

Martha’s Table, Hunger Through My Eyes, $1,819
From The Tragically Hip Community Fund and the Phil Quattrochi Memorial Fund
Martha’s Table is pleased to open its doors to the public in a one of a kind gallery showing and open house on Saturday September 12. This unique opportunity will allow community members to tour Martha’s Table and to see how local Kingstonians have transformed the challenge of food insecurity into works of art. Many of the photographers will be on hand to discuss their work and perspective. We hope you can take this opportunity to visit and meet your community.

Martha’s Table Community Program, Transportation Pilot, $4,404
From The David Middleton North End Development Fund
Martha’s Table Community Program is providing bus passes to those of limited income and mobility issues to attend its programmes, mainly the drop in centre and Monday through Friday meal program. Our intent is to conduct a pilot project to determine the need/feasibility of purchasing our own vehicle for food/meal delivery and/or transportation to and from our facility. While many of our patrons live in the surrounding area, many more could benefit from transportation assistance and/or meal delivery due to mobility and financial constraints. We know the need is there.