WindsorEssex Community Foundation Recipient of Green Shield Grant – Six 4 Six Initiative
The WindsorEssex Community Foundation (WECF) is one of six Canadian communities (including Hamilton, Calgary and the Atlantic Region) to benefit from Green Shield Canada’s recent “Six 4 Six” community granting initiative.
In celebration of their 60th anniversary, Green Shield Canada (GSC) is donating a total of $6 million dollars to fund community programs aimed at improving health care for all Canadians. It represents a new collaborative model that’s all about community partnerships. At the local level GSC is partnering with the WECF to determine priority projects.
“The GSC ‘Six 4 Six’ is well aligned with the community needs and priorities within the City of Windsor as well as the communities across Essex County. The WindsorEssex Community Foundation is thrilled to have been selected to partner in this important initiative and is looking forward to working with GSC in building community capacity locally and nationally.” – Lisa Kolody, Executive Director, WindsorEssex Community Foundation
“With the goal of immediate and long-term impact, we’ve identified two areas of focus for ‘Six 4 Six’ funding,” explains Sherry Peister, GSC’s Board Chair. “The first area is oral health as we work toward bridging the gap in available and affordable dental care and ensuring access to dental services for underinsured and uninsured Canadians. And the second area is mental health as GSC continues to advocate for decreased reliance on medications and increased availability of a broader spectrum of support to help address mental health issues.”
Examples of priority programs in oral health and mental health that “Six 4 Six” supports include local initiatives that create health education or management programs for individuals, and those that aim to advance or reform existing health care systems.
The WindsorEssex Community Foundation, originally founded in 1983 as Heritage Windsor, is a perpetual community trust for philanthropic purposes. It exists to manage donors’ legacy funds and make grants to support local community programs. Through grant making activities, the WECF is able to establish partnerships to assist a broad range of community organizations.
