LITE hands out development grants

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/06/2015 (3939 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

True to its name, LITE invested in five inner-city organizations last week.

LITE (Local Investment Toward Employment) awarded community economic development grants to Winnipeg Inner City Missions, Resource Assistance for Youth, Sam’s Place, Norwest Co-op Community Health and Ogijiita Pimatiswin Kinamatwin on June 17 at the West End Cultural Centre.

In March, LITE awarded grants to Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, Spence Neighborhood Association, The WRENCH, L’Arche Tova Cafe and Wolseley Family Place.

The total amount of the grants is $49,915.

“All of the organizations we support have to be doing some kind of training or job opportunity for people who face a barrier or multiple barriers to employment,” said Anne Lindsey, LITE executive director.

Resource Assistance for Youth (RaY) received a $5,000 grant from LITE last week. Located at 125 Sherbrook St. in West Broadway, RaY is a non-profit agency that works with marginalized, impoverished and homeless youth up to the age of 29.

“We provide a wraparound model of services including basic needs, hygiene products, shower, laundry and a food bank,” said Andrew Ward, RaY senior operations manager.

“We provide housing support. We provide transitional housing. We provide support with mental health and addictions, as well as medical support with a nurse practitioner. We also provide odd jobs and employment and training support for youth facing many barriers to employment.”

Ward said the $5,000 grant from LITE is going directly toward youth positions at its drop-in/resource centre.

“We have a term contract for youth and those positions at our main site are a custodian position, a reception position and a kitchen training position,” Ward said. “These positions assist youth who are facing multiple barriers, who have no job experience, to get the skills they need to find a job and become self-sufficient and independent.”

RaY also offers youth employment positions at foRaY Second Chance Shoppe, a secondhand store it operates at 195 Young St. The store opened in October 2014 and was created because RaY received an influx of donations of housewares and furnishing for its transitional housing program

“Its main purpose is as a training initiative for youth who are interested in getting into retail,” Ward said. “They work on three- and four-month contracts and we put them through the whole gamut of what a retail experience could be, including customer service, working with cash, pricing, staging merchandise.

“All profits that are made through the store go right back into programming specifically to support youth in their three- or four-month training contract.”

In addition to a cheque presentation, the June 17 event featured the launch of a photo exhibit titled LITE Reduces Poverty. One Job at a Time. The photos, by local photographer Christopher Friesen, profile LITE-funded organizations.

A touring exhibit, LITE Reduces Poverty will be displayed at the following locations this summer:

• Until June 29, West End Cultural Centre (586 Ellice Ave.);
• July 1 to 10, Sam’s Place (159 Henderson Hwy.);
• July 13 to 24, Wawanesa Insurance/Assiniboine Credit Union (200 Main St.);
• July 17 to 18, St. Vital Centre (1225 St. Mary’s Rd.);
• July 27 to Aug. 5, Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (2000 Wellington Ave.);
• Aug. 7 to 14, The Great-West Life Assurance Company (60 Osborne St.);
• Aug. 15 to 16, The Forks (1 Forks Market Rd.).