OSCC55+ Rebuilds Business Model Post-Covid with 1-year Community Building Fund Grant

(Oshawa, ON) – On Friday, October 28^th, the Oshawa Senior Community Centres 55+ (OSCC55+) celebrated the success of a $61,200 Community Building Fund grant from the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). OSCC55+ partners joined Oshawa MPP Jennifer French and Mayor Dan Carter at the Active Living Fair as they congratulated OSCC55+ on rebuilding its business through redeveloping in-person programs and services and implementing COVID protocols to ensure safe access for all.  

“The Oshawa Seniors Community Centres (OSCC55+) has a 64-year history of dedication and support for seniors and older adults,” said Jennifer French, MPP for Oshawa. “I am always impressed by their commitment to adapting their programs to meet the evolving needs in our community.  With the help of the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Community Building Fund, they will continue to meet the high standards of service delivery they set for themselves.  Congratulations to the staff and volunteers that made this possible.”

The one-year grant was awarded in 2021 and allowed OSCC55+ to rebuild its business model post-Covid.

Key Priorities Achieved:

• Enhance cleaning and maintenance to ensure senior safety and purchase of PPE for staff and seniors.
• Purchase of pop-up tents to support a new stream of outdoor programming when indoor capacities were at play, increasing the number of opportunities for programs outside.
• Portion of funds used to augment staffing for Covid-19 entry screening, and staffing to enhance customer service support evening and weekends offering more hours for seniors to participate in programs post-pandemic.
• Specialized program equipment such as document cameras were purchased to support art programs held online for seniors who were not yet comfortable returning to the branch.

“We are grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their support of our business model recovery post-Covid. Thanks to the Community Building Fund Grant we were able to put strategic supports in place such as enhanced customer service, specialized program equipment and PPE to offer diverse programming while at the same time, ensuring safety for all,” said Sandy Black, OSCC55+ Executive Director.

OSCC55+ provides programs and services to more than 7,000 seniors annually at five Branches in Oshawa.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Since 2020, OTF has supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

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Contact:  

Leisa Davie

Manager, Volunteer & Community Relations

Oshawa Senior Community Centres

905-576-6712 ext. 5841

ldavie@oshawa.ca