$349,000 in OTF Grants help Blue Door recover from the impacts of COVID-19
April 13, 2023
AURORA/NEWMARKET ON – In 2022, Blue Door received two grants, totaling $349,000, from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to help support the strengthening its organizational capacity during a time of post-pandemic recovery. On Tuesday afternoon, MPP Caroline Mulroney and MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy visited Blue Door’s locations in Newmarket and Aurora and spoke to Michael Braithwaite, CEO of Blue Door about the impact over the last year of the $149,900 and $199,100 Resilient Communities Fund grants from OTF.
“Supporting our community partners is about investing in all of our futures. This funding will have a direct and positive impact on purpose-built affordable and accessible housing,” said Caroline Mulroney, MPP for York-Simcoe. “These investments will ensure our community has access to programing and services to help our youth, adults, seniors and families live the quality lives they deserve.”
Last spring’s crucial support with the one-year, $149,900 Resilient Communities Fund has enabled Blue Door to hire an Executive Assistant and Fundraising Coordinator to increase the organization’s financial stability and to support the development of a new accessible website launching this spring. Increasing Blue Door’s capacity, the Executive Assistant supports Blue Door’s growing Board as well as planning for the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 through the creation of a 2023-2025 Strategic Plan.
“I am proud of our government’s initiatives to support organizations like Blue Door as they work so hard at tackling homelessness,” said Dawn Gallagher Murphy, MPP for Newmarket—Aurora. “The bold, and innovative ‘out of the box’ solutions Blue Door creates are truly a great investment. By helping our community members transition out of homelessness, on to a pathway where they have a viable work opportunity and housing, ensures that sense of home and security everyone deserves.”
An additional, two-year long, $199,100 OTF Resilient Communities Fund grant was awarded in the summer and is helping Blue Door create and retain affordable housing in York Region. To begin this work, Blue Door has first turned to its underutilized property in Newmarket, Kevin’s Place, where a 100-year-old house sits on less than 30 per cent of the land. Blue Door plans to redevelop the property, with the support of EllisDon Community Builders and Habitat for Humanity GTA, to create purpose-built affordable and accessible housing, effectively housing tripling the number of people.
“With the cost of living increasing throughout the pandemic, we are seeing more people struggling to get by and facing homelessness,” shares Michael Braithwaite, CEO of Blue Door. “Ontario Trillium Foundation understands and cares for our communities. With generous funding from the OTF Resilient Communities Fund grant, Blue Door launched a new three-year strategic plan to boldly help people escape homelessness through employment, health, and housing supports including creating more affordable housing.”
Blue Door is committed to enabling housing stability for youth, adults, seniors, and families by driving innovative housing, health and employment solutions that prevent and end homelessness. To learn more about Blue Door’s new Strategic Plan or to make a donation to support people experiencing homelessness, visit the website at: www.bluedoor.ca
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.