The Community Foundation of Orillia and Area celebrated community collaboration and grassroots impact during its spring grants ceremony Friday afternoon, awarding more than $69,000 to 28 local initiatives.

Held on the second floor of the Orillia Museum of Art and History in downtown Orillia, the event saw representatives from charities and nonprofits across the region gather to accept funding and briefly share how the support will strengthen their work in the community.

The Foundation awarded a total of $69,576.80, with $64,076.80 coming from its Smart and Caring Communities Fund and an additional $5,500 distributed through the Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation Fund.

“These are projects that might not have been able to happen otherwise,” said Michael Gordon, president of the Community Foundation. “We’re really looking to fund new, unique initiatives — something with a specific and immediate impact.”

Gordon said the grants committee, made up of board members and community volunteers, assesses each application for potential community benefit, with a preference for tangible one-time projects over general operational costs.

“For example, Hillcrest Lodge needed a new security system,” he explained. “That’s the kind of thing we can fund, get done, and know it’s going to make a difference right away.”

The Foundation’s growing impact is supported by an expanding investment portfolio, Gordon noted.

“Fourteen years ago, we had just over $1 million in assets. Today, we’re nearing $25 million,” he said. “As those investments generate more income, we can grant more every year.”

Since its inception, the Foundation has now distributed more than $3.6 million in grants.

The event also included a brief AGM, where the board approved financial statements, appointed auditors, and elected new directors. Gordon called it the “standard, boring annual meeting stuff,” but emphasized the ceremony that followed was where the real excitement began.

Representatives from grant recipients spoke briefly about their work and plans for the funding, including emotional stories from two groups that highlighted the immediate community need being met.

Natalie Harris, community outreach coordinator for the Ontario SPCA in Orillia, took the stage alongside Jennifer Jermey from The Lighthouse to talk about their Positive Packs partnership, which supports people and pets living rough in the Orillia area.

“We just finished distributing 19 waterproof winter packs,” Harris said. “This new funding will support our summer version, which we hope to make even more robust with flea and tick medication and pet food for our outreach team.”

The program, she explained, also helps break down stigma.

“People are often afraid the SPCA will take their animals,” Harris explained. “But with help from The Lighthouse, we’re building trust and keeping people and pets together.”

Cpt. Josh Howard of the Orillia Salvation Army shared a similar message of gratitude, noting the importance of the grant for their Friday Night Experience, which provides hot meals through a mobile canteen.

“We served just under 10,000 meals last year,” Howard said. “We’re entering our 10th year this fall, and we expect those numbers to keep growing. With the rising cost of food, it’s donations like this that let us continue serving the community.”

The full list of grant recipients includes a wide variety of causes, from youth programs and public libraries to health services, music ensembles, and victim support agencies.

Below is a full list of recipients from the Smart and Caring Communities Fund:

• Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County – $2,500
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia & District – $3,000
• Born to Read – $1,500
• Calvary Community Church – $400
• Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka – $2,500
• Hillcrest Lodge – $2,400
• I Challenge Diabetes – $4,500
• Independent Living Services Simcoe County – $2,500
• Jubilee House – Redwood Park Communities – $3,551.80
• Kiwanis Club of Orillia – $2,500
• North Simcoe Muskoka Hospice Palliative Care Network – $2,000
• North Simcoe Victim Services – $4,150
• Ontario Educational Leadership Centre – $2,040
• Ontario SPCA & Humane Society – $2,500
• Orillia Concert Band – $1,500
• Orillia Public Library – Summer Reading Club – $1,000
• Orillia Public Library – Memory Lab – $1,500
• Orillia Vocal Ensemble – $1,500
• Orillia Youth Centre – $2,675
• Scientists in School – $2,000
• Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions – $4,960
• Socks 4 Souls Canada – $2,500
• The Lighthouse – $3,100
• The Salvation Army – $5,000
• Township of Ramara Public Library – $1,700
• Trillium Manor – $400

Ontario Endowment for Children and Youth in Recreation Fund:

• Campfire Circle – $2,500

Combined Funding (Smart and Caring Communities + Ontario Endowment):

• Seasons Centre for Grieving Children – $3,200