United Way Grants $55,000 for Three Years to Cridge Centre Programs

     

 

 

 

Media Release, December 19, 2011

 

 

Just in time for Christmas, the United Way of Greater Victoria announced two significant grants that, for the next three years will provide expanded support and service for clients of both The Cridge Young Parent Outreach Program and The Cridge Respitality Service.  

 

The promise of $35,000 per year for three years is transformative for The Cridge Respitality Service, which for the past ten years has relied on the generosity of private donors and the support of the hospitality sector and other business partners. The core of Respitality is complimentary hotel stays for parents who need a break to restore themselves from the ongoing stress of raising a child with special needs. These stays are donated by accommodation partners here in Victoria, as well as in Vancouver, Parksville and the Comox valley. However, for families who are not able to leave their children overnight, we can also arrange ‘dining with Respitality’ or theatre, sports events, or other evenings out. 

 

One of the most important aspects of our service though, is our coordinator’s commitment to listen to families and meet their needs whatever is going on – sometimes that may mean a package of cupcakes delivered to a burnt-out mom at the pediatric ward of the hospital, or an hour on the phone listening to their worries. The Cridge Respitality Service provides respite, advocacy and support services for more than 425 families of children with special needs. Stable funding means that staff will now be able to focus on expanding services to clients on the waiting list, and investigate related services to support the challenges faced by families with children with special needs. 

 

The Cridge Young Parent Outreach Program (YPOP) is a youth-centred program supporting young moms (ages 16 to 24 years) to create stable, safe, healthy lives for themselves and their children.  It previously received innovation funding from The United Way of Greater Victoria which allowed the Young Parent Outreach Worker to support an extra 10 clients throughout 2011. That funding was set to expire December 31, 2011 and the timely announcement of $20,000 for three years means further expansion to the program. 

 

The Cridge YPOP provides responsive support that is entirely client directed and is not restricted to young parents from any one school, childcare centre or agency. This is a different model of service to young parents than is offered by the supported daycare model. The generous funding from the United Way of Greater Victoria will allow us to extend this support to more parents, making a significant difference in the lives of young parents and their children. The ever-growing demand for support for young parents will be alleviated to some extent through this grant.

 

The Cridge Centre for the Family is grateful for their cooperative partnership with The United Way of Greater Victoria as both organizations work to support families and individuals in need across the region.