Peel Learning Foundation receives $50,000 in grants from community foundations to help students in need
As students return for a new and different school year, the Peel Learning Foundation has received $50,000 in grants from the Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Mississauga to help Peel District School Board students in need through the foundation’s Student Emergency Needs and Student Backpack programs.
“Research has shown us that more than 27,000 Peel board students face barriers that prevent them from fully participating in school in a normal year. With the ongoing pandemic, the Foundation has received more than four times as many requests to support students in need compared to this time last year,” says Janet McDougald, chair of the Peel Learning Foundation. “These contributions help the Foundation continue to provide immediate assistance to Peel board students who are experiencing hardships during an already challenging time.”
The grant money is part of the Government of Canada’s $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) to help Canada’s most vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 crisis. The ECSF is delivered at the local level in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross, United Way, Centraide Canada and Community Foundations of Canada.
“Through the ECSF, we’re privileged to support charities across our community as they responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Peel Learning Foundation supports Peel District School Board students so that they can be successful in their learning journey, and this grant will provide much-needed funding when families need it the most,” says Anne Marie Peirce, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Mississauga.
The Peel Learning Foundation will use the money to continue to support students with the necessities to succeed in school, such as food, clothing, hygiene items, and school supplies. The grants will also provide the Foundation with the capacity to pilot test the inclusion of technology and devices as part of the Student Backpack Program.
“The Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation is delighted to be able to support the Peel Learning Foundation’s Student Backpack Program with a grant of $25,000 through the Federal Government’s 2020 Emergency Community Support Fund. This year, more than ever, the need to support charitable programs that deliver to the most vulnerable is a top priority,” says James Boyd, President and CEO of the Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation. “The Student Backpack Program has the scope and scale to help many children in need in Peel schools. We consider the $25,000 grant to be a great investment in such an important program.”
Since the start of the pandemic in March, the Foundation has received and accepted more than 250 applications requesting assistance — four times the number compared to this time last year.
If you, or someone you know, needs the support of the Peel Learning Foundation, contact the principal, teacher or staff member at your local Peel board school. All requests will confidentially be submitted through the school’s principal or vice-principal.
The Peel Learning Foundation is a community-based, registered charitable organization that raises funds to enable Peel District School Board students to achieve personal excellence by providing resources that help them overcome barriers. Individuals or organizations who are interested in learning more about and supporting the foundation can visit www.PeelLearningFoundation.org.
