Gravenhurst hub that aims to reduce poverty gets financial boost
Volunteers sort through food and other items at Trinity Unity Church in Gravenhurst on Thursday, August 12 (Rob Cooper/CTV News)
BARRIE, ONT. -
Plans for a new hub to support struggling young adults in Gravenhurst got a financial boost Thursday.
Every Monday and Thursday food is handed out and delivered to people in need by staff and volunteers with Gravenhurst Against Poverty (GAP).
About one dozen volunteers were hard at work at Trinity United Church separating the food.
"We're just making sure we can distribute everything as equally as possible," a volunteer says.
Outside the church, GAP announced some much-needed financial help from Hydro One at a news conference.
On Thursday, Hydro One handed over $10,000 dollars to GAP as part of a provincial program that will see the hydro company assist communities working on local projects. The funds will go towards the GAP's new potential home.
Hydro One's Jay Armitage says the company is trying to support the Gravenhurst community hub to ensure they can continue to offer services to people in the region including food, shelter and transportation.
Gravenhurst is one of 35 Ontario communities the hydro company is helping out.
"We have seen big numbers over the period of the pandemic," says Bonnie Dart from GAP. "At the beginning of the pandemic we were serving about 60 individuals, now we're serving over 600 that's every week," she says.
The group is hoping to find a new permanent home at a downtown Gravenhurst building next to the opera house. According to GAP, the location is ideal for kids and anyone needing help.
"The building has the possibility for ten affordable housing units and two emergency youth shelters," Dart says. "Right now, we're talking to the district for funding to renovate those spaces and there's a real need in this community," she says.
Dart admits there is a long road ahead before they can try to buy the new building but remain confident that it will be GAP's new full-time home.
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