NEWS RELEASE
REDWOOD PARK COMMUNITIES
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Redwood Park Communities has two new vehicles and a trailer, thanks to a $131,100 capital grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation that was awarded in late 2019, that will have a long-term impact in the community.
“Thank you to Redwood Park Communities who have been working tirelessly to help families and individuals get back on their feet and into affordable housing. It is always humbling to see the work being done by such incredible local organizations,” said Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte. “I’m glad this grant was able to assist Redwood Park in expanding their services. Tim, Rhonda, and the whole team’s passion to care for and help others is such a strong inspiration in our community.”
As a result of the grant, the Community Support Team was able to buy a new, seven-passenger vehicle to provide transportation for the people that Redwood supports, making it a bit easier to get to everything from Food Bank pick-ups to medical appointments. And the Furniture Bank now has a new cargo van partnered with a new 16-foot cargo trailer to provide delivery of donated furniture to households that need it.
These investments in service provision will support Redwood’s Furniture Bank team in providing “moving” services at a fraction of the cost that a moving company would charge.
The cargo trailer was the last part to arrive just recently. It is retrofitted with specialized heaters, making it not just able to move furniture, but also act as a mobile bed bug remediation unit.
“Using this new equipment, we are very excited to be able to provide bed bug remediation services not only for our residences, but also other agencies who are providing affordable housing and supports to our community,” said Tim Kent, CEO of Redwood. “Together we are making our community stronger, healthier and more resilient.”
Redwood Park Communities is a Barrie-based charity with a mandate to create safe, affordable, hopeful housing in a supportive community. Since opening the first property in 2013, well over 500 men, women, and children have been housed in Redwood’s 49 units. In 2019, Redwood responded to the need for affordable furniture in the region by opening the Furniture Bank powered by Redwood Park Communities.
This venture is a partnership between Redwood, Furniture Link and Furniture Bank from Toronto, and Jeff’s Junk in Barrie, and has delivered 1,293 pieces of furniture to 100 households to date.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awarded $115 million to 644 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.
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