Community Organizations Receive Funding from Gordie Howe International Bridge

Windsor, Ontario – June 2024 marks five years of delivery for the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan, with the project team unwavering in its commitment to enhance the communities closest to the project. Today, thirteen organizations serving Sandwich/west Windsor and Delray/Southwest Detroit are the latest recipients of $200,000 (CDN) in Community Benefits Plan funding.

The funding is part of the Community Organization Investment initiative, which offers grants up to $25,000 (CDN) to organizations serving the communities closest to the project. Seven organizations from Windsor and six from Detroit were selected following an application and review process. Funded projects will be delivered between July 2024 and June 2025, including the following US Initiatives:

• New City Kids: Transformational Teen Life Internship program
• Hispanic Police Officers’ Association of Michigan – Detroit Chapter: Grants for Youth Sports in Southwest Detroit
• Southwest Detroit Business Association: Experience Southwest Detroit
• Trinity-St. Mark’s Pantry and Gardens: Feed the Homeless
• Unity in Our Community Timebank: Let’s Get Moving
• Southwest Economic Solutions: Literacy programming at Campbell

“This year’s Community Organization Investment small grants will again bring opportunities for youth – for literacy, experiential internships and engagement in sports – as well as providing community connections and rediscovery of Southwest Detroit businesses is so needed,” said Simone Sagovac of the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition. “We’re grateful for these investments in the roots of our community.”

Through this initiative, community organizations can apply annually for funding for events, programming and infrastructure improvements in amounts ranging from $1,000 – $25,000 (CDN). All funding recipients align with priorities identified during public consultation including community partnerships, community safety and connections, aesthetics and landscaping and economic benefits.

To date, this initiative has invested $700,000 (CDN) in events, programming and infrastructure improvements. All funding recipients and their projects align with community priorities identified during previous public consultation.

Following five years of successful delivery, the Community Organization Investment initiative has been extended for an additional year, with the final application period set to launch in November 2024. With these additions, over 100 projects have been or are being delivered collaboratively through the Neighborhood Infrastructure Strategy with the help of over 70 local partners.

The 2024 application process ran from November 2023 through January 2024, resulting in 24 eligible submissions. The project’s Local Community Group, comprised of stakeholders from the host communities, played a significant role in reviewing applications and providing recommendations to the project team.

Funded US Initiatives:

Transformational Teen Life Internship Program

Organization: New City Kids

Funding: $25,000 (CDN)

Initiative Type: Programming

Grade nine students will be offered paid, internships where they serve as tutors, music instructors and leaders in New City Kids’ After School Center. Interns will receive education on leadership, financial stewardship, workforce readiness and attainability of post-secondary education while positively engaging with younger community members in the afterschool programming.

Grants for Youth in Sports in Southwest Detroit

Organization: Hispanic Police Officers’ Association of Michigan – Detroit Chapter

Funding: $21,000 (CDN)

Initiative Type: Programming

Funding will support grants for Southwest Detroit youth who wish to participate in group sports but face financial challenges. Grants can be used to subsidize team registrations, fees, equipment, uniforms, travel and related expenses. 

Experience Southwest Detroit

Organization: Southwest Detroit Business Association

Funding: $18,000 (CDN)

Initiative Type: Programming

A community engagement process will be facilitated to support the goal of making Southwest Detroit a tourist destination, in its own terms. Three taskforces will be formed focusing on tourism, branding and marketing and streetscaping and signage to help create a roadmap for future work.

Feed the Homeless

Organization: Trinity-St. Mark’s Pantry and Gardens

Funding: $15,000 (CDN)

Initiative Type: Programming

Funding will help to provide at least 300 lunches to unhomed individuals per month. Funding will also be used to provide boxed food to local families in need.

Let’s Get Moving

Organization: Unity in Our Community Timebank

Funding: $11,000 (CDN)

Initiative Type: Programming

A series of physical and cultural activities including Zumba, community bike rides, yoga classes, a field day and Fiesta event, will encourage residents to explore local parks and recreational spaces in Southwest Detroit, promote physical activity and create community connections.

Literacy Programming at Campbell

Organization: Southwest Economic Solutions

Funding: $10,000 (CDN)

Initiative Type: Programming

A series of literacy activities will occur at Campbell Library to complement the branch’s Back to School events including digital asset mapping of community resources, family bookbinding workshops and children’s story time. These events will engage local families and support registration for library cards for local residents.