The Festival of Neighbourhoods (FON) grant got a long-overdue increase in yesterday’s community and infrastructure services committee meeting. Pending ratification by council on April 14, the $10,000 grant, which started 20 years ago and has never had an increase, will now be $21,000.

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2014
Festival of Neighbourhoods grant increase empowers volunteer projects

KITCHENER – The Festival of Neighbourhoods (FON) grant got a long-overdue increase in yesterday’s community and infrastructure services committee meeting. Pending ratification by council on April 14, the $10,000 grant, which started 20 years ago and has never had an increase, will now be $21,000.

The increase is achieved by reallocating existing funds that were being under-used, specifically the Tier 3 community grant.

“The Festival of Neighbourhoods program has been successful over the decades because of the dedicated volunteers, partnerships and a motivated community,” said Michael May, deputy CAO, community services. “The great partnerships the city has with the Social Planning Council of KW and John MacDonald Architects to make the program happen has resulted in some amazing projects in our neighbourhoods executed by amazing volunteers.”

FON is a supportive incentive program that builds connections and celebrates neighbourhoods by encouraging community members to organize inclusive activities that bring geographical neighbours together face-to-face to get to know one another better. The capital improvement grant is awarded to one neighbourhood area each year who holds an inclusive neighbourhood gathering and registers their event with the FON.

Winners of the grant engage their neighbours to select an appropriate project and work with city departments and divisions, and other orders of government to implement the plan; once complete, neighbours gather to celebrate the completion of the project.

Events that qualify for the FON draw include Colin’s Toy Drive, which was organized by a seven-year-old who brought his neighbours together through a toy drive for Anselma House in his neighbourhood of Edgewater Estates; the Knollwood Park walk-about in the Auditorium neighbourhood, which was open to and attended by people with varying physical abilities, and from different cultures and varying ages; neighbourhood clean-up events; a clothes and book swap, and Jane’s Walk, among many others.

Examples of FON-funded projects include:

Upgrades to parks, such as in Marigold Park, Brubacher Park and Vanier Park.
Improvements to trails, such as in the Asgard Green and Cherry Street area.
Doon Skatium mobile skatepark.
Safety audit and streetscape improvements on College Street.
Multi-purpose sports pad and accessible playground at Country Hills Community Centre and spray pad at Chandler Mowat Communtiy Centre
Upgrades to Breithaupt Park with soccer field, winter rink, storage shed and outdoor performance area.
Colin’s Toy Drive was organized by a seven-year-old who brought his neighbours together through a toy drive for Anselma House in his neighbourhood of Edgewater Estates.
FON invites neighbourhoods who have held activities to a finale in October to share and celebrate community. The draw for the grant is made at the finale.
Coun. Kelly Galloway-Sealock noted that initiatives that involve active volunteers planning events that build community plays a key role in creating a vibrant Kitchener.
“Our community groups get no funding to run these events in their neighbourhoods,” said Coun. Kelly Galloway-Sealock, adding the FON increases the vitality of the city.

“This program is a good example of how the city works with volunteers and empowers residents to identify priorities of their own neighbourhoods, and then allocate funding to make things happen across the city,” said May.

All inclusive neighbourhood gatherings held between Oct. 1, 2013 and Sept. 30, 2014, in which neighbours are brought together face-to-face and have the opportunity to connect, can be registered with the Festival of Neighbourhoods. For guidelines and a community toolkit, go to www.kitchener.ca/fon

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For more information:

Lori-Ann Livingston, BA, DipJournalism (print)

Communications and marketing associate | Corporate communications and marketing division | City of Kitchener
519-741-2200 x7383 | TTY 1-866-969-9994 | loriann.livingston@kitchener.ca