KITCHENER – On May 8, Bereaved Families of Ontario – Midwestern Region (BFO-MR) announced it had strengthened its foundation for the future thanks to a $140,500 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation.
This grant has enabled BFO-MR to expand its volunteer recruitment and engagement initiatives and enhance its peer grief support programs.
“Grieving is a process, and a personal journey that is not easy to tread alone. There is great intrinsic value in having the ability to speak to someone who has travelled the path of grief before you and has some knowledge of the road ahead,” said Jess Dixon, MPP for Kitchener South—Hespeler. “In Waterloo Region, we are fortunate to have Bereaved Families of Ontario, and their staff and volunteers, people who can listen with empathy and experience to the struggles of grief. I am pleased that with the Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, BFO was able to build on the work from previous years, continuing to provide more support to those in need. As both a member of this community and a person who has travelled the road of grief, I am most grateful for both the grant and the extended services it will allow for.”
This generous two-year grant enabled the hiring of a volunteer coordinator to develop and implement effective recruitment and engagement strategies.
This has increased BFO-MR’s capacity to support individuals in the community who are grieving. Additionally, the grant allowed BFO-MR to evolve its programming and models of support, enabling the organization to address a broader range of grief experiences and reach more people. The grant concludes at the end of July 2025.
“As a direct result of this grant, we’ve been able to significantly increase the number of peer volunteers able to provide critical support for people in our community who are grieving,” says Jaime Bickerton, BFO-MR former executive director.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities across the province.
Last year, OTF invested nearly $105M into 732 community projects and multi-sector partnerships. To learn more visit otf.ca.
