The residents of Bradford House have a new way to hit the town in style.
Heather McDonald, chief executive officer of LOFT Community Services, was joined by representatives of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) and provincial government at LOFT’s Bradford location last week, to reveal the new accessible van LOFT was able to purchase thanks to a $91,700 grant from the foundation.
“We are so grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their support of LOFT programs and services,” McDonald said in a press release. “Our mission is to ensure the optimal health and well-being of our clients. Access to reliable, accessible transportation is a big part of that — especially for our seniors.”
LOFT now has two fully accessible vans supporting three locations, from which they already make as many as 15 trips each week and 750 trips each year. Those help their residents — many of whom are seniors with complex physical and mental health challenges — travel to and from errands, appointments, social events and community outings including trips to malls, museums, community centres and the many holiday events taking place this time of year.
“It was great to join the team at LOFT Community Services to recognize how they are providing improved mobility options for the most vulnerable members of our community who experience transportation barriers,” York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney said in the release.
Covering the pre-tax cost of the van, the grant was approved in August, after LOFT initially applied in March to the OTF’s capital grant stream, which is intended to fund building updates, enhance spaces and purchase equipment to help people and communities thrive, according to Tammy Thorne, senior communications manager at LOFT.
“Whether it’s helping people learn new things, connect with their community, or simply have fun, organizations like the LOFT Community Services deliver experiences that make a difference,” Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming said in the release.
Since 1953, LOFT has been offering support to people facing mental and physical health challenges, dementia, addictions, poverty, and/or homelessness. Through a holistic approach to care, the charitable organization operates more than 70 mental health programs across Toronto, York Region, and Simcoe County offering 1,882 beds and serving 19,878 people annually, according to the release.
For more information or ways to support LOFT, visit loftcs.org.
An Ontario-government agency, the OTF was established in 1982 as a way to invest in and help build healthy and vibrant communities across the province. Since then it claims to have provided about $2.6 billion for more than 28,000 projects.
According to the foundation, their main source of funds is the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, but the OTF also administers grants on behalf of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
For more information, visit otf.ca.
