Grants provide additional support through crisis

​​​​​​A community organisation which helps disadvantaged children and mothers is one of 55 local community groups set to benefit from the City of Canterbury Bankstown’s grants funding program.

Campsie-based Prosper (Project Australia) will use its Helping You Help Others grant to provide more than 125 winter packs to support families through COVID-19.

“Receiving the grant funding will also allow us to bring add value to existing initiatives so we can make them go even further in such a big Council area,” chief executive Karen Craigie said.

Council set aside a total of $220,000 in its grants funding program to ensure local not-for-profit community groups can receive the support they need to continue, in spite of the coronavirus.

“Council’s responsiveness to plug gaps helps us reach more families during this difficult time,” Mrs Craigie said.

On Wednesday the Council presented its Helping You Help Others grant program with full or partial funding to local community groups such as Prosper (Project Australia).

Mayor Khal Asfour said one of the first decisions Council made when the pandemic arrived was to bring forward Council’s grants program in order to ensure community groups are better supported to provide help to the community.

“This means organisations can get the assistance they need to provide food hampers or mental health assistance, or even be able to find alternative and innovative ways to continue operating at a time when it’s much tougher for them to deliver services to the community.”

Mayor Asfour said he is proud of the way community groups have collaborated with each other to deliver such important services.​