Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Freeland

Regarding the need for a Community Services COVID-19 Relief Fund

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Freeland,

I am writing today to urge you to support charities and non-profits delivering critical front-line services to the most vulnerable by providing funding for a Community Services COVID-19 Relief Fund (CSCRF) in Budget 2021. A temporary (18-month) CSCRF program will help both the Canadians who rely on these services and the critical service organizations which provide these services.

As someone who has worked in the non-profit sector, I know how important a temporary funding will be to the sector. The CSCRF is endorsed by several of Canada’s largest community service federations including: Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, CNIB Foundation, National Association of Friendship Centres, United Way Centraide Canada, YMCA Canada, and YWCA Canada. These organizations provide services that communities, particularly the most vulnerable and hardest hit among us, need to continue the fight against COVID-19 and to support recovery.

Charities and non-profits providing community services have been working day and night to serve community members through the pandemic and the challenges have been great. At the same time many have suffered funding cuts, they have been forced to adopt new service models aligned with public health guidelines while addressing community needs that are increasingly complex.

We cannot afford losses in this vital sector. These organizations provide services that support economic growth and mitigate public health costs while serving as significant employers. The economic and case for action on the CSCRF is clear. I urge you to implement a CSCRF program as quickly as possible.

Respectfully,

Heather McPherson
Member of Parliament for Edmonton Strathcona