19 January 2022 - Ottawa - Veterans Affairs Canada
Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, alongside Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre and the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Member of Parliament for Ottawa South, announced that Helmets to Hardhats, Ottawa Innercity Ministries and Perley Health have been awarded funding through the Veteran and Family Well‑Being Fund.
Located in Ottawa, Helmets to Hardhats will receive $700,000 to assist women and LGBTQ2 Veterans in skilled trades careers. They will assist Veterans, serving reservists, dependents and youth in finding rewarding career opportunities in the construction and related industries across Canada, concentrating solely on eligible women and LGBTQ2 individuals.
The Ottawa Innercity Ministries will receive $175,000 to fund their Operation Inclusion Project. The project will support outreach and activities to address the rise in social isolation, anxiety and mental health difficulties faced by homeless, shut-in, and at-risk Veterans, increasingly so since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Located in Ottawa, Perley Health will receive $131,050 to fund a project that will gain a better understanding of older Veteran and family health and well-being over time and across settings using the determinants of health model, and to use implementation science to evaluate the proposed programs and policies.
All recipients will use this funding for initiatives that improve the well-being of Veterans and their families. This year, selected organizations are addressing issues affecting Veterans and their families during the post COVID-19 recovery, such as homelessness, retraining, employment, and health challenges, along with supporting equity-seeking groups such as women and LGBTQ2 Veterans. This support is made possible through additional investments in the Veteran and Family Well‑Being Fund in Budget 2021.
Since 2018, the Veteran and Family Well‑Being Fund has provided financial support to private, public and academic organizations striving to improve the lives of Veterans and their families through innovative projects, initiatives and research.
