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Introducing The New Bilingual www.dementiahelp.ca

$47,900 OTF Grant Opens Window to Dementia Help

Ottawa, ON – In 2021, the Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County received a $47,900 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. This grant supports the digital transformation of the organization including the development of a new user-friendly bilingual website and modernization of the donor relationship management system.

“This investment in the digital transformation of our local dementia support agency by the Ontario Trillium Foundation is transformational for the thousands of people impacted by dementia in our region,” said John Fraser, MPP for Ottawa South. “People living with dementia—and the exponential number of people who support and care for them—will benefit from the ease of finding and accessing the services they need to enhance the quality of life and reduce isolation.”

Completed in March, this investment gives the growing number of people impacted by dementia in Ottawa and Renfrew County easy access to the support, services and education they need in the official language of their choice. It also provides the Society with a stronger digital fund development infrastructure from which to recover from the loss of donor revenues resulting from uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Developed in consultation with people impacted by dementia, dementiahelp.ca offers over 400 pages of information and resources and 75 in-person and virtual education and social and recreational activities. Because these supports and services can now be more easily accessed, people in Ottawa and Renfrew County will benefit by staying active and connected, and live better with this chronic illness. The upgrade of The Dementia Society’s donor relationship management systems supports more efficient and user-friendly approaches to connect Dementia Society supporters to fundraising approaches coming out of the pandemic.

“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be underestimated,” said Wendy Grimshaw, CEO of The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew. “In this, our 40th year of operations, the renewal of our local service organization’s main interface with our community is critical to providing the compassionate support, tailored coaching and practical education needed so that here, no one faces dementia alone. This Ontario Trillium Foundation grant supports our ability to be the lifeline people have needed during the pandemic, and will allow us to serve our community better, tomorrow.”

More information about The Dementia Society’s free programs and services is available at dementiahelp.ca, including online chat and telephone support staffed 6 days a week. The Dementia Society is the Ministry-funded provider of community-based dementia support in Ottawa and Renfrew County. Through additional fund development initiatives we develop, deliver and innovate a wide range of social, recreational and educational programs to reduce isolation, and support and engage people living with dementia, their caregivers and families.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

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Dementia Society Media Contact:
Kate Holmes, Director of Development and Education
The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County
Phone: 613.523.4004 ext. 3104
eMail: kholmes@dsorc.org

 

                                   

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