Agencies Benefit from Government Grants

Sunday 11 April 2004
Surrey/North Delta Leader

Four Surrey groups will receive a total of more than $210,000 in provincial grant money to help upgrade their community facilities.

The Surrey Food Bank Society, Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary, Ex-Brittania Red Lions Athletic and B.C. Family Hearing Resource Society will all receive capital grants from the Ministry of Public Safety and the Solicitor General to help them build their agencies.

The B.C. Family Hearing resource Society will get $75,000 to help develop a hearing lending library and the Surrey Food Bank will get just under $21,000 for capital expansion.

"These groups do important work in our community and are looking to expand their ability to do even more," Surrey-Green Timbers MLA Brenda Locke said.

"These government grants should help the groups get major projects moving so they can continue to contribute to the community."

Surrey-Tynehead MLA Dave Hayer said the B.C. Family Hearing Resource Society - which opened its new building at 15220 - 92nd Ave., on Oct. 30, 2003 - has previously received $650,000 in Children and Family Development Ministry grants to help with its building and contents.

"This government also helped the preschool replace its old communication equipment for children who have difficult hearing," Hayer said, noting the centre, which helps more than 325 children and their families from all across B.C., also receives annual operating funds from the children and families ministry.

Both Locke and Hayer halve also helped the Surrey Food Bank raise food donations over the last five years, and through a community group, have raised money to buy the agency a truck. "We've been helping the food bank in other ways for a long time," Hayer said.

The Ex-Brittania Red Lions Athletics group will get $100,000 to develop John Oliver Park into a rugby facility, and the Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary will receive $15,000 to buy a mobile office unit and set up its grounds.

"Not only do these groups benefit from the grants but so does the entire community," Hayer said. "Groups like these four are integral to healthy communities and this government recognizes just how important they are."