Merrymount’s $600K funding ask referred to budget talks and London’s community grant program

A social agency’s request to the city for more than $600,000 is being directed toward the 2019 budget talks and London’s community grant program.

Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre asked for the money to bridge a funding gap as a result of increased demands for its services during budget talks earlier this month, drawing a crowd to council chambers which spoke to the centre’s benefit in the community.

The facility is in Coun. Phil Squire’s Ward 6. He told fellow councillors during Tuesday night’s meeting that it offers some of the most important services in London.

“When there’s a child at night, when their parents aren’t around and … police need a place to bring a baby or a very young child, that’s where they do it.”

According to its website, Merrymount serves 8,000 families a year, offers 30 education and prevention programs, and has 18 beds that are full every night with children who can’t be with their families.

The funding request comes in two chunks. Council referred nearly $370,000 of the ask to the 2019 budget process for consideration and quashed moving the remainder of the ask — nearly $240,000 — to the next multi-year budget in favour of a motion that would direct the agency to apply for city hall’s community grants program next year.

“The community really seems to value the integrity of the community grants program,” Squire said. “They understand it’s something they can apply for, they understand who are the decision makers — it’s not a political decision — that it’s made on an impartial basis.”

Councillors also agreed to help the agency investigate other sources of funding, including those available through the provincial and federal governments.

London’s 2019 budget goes before council for a final debate and vote in mid-February.