The Halifax Regional Police Foundation awarded its very first grant on Monday, choosing the Dartmouth-based Take Action Society to kick off a portfolio of beneficiaries that support community safety and inclusion.
The society helps at-risk youth and community members break out of poverty by providing free workshops, events and resources, and will use the one-time gift of $5,000 to offer a cybersecurity and internet skills program for teens and youth.
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The package includes a series of e-books, four iPads, a laptop, and specialized mentoring from Halifax Regional Police officers themselves.
“One of the neat, neat aspects of the foundation will be that dual side of things,” said Halifax police chief Jean-Michel Blais at the foundation’s official launch ceremony on Monday.
“One will be the actual financial contribution, as well as the contribution of time and effort by our employees, sworn officers as well as civilians in various events, and this is a perfect example.”
That relationship-building aspect is just as important as the cash itself, added Take Action Society youth leader and Dartmouth High School student Kayley Dixon, who was on hand to receive the cheque.
“I think that it’s important for the youth to see police and see people in power walking through their community centre, their space, because I think that’s the only way to create these positive relationships,” she explained.
“We can’t just see them in the news, we can’t just see them out policing the community. We need to see them in their down time.”
The HRP Foundation was created in 2017 and has since collected about $150,000 that will go toward community groups and projects that address the root causes of crime and would not normally receive public funding. The foundation is currently in the process of finalizing its board of governors and developing terms of reference for selecting beneficiaries.
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A large portion of its pot — $100,000 — was donated on Monday by Halifax entrepreneurs Mickey and Colin MacDonald.
“Growing up in Fairview, we were kind of taught that the police were the bad guys,” said Mickey MacDonald, president and CEO of Micco Companies. “I think the initiatives that the chief is talking about is something to break the walls down.”
The launch ceremony was attended by police officers and local celebrities, including Mayor Mike Savage and Special Olympics Nova Scotia swimming medallist Leighanne Porter-Salvaterra.