Innisfil, Ont.’s mayor, council and chief administrative officer are donating 10 per cent of their monthly salaries to a new fund that will provide monthly micro-grants to people and groups who have been negatively affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Town council voted unanimously for the “Innisfil Helping Hands” initiative on Wednesday.
“So many people in our community have told us their heartbreaking stories about losing their jobs, their way of life, and so much more because of this pandemic,” Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin said in a statement.
“Although the salary donations are not large amounts of money, it really mattered to each of us that we dig into our own pockets and provide some relief in a way that isn’t complicated or cumbersome.”
The new program will provide small, direct assistance to those who are struggling with urgent needs, many of whom are still waiting for aid from other levels of government.
The mini grants will be distributed by a subcommitte of town council that will review requests from people and groups, starting the first week of May.
“While we understand that there may be more requests than there is funding, we know we have to act now and in a way that only a tight-knit community can,” Innisfil CAO Jason Reynar said in a statement.
The town council subcommittee will meet monthly, and council will consider the length of the program after the second month.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported 16 cases of the novel coronavirus in Innisfil and 221 in Simcoe County.
On Friday, Ontario reported 13,519 cases of COVID-19, including 763 deaths.
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