When St. Albert Community Foundation’s award recipients met for A Celebration of Philanthropy on Tuesday, Dec. 3, a major announcement was made.
President Doug Campbell stated that after a strategic planning meeting, the board opted to change the agency’s name to St. Albert Sturgeon Community Foundation.
“For a number of years, we’ve been funding charities in Sturgeon County and Morinville. The name change better reflects the geographic area of our foundation,” said Campbell.
He added that the name change is an additional encouragement for Sturgeon County residents to set up contributions to invest long-term for their communities’ needs.
Founded in 1997, the foundation encourages citizens to set up endowment funds as a permanent legacy for generations to come. It currently lists $4 million in trust funds. Under Canada Revenue Agency regulations, foundations must disperse a minimum four percent annually to non-profits and charities.
The Tuesday reception held at Century Casino, congratulated 12 spring grant recipients and 18 fall grant recipients that received a total of $171,150. The fall's crop of recipients received grants between $1,000 and $12,500.
Most groups were repeat recipients, however St. Albert Evangelical Lutheran Church Refugee Ministry was new. The church is attempting to resettle an Afghan family (husband, wife, two small children) now hiding in Pakistan.
Jeff Wedmen, refugee ministry chair, stated the husband was a major in the National Police. When the Taliban took control, he went into hiding. The Taliban later announced a general amnesty. He returned home, but several days later was imprisoned. Through the influence of his father-in-law, he was released, and the foursome fled the country.
“We raised eight percent of what we needed. The foundation helped with the rest. They are currently in Pakistan at the mercy of the government. With your support, we are saving the life of a man, his wife and two children,” Jeff Wedman.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta was also a new recipient. Since the war in Ukraine broke out in 2022, the province has accepted 65,000 refugees. St. Albert hosts the fourth largest migration in Alberta said Orysia Boychuk, representative for the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta. The grant was to assist with different programs.
“I was taken aback by the numbers of Ukrainians who were part of St. Albert and the broad spectrum of work they do,” Campbell said. STAR Literacy was a repeat recipient, and he noted the work it performs assisting newly arrived immigrants at the Newcomer’s Centre.
KidSports received funding five years ago and was once more a recipient for sport program registrations. In addition, the Sturgeon Community Hospital Foundation was given a grant to purchase a Mini-Telemetry monitor that measures fetal heart rate in uterine and during birth.
The Royal Alexandra Hospital was given two grants. One provides funding for the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Unit while the second was to purchase 10 waterproof dopplers. Neonatal dopplers can identify blood flows and congenital or vascular abnormalities during the birthing experience.
Although Wilderness Youth Challenge Program is a repeat recipient, Campbell speaks highly of its work with at risk youth in helping them develop better decision-making skills.
“This youth program has a real impact on the community. When you look at the list of activities, all the recipients make an impact on mental health. Through the work they do, they make a huge impact on the community.”
In addition, the foundation also gave out $38,000 in grants to 12 St. Albert high school students from the Humboldt Broncos Fund. It also established the Const. David Wynn Memorial Award giving $500 to six high school students planning a career in police work or as an EMT or paramedic.
2024 Fall Grant Recipients
• Arts and Heritage Foundation of St. Albert
• ElderDog Canada
• Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation
• Kaleo Collective
• KDM Helping Hands
• KidSport – St. Albert
• Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation
• Second Chance Animal Rescue Foundation (SCARS)
• St. Albert Evangelical Lutheran Church Refugee Ministry
• St. Albert Family Resource Centre
• St. Albert Rotary Music Festival
• St. Albert Sturgeon Hospice Association
• STAR Literacy
• Stop Abuse in Families (SAIF)
• Sturgeon Community Hospital Foundation
• Transitions Rehabilitation Association of St. Albert & District
• Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta
• Wellspring Alberta Cancer Support
• Wilderness Youth Challenge Program
