Community One Foundation awards inaugural RBC Community Rainbow Grant

New $10,000 grant will support services for queer and trans immigrants

TORONTO, May 4, 2012 /CNW/ - Last night, Community One Foundation announced the recipients of its 2012 Rainbow Grants at an event at the Flying Beaver Pubaret, hosted by comedian and radio personality Maggie Cassella.

Eighteen grants, totaling more than $50,000, were awarded to a broad range of organizations and individuals in the Greater Toronto Area.

This year's grants included the inaugural RBC Community Rainbow Grant, which was awarded to Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services to enable the creation of an innovative NewTQs project to provide services for newcomer queer and trans communities in the Greater Toronto Area.

Operating out of Access Alliance's Scarborough location, the NewTQs project will hire two LGBTQ+ newcomer Peer Outreach Workers to organize drop-in sessions, outings and community forums for newcomers.

"This funding will enable us to provide new and exciting opportunities for LGBTQ newcomers across the GTA," said Axelle Janczur, the Executive Director of Access Alliance. "Our goal is to create a safe, welcoming environment in our agency for LGBTQ newcomers and provide them with opportunities for community involvement and access to much needed services.  Over the next twelve months, two newcomer Peer Outreach Workers will engage the community with activities ranging from social gatherings to city orientations to community development workshops."

"RBC is proud to be able to help organizations like Access Alliance deliver much-needed services to our newest Canadians," said Jennifer Tory, Regional Vice-President, GTA at RBC Royal Bank. "Diversity is an essential part of our success as a community, and it's only by fostering a truly inclusive environment that we can create a better Canada for all of us."

Community One Foundation has supported more than 1,000 innovative community projects in the past 22 years to organizations that enhance the development of LGBTTIQQ2S (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, intersex, queer, questioning, 2-spirited) communities in the GTA. The RBC Community Rainbow Grant is the result of a strategic partnership between RBC Royal Bank and the Community One Foundation that was formed in spring of 2011.

About Community One Foundation:

Community One Foundation is an LGBTTIQQ2S foundation which provides grants to organizations for projects that enhance the development of the LGBTTIQQ2S communities in the Greater Toronto Area.  Since being established as the Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal of Toronto more than 30 years ago, more than 1,000 important and innovative community projects have been supported through the generous contributions of our donors. More info at: http://communityone.ca/

About the Rainbow Grants program:

The Rainbow Grants Program provides much-needed resources to organizations and individuals that support and embrace the diversity of LGBTTIQQ2S communities in the areas of education, health, human rights, arts & culture, research and (non-governmental) advocacy. Grants are made to projects that will have a demonstrable impact on the broader community.  For a full listing of the 2012 grant recipients, see: http://communityone.ca/index.php?id=77

About the RBC Community Rainbow Grant:

In 2011, RBC Royal Bank partnered with Community One Foundation to create the RBC Community Rainbow Grant, which is available to a registered charity for up to $10,000. The RBC Community Rainbow Grant focuses on one or more of the following key areas:

• Seeding new and innovative projects to combat discrimination on the basis of sexual/gender identity and create an atmosphere of respect and acceptance,
• Supporting needed but underfunded services to LGBT individuals and families, and
• Providing programming specifically aimed at supporting newcomers to Canada who have identified themselves with the LGBT community.

Community One Foundation Media Contact:  James Allan: [email protected]
RBC Royal Bank Media Contact:    Gayle Longley: [email protected]
Access Alliance Media Contact:   Vera Kevic: [email protected]