Provincial officials met with local shelter staff to highlight the success from their grant’s support.
On Wednesday, MPP Dave Smith met with the staff at the YES Shelter for Youth and Families to discuss the impact of a $47,200 Resilient Communities Fund grant received in 2023 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). We spoke with Aimee Le Lagadec, Executive Director, who talks about how it’s benefitted.
The grant has enabled significant improvements in the organization, enhancing service quality, employee wellness, workplace culture, and staff retention. Key changes include committing to paying all staff a living wage of $20.60 per hour, increasing the annual sick day allowance from three to ten days, and implementing a wellness spending account providing full-time employees with $500 annually for wellness-related expenses.
Another key area is the shelter’s internal policies. Le Lagadec gives one specific case.
“This funding from the province of Ontario through the Ontario Trillium Foundation will not only help with the rising cost of living but will also help with the mental health and well-being of those who take care of some of our most vulnerable population,” said Dave Smith, MPP for Peterborough-Kawartha.
We asked Le Lagadec about the shelter’s recent impacts.
“Given the immensely important role played by all staff at our agency and the levels of risk and responsibility associated with front line positions, these changes needed to be made,” said Aimee Le Lagadec, Executive Director of the YES Shelter for Youth and Families. “We are extremely grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for making it possible for us to zoom out and incorporate these changes into our official YES policies.”
(Written by: Noah Lorusso)
