We gratefully acknowledge the support from The Ontario Trillium Foundation for their belief in our Resilient Communities Fund grant (April 2023- April 2025).

Like many charities, the pandemic impacted our organization, putting it on the brink of catastrophe. With the generosity and support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we were able to rebuild our organization and reinvigorate staff and implement new programs. We were able to hire two incredible employees for the two-year grant that began the rebuilding process.

The first program was our Holiday Hampers! This was brought on by seeing a need for our clients and having Linda and Anielle ask the question, “Why can’t we do this?” and this conversation quickly turned into: “How” and “How fast” can we do this? It was a brainstorm session between us that turned into a full-fledged and ongoing and sustainable program.

The second program is our Project S.A.S.S., (Seizure Aware Safe Space), where we are providing a free training program to businesses and organizations in the Niagara region that focuses on seizure recognition and what to do if a customer has a seizure on their premises. After training is completed, they will receive a decal to display that lets people know they are in a Seizure Aware Safe Space.

As a result of this grant, we’ve also created an annual event to help support the organization, developed the ideas for future events, and developed a strategic plan. We also have built a strong social media presence that reflects our brand and is consistent, engaging, fun, and informative.

Without the support from Ontario Trillium Foundation, we may not have survived. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

The Epilepsy Niagara Team.