Onkaparinga council has approved a new community grant to support its residents’ social isolation, mental health, financial security and food security in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

The $50,000 community wellbeing and resilience fund will be used to support existing community groups that work with individuals and families, particularly disadvantaged ones, by expanding their programs or creating new ones.

Grants of between $500 and $2000 will be available to each applicant and are open to any incorporated community group operating within the City of Onkaparinga.

Examples of community-led programs that could be funded by the grant include those that:

• Support residents to have access to safe, affordable, culturally appropriate and nutritious food.
• Enable communities to support each other to reduce social isolation.
• Up-skill workers to move into another career path.
• Provide financial advice and support to those that have lost jobs or suffered a drop in income.
• Enable young people in the community to provide support, for example in replacing at-risk volunteers.

The funds allocated to this grant are from savings identified in a 2019-20 budget review, and it aims to fill a gap between other COVID-19 relief measures council is providing, as well as those provided by organisations, businesses and the state and federal governments.

 “Times are tough right now, but we’re all in this together and this fund adds to a suite of COVID-19 relief measures already introduced by council to help ease the strain on our communities,” says Mayor Erin Thompson.

“We’re continuing to work through what other support options can be offered to our community as people continue to be impacted by the virus.

“It’s important we make sure that meaningful relief is provided to those who really need it.”

Building Resilience grant applications are now open, for full details go to the Onkaparinga website.

Information for this story was sourced from a council community announcement published in Onkaparinga Now.