Each year, the City of Kamloops issues a call for proposals for registered charities and non-profit agencies in our community to apply for Social and Community Development Grants, which are intended to fund special projects, operational costs, and/or capital expenditures that address specific current social problems and/or issues related to the City’s Social Plan or the Livability pillar of the Council Strategic Plan.

The Kamloops Music Collective received a $2,000 Social and Community Development Grant in 2022. This is how the grant was used:

Submitted by the Kamloops Music Collective

The grant that we received from the City of Kamloops Social and Community Development Committee paid for six of our staff members to take a two-day Mental Heath First Aid course as part of our Music Matters for Mental Wellness program.

The Music Matters for Mental Wellness program supports young musicians who enjoy being creative in a supportive and inspiring environment. Through their participation in music, young musicians develop confidence and skills that they need to overcome challenges and better cope with adversity. But, most importantly, the Music Matters for Mental Wellness program music helps kids find a pathway to make new social connections that will help them build empathy and become better collaborators and community members.

“The Mental Health First Aid training that was provided to us before the start of our music programs was great! It helped give us the skills to recognize when young musicians might be struggling, and it helped up to know when how to properly respond to youth how might be having difficulties. We are very grateful to the City of Kamloops for funding the specialized Mental Health First Aid training through the Social and Community Development Grant.” said Paige Olsen, Kamloops Music Collective faculty member.

To learn more about this grant, visit Kamloops.ca/Grants. To view stories on how other groups used their Social and Community Development Grants, visit Kamloops.ca/CityStory.