May 4, 2005 For Immediate Release TORONTO -- The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Member of Parliament for St. Paul's and Minister of State (Public Health), today announced the Public Health Agency of Canada will provide $60,000, funded by a grant from the Financial Assistance to National Voluntary Health Organizations initiative, to the Easter Seals/March of Dimes National Council to enhance its capacity to serve Canadians living with disabilities. "The Government of Canada is pleased to provide funding to this project, which will increase the ability of national disability groups to collaborate and better respond to challenges and opportunities, raise awareness of disability issues within the corporate sector, and increase interaction with multi-ethnic/cultural persons with disabilities," said Minister Bennett. The organization will work with the Advisory Council of Disability Organizations, which include: Canadian Association of the Deaf, Canadian Association of Independent Living, Canadian Paraplegic Association and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. The Easter Seals/March of Dimes National Council is committed to excellence in serving Canadians with physical disabilities. The National Council is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, self-esteem and self-determination of all Canadians with disabilities and undertakes activities that fully support the total social and economic integration of Canadians with disabilities into society. The purpose of the Financial Assistance to National Voluntary Health Organizations initiative is to contribute to increasing the capacity of national voluntary organizations working in health, to meet the challenges of the future by promoting joint action and collaboration within and across the sectors to address common issues or concerns of a training, skill development or policy nature. Support is provided for organizations to work collaboratively to address an identified need and propose innovative solutions to their common concerns and challenges. Specifically, the initiative is designed to support projects that have a national impact, promote building networks, alliances and other collaborative mechanisms to address capacity issues of mutual priority to the sector and the Public Health Agency of Canada; to promote cooperative skill-building initiatives that strengthen the ability of staff and volunteers to effect change and to respond to challenges and opportunities; and to develop and disseminate knowledge to ensure the broadest cross-section of organizations will benefit. This initiative is managed by the Office of the Voluntary Sector (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/vs-sb/voluntarysector/index.html) ,which has responsibility for health policy and voluntary sector issues, building voluntary sector capacity through organizational and sector development grants, and plays the lead for Agency and Health Canada participation in the Federal Voluntary Sector Initiative. -30- Media Inquiries: Tricia Geddes Office of the Minister of State (Public Health) 613-941-8081
