Media Release: REST Centres Celebrates Inauguration of New Office and $45,000 in Provincial Government Funding
MEDIA RELEASE
February 28th 2024
REST Centres Celebrates Inauguration of New Office and $45,000 in Provincial Government Funding
Brampton, ON – On Wednesday, the REST Centres inaugurated their new office space at 45 Glenn Hawthorne Boulevard in Mississauga. The team at REST Centres took the opportunity to also recognize a $45,000 Capital grant they received from the Ontario Government through the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
“R.E.S.T has played a crucial role in our community helping homeless and at-risk BIPOC youth in Mississauga,” said Deepak Anand, MPP for Mississauga—Malton. “By allowing them to purchase a new vehicle through a Capital grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, R.E.S.T will be able to better serve our community and continue their great work.”
The grant, first awarded in November of 2022, allowed REST Centres to strengthen its capacity to deliver key services and support to homeless and at-risk BIPOC youth facing housing insecurity by funding the purchase of a new service vehicle, which will operate out of the newly inaugurated Mississauga office.
“The Ontario Trillium Foundation and Peel Region support is timely and transformative. With these supports grant, REST Centres can now more effectively fulfill its mission “We help raise BIPOC youth out of housing insecurity in Peel Region “and contribute significantly to the well-being of the Peel Region community," affirmed Ms. Dagma Koyi, Executive Director of REST Centres.
REST Centres, a Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-focused (B3) non-governmental organization, established since 2015 by Ms. Dagma Koyi. Since its establishment REST Centres has dynamically responded to the surging demand for its services by expanding programs and intensifying outreach efforts, reaching over 200 youth annually. The OTF grant has played a pivotal role in scaling up service delivery, notably through the acquisition of an eight-seater vehicle designed to facilitate community-based services, support, and education for homeless and at-risk BIPOC youth.
REST Centres encourages community members and organizations to join hands in the ongoing efforts to combat youth homelessness. For more information on REST Centres’ initiatives or to support the cause, please visit www.restcentres.org.
“Non-profit organizations across Ontario deliver programming that makes a difference,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “That’s why funding that my ministry is providing through the OTF is so important. Our government wants to ensure that these programs and spaces remain the heart of communities across our province.”
The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
For more information, please contact:
Dagma Koyi, Executive Director and Founder
REST Centres
1-905-863-1118