Trellis receives $25,600 from CGC

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Trellis Society’s Strathmore branch recently received a donation of $25,600 from the Canadian Gypsum Corporation (CGC), following a charity fundraiser hosted in Calgary.

“It is very exciting, very unexpected. This does not usually happen to us, so we are all very excited about it,” said Amelia Blondin, program manager for the Strathmore Chestermere Family Resource Network. “We will be able to use some of that money to do some more programming in communities, we will be able to do some larger community events like barbeques, blanket exercises, and more Indigenous programming.”

Blondin explained there was some notice that the donation would be made, though it was largely made out of the blue.

Estimating how far the donation may go towards aiding the community, Blondin said a Kairos Blanket Exercise may cost around $1,000 to host, simply as an example case.

Steve Youngblut, general manager of CGC, added that The Trellis Society was a natural fit to be the recipient of this donation, because of the alignment in their vision and values. 

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to establish a presence in Wheatland County. This community has embraced us – that’s why our top priority is to be a positive influence in Alberta not only economically, but socially as well.” 

The Trellis Society offers parent and caregiver support and early childhood, youth and family programs in Wheatland County and across Alberta.

“The Strathmore Trellis serves people (aged) 0-18 and their families. (We) serve everybody – we have preschools, we have housing programs, we have after school clubs … there are a lot of programs that serve people in all walks of life,” said Blondin. 

“This gift allows Trellis to reach more people and offer more opportunities to grow and create community connections. It is rare that this size of a donation comes to us from corporate donors,” said Michele Chiasson-Suart, Senior Development Officer at Trellis. “We are grateful for CGC’s support in working towards our vision of a community where everyone can flourish.”

As a family resource network, Blondin added Trellis is going into their fourth year within the community. Previously, the organization served as a parent link centre. 

More information regarding the Trellis Society and their operations can be found online via their website and social media pages.