Social Justice Fund Projects

Information on projects approved for support by the Agriculture Union's Social Justice Fund can be viewed below:

The project outlines are summaries prepared in standardized form for the interest of our members. Copies of original submissions are available on request from the Agriculture Union National Office.

Click on any of the following titles to view information on a particular SJF project:

Lethbridge Food Banks Garden

Shipment of seeds to Zimbabwe Co-operatives to provide food security

Easter donation of beef to Prince Edward Island food banks

$10,000 donation to the Canadian Red Cross for Haitian earthquake relief

Support for production of a video on the history of the National Farmers Union

Gift packages for individuals and families at homeless shelters, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Programs to counter student drop-outs at Polyvalente Hyacinthe Delorme secondary school,

St. Hyacinthe, Quebec

Breakfast Program at Hope Cottage, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Awareness-raising on social justice issues in a largely rural area, Grande Prairie, Alberta

Donation of beef to food bank, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia

Operation Christmas Child, Africa

Community development in Mozambique

Integrated rural development project in the village of Musepur, Uttar Pradesh state, India

Agriculture development project in Mukeu, Kenya

PROJECT: Lethbridge Food Banks Garden

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2010

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Lorna Selinger and Shannan Little, Local 48, Lethbridge, AB

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Agriculture Union Local 48 and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: An anti-poverty initiative that will see the creation of a garden to provide fresh produce in season to clients of the food banks in Lethbridge.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $1,200

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Fresh produce to donate to Lethbridge food banks. Gardening education and experience for volunteers. Enhanced spirit of cooperation and community among Agriculture members at the Lethbridge Research Centre.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: lorna.selinger@agr.gc.ca and shannan.little@agr.gc.ca

WEB SITE ARTICLES:    April 2010

PROJECT: Shipment of seeds to Zimbabwe Co-operatives to provide food security

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2010

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Howard Willems, Third National Executive Vice-President

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Saskatchewan Zimbabwe Committee

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: Emergency shipment of one million packets of seeds by container to the Organization of Collective Co-ops of Zimbabwe alleviate food shortages caused by a catastrophic crop failure.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $2,000

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Planting and harvesting of important food resources and providing food security to Zimbabwe communities in desperate condition.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: gman1@sasktel.net and kossickd@sasktel.net

WEB SITE ARTICLES:     April 2010

PROJECT: Easter Donation of beef to Prince Edward Island food banks

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2010

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Gary Paynter, Local 4, Charlottetown, PEI

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Agriculture Union Local 4

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: Donation of some 350 kilograms of dressed beef to Charlottetown and Summerside food banks just in time for the Easter holiday. The gift was made possible by the Local’s purchase of a prize steer at the Easter Beef Show in Charlottetown.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $1,500

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Assists the local beef industry during difficult economic times and helping some of the Islands least fortunate families while raising the Agriculture Union’s profile throughout PEI.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: glpayntr@pei.sympatico.ca

WEB SITE ARTICLES:    April 2010

PROJECT: $10,000 donation to the Canadian Red Cross for Haitian earthquake relief

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2010

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Agriculture Union National Executive

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Saskatchewan Zimbabwe Committee

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: A $10,000 donation to the Canadian Red Cross, on behalf of all Agriculture Union members, to help provide desperately-needed food and shelter to the survivors of the January 2010 earthquake.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $10,000

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Assist in the reconstruction of Haiti and ease the suffering of millions of the Haitian people.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=33898&tid=001

PROJECT: Support for production of a video on the history of the National Farmers Union

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2009

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Agriculture Union National Executive

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: National Farmers Union

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: Filmed oral history of the highlights and contributions of the National Farmers Union to Canadian Society in its 40-year history.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $1,500

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: A video entitled Voices of the NFU - In Union is Strength, produced in both short (five to 10 minute) and long (20 to 25 minute) versions, with all interview footage preserved for future use and archival purposes.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: http://www.nfu.ca

PROJECT: Gift packages for individuals and families at homeless shelters, Halifax, Nova Scotia

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2009

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Deborah Young, Local 2, Halifax

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: PSAC Halifax Human Rights Committee

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: Assembly of Christmas gift packages for individuals and families at two Halifax homeless shelters

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $500

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Over 250 gift bags and a happier holiday season for the residents of the Halifax Metro Turning Point and Phoenix House homeless shelters.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: http://www.psacatlantic.com/humanrights

PROJECT: Programs to counter student drop-outs at Polyvalente Hyacinthe Delorme secondary school, St. Hyacinthe, Quebec

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2009

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Louise Savoie, Local 80, St. Hyacinthe

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Secondary School Advisory Council, consisting of directors, teachers, students and parents.

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: To develop and support such programs as the 'Projet media jeunesse' (Youth Media Project) accessible below.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $25,000

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Greater student motivation, skills-building and a reduced drop-out rate.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: http://www.abm.cssh.qc.ca/

PROJECT: Breakfast Program at Hope Cottage, Halifax, Nova Scotia

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2008, 2009

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Deborah Young, Local 2, Halifax

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Hope Cottage is a charitable organization whose mission is to provide meals to those who cannot afford to obtain these meals themselves. It serves over 200 meals a day, Monday to Friday.

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: One day a month throughout the year, Local 2 members prepare breakfast for the residents of Hope Cottage

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $500

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Providing nourishing meals to those who would otherwise go hungry.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: http://www.hopecottage.ca/

WEB SITE ARTICLES:    December 2009     December 2008

PROJECT: Awareness-raising on social justice issues in a largely rural area, Grande Prairie, Alberta

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2009

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Andony Melathopoulos, Local 45, Beaver Lodge, Alberta

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Grande Prairie and District Labour Council

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: A 90-minute discussion following a film screening and an hour-long discussion at the local college workshop on social justice concerns in the Grande Prairie area, particularly with regard to issues faced by members of the LGBT communities in a largely rural region.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $300

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Permit isolated social justice groups in a small rural community to reflect on the larger aims of their activities and to better work together going forward..

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: melathopoulos@yahoo.ca

PROJECT: Donation of beef to food bank, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2009

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Traci Gowan, Local 58, Nappan, Nova Scotia

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Agriculture Union Local 58

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: This annual project sees Local 58 members purchase a high quality steer at the Cumberland County 4-H Show and Sale auction. The Local then arranges for the beef to be dressed, packaged and delivered to the local food bank.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $1,115

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Quality food provided the approximately 250 families who rely on the food bank while the accompanying publicity shows our neighbours are benefiting from the Nappan Experimental Farm’s staff being a vibrant part of the community.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: traci.gowan@agr.gc.ca

WEB SITE ARTICLES:    October 2008

PROJECT: Operation Christmas Child, Africa

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2008, 2009

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Deborah Young, Local 2, Halifax

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Operation Christmas Child

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: The Halifax project is part of the Operation Christmas Child program operated by Samaritan's Purse, a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $1,500

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Close to 900 shoeboxes were shipped to Africa in time for the holidays. Boxes contained useful basic essentials to improve the lives of hundreds of deserving African orphans. More than $3,000 was also raised in cash contributions to defray mailing costs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/

WEB SITE ARTICLES:    December 2009     December 2008

PROJECT: Community development in Mozambique

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2009, 2010

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Marianne Hladun, CFIA, Saskatchewan

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Training for Health Renewal Program

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: The Training for Health Renewal Program (THRP) partnership program between the University of Saskatchewan and the Ministry of Health in Mozambique has played a major role in pushing the agenda of a comprehensive community health and development in the rural areas of Mozambique. THRP runs both a program that trains health workers to become community health workers and a program that trains 'community activistas' to assume leadership in community health and development initiatives. THRP has been a recipient of organized labour support for many years.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $7,500 per year for 2009 and 2010

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Supporting the Zambo ni Zambo ('Step By Step') youth team over a 24-month period as they work on community development initiatives. Their role is to provide advice and guidance to the local community to increase economic activity.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: http://thrp.usask.ca/

WEB SITE ARTICLES:   August 2009     March 2009

PROJECT: Integrated rural development project in the village of Musepur, Uttar Pradesh state, India

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2009

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Harmesh Sider and Sid Wong, CFIA, British Columbia

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Vivek Educational Foundation of Canada

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: Vivek Educational Foundation of Canada is helping improve the standard of living of villagers in remote and disadvantaged regions of India by encouraging their participation in rural development projects to improve health, sanitation and education services.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $6,000 (one-time funding)

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Support for three elementary schools in the villages of Musepur, Khirkia Bargadia and Rajan Colony, located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh near the Nepalese border. Vivek is also constructing a multipurpose building in Musepur. Solar lamps to replace kerosene lamps; basic furniture for class room and library; one computer; one water pump; two toilets and one septic tank.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: http://www.vivekcanada.org/

WEB SITE ARTICLES:    April 2010     June 2009     March 2009

PROJECT: Agriculture development project in Mukeu, Kenya

YEAR(S) FUNDED: 2009

MEMBER(S) SUBMITTING FUNDING REQUEST: Kami Swanson, CFIA, Alberta

NAME OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Compassion Works International

CAPSULE DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION: Compassion Works International aims to empower needy people with skills, knowledge and health to enable them to sustain a better quality of life.

AMOUNT OF FUNDING: $12,000 (one-time funding)

EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Completion of an efficient, replicable milking parlor/feed storage barn. Water and manure collection methods established. Area farmers trained in better management and feed storage practices for livestock. Improvement of human and livestock health. Solar water disinfection methods in place in as many homes as possible. Basic computer training for youth.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: www.cwionline.org

WEB SITE ARTICLES:    June 2009     March 2009