MEDIA RELEASE
Mississauga, ON – In May 2021, Mind Forward Brain Injury Services Ontario received a $148,100 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). This grant is helping Mind Forward address difficulties that individuals with acquired brain injuries (ABI) and their families face when accessing rehabilitative services during the pandemic.
“I am thrilled that Mind Forward Brain Injury Services, an organization which serves to support persons in our community who suffer from the effects of an acquired brain injury, will be receiving strong supports courtesy of the OTF’s Resilient Communities Fund to recover from the impact that COVID-19 has imposed on their services,” said Natalia Kusendova, MPP for Mississauga Centre. “With this new funding, Mind Forward will be better able to support clients and their families virtually, leading to more efficient and more accessible service provision that will no doubt have a positive impact in our community.”
Restrictions imposed by the ongoing pandemic required Mind Forward to offer many of its services virtually. The Resilient Communities Fund grant permitted Mind Forward to purchase equipment for those who could not afford it, provide ongoing tech-based education and problem solving to all members of the ABI community, and incorporate new technologies that will make service delivery more efficient for years to come.
Currently, Mind Forward has supplied 40 families with Chromebook computers which they are able to use to access virtual day service groups, meetings with their case managers and clinical / medical appointments. A partnership has also been established with Rogers Communications to offer subsidized internet service. Additionally, Mind Forward has been able to secure consulting services from Anchor Rehabilitation Support Services. Their knowledge of innovative, tech-based solutions has helped Mind Forward adapt to ongoing challenges and overcome barriers.
“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant has been significant to the families in our ABI community,” said Keitha McNeil, Mind Forward CEO. “Living with a disability can be very isolating and often an ABI is referred to as the invisible disability, which can be even further isolating. When you add a global pandemic, the isolation can be unbearable. This grant has allowed for many individuals to stay connected allowing for a better quality of life.”
Mind Forward is a non-profit charitable organization which provides community based rehabilitation and life-long support for adults in Peel, Halton and Dufferin counties. Mind Forward is committed to offering services to all individuals touched by brain injury (including clients, family members and caregivers) through a team approach to service planning and goal-setting. For more information, please visit the website at: https://mindforward.org/
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non‐profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non‐profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID‐19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.