EDMONTON (July 31, 2019) – Field Law, a western and northern regional business law firm, is pleased to announce the Northern Alberta winners of its Community Fund Program (the Program). Field Law awarded one grand prize and five additional awards to community projects in Northern Alberta.

The Program has been supporting community initiatives for the past seven years, with $475,000 donated to local programs to date. In 2019, the Program distributed another $75,000 to community initiatives, with $30,000 going to each of the Northern and Southern Alberta markets and $15,000 going to the Northwest Territories market.

Field Law is excited to announce the YWCA of Edmonton’s Lakeside Haven: Violence Recovery for Women and Children Program as the 2019 Community Fund Program grand prize winner, with additional awards granted to Paul Prosper Place, DirectHer Network, Métis Child and Family Services Society, Brittania School and Paul First Nation School.

Winners of the Program are selected by a community judging panel and public voting, with 24,337 votes cast across all three markets in 2019. Of the 86 applications the Program received from organizations this year, 45 came from organizations in northern Alberta, with 12,146 of the total votes cast from this region. Awards for the Southern Alberta and Northwest Territories markets were announced at events earlier this month.

YWCA of Edmonton - Lakeside Haven: Violence Recovery for Women and Children Program - GRAND PRIZE WINNER – $18,000

Lakeside Haven is a retreat for women and children who have experienced family violence and are currently living in a second stage, long term shelter through Wings of Providence. The retreat offers these families a safe, nurturing space to explore new activities, rebuild relationships, relax, and heal as a family. Last year, women and children experienced outdoor adventures and participated in trust-building games and family time campfires each night.

Prosper Place - Empowerment Against Mental Illness - $4,000 

The Empowerment Against Mental Illness Project will produce two educational courses focused on Everyday Confidence and Leadership Skills for youth living with the effects of mental illness. The two courses will not only provide skills and education on how to utilize tools to overcome anxiety and depression, but also provide socialization in a safe non-judgmental environment. The participants will also learn skills that are transferable to employment, stigma reduction and community integration.

DirectHer Network - Board Basics with DirectHer Network - $4,000

DirectHer Network is a collective of young professional women dedicated to empowering women with the knowledge and confidence needed to serve as board directors. DirectHer will create a workshop on board basics that will provide an inviting, safe, and motivating space for young women to ask questions and learn about being a board member. Funds will also be used to develop a bank of online resources that compliments and distributes the information from the workshop to a wider audience.

Métis Child & Family Services Society - Oskayak Police Academy - $2,000

The Oskayak Police Academy Program is driven by Indigenous organizations and supported by Edmonton Police. It aims to build relationships between Indigenous youth and police officers by creating a culturally safe space where transformative dialogue and relationship can be actualized. The program allows Indigenous youth to spend time with community organizers and police members, learning together through experiential traditional customs as well as engaging with police culture and customs.

Britannia School - Feed the Bears In-School Food Bank - $1,000

Many of Britannia’s families face social determinants and obstacles meeting the basic needs of themselves and their children. A student-written essay to the United Way provided the students with a grant to set up an in-school food bank. As that grant has been used up, funds awarded through the Community Fund Program will be used sustain the in-school food bank. Feed the Bears isn’t just helping Britannia’s 150 students, but hundreds more when factoring in the students’ siblings and families as well. The in-school food bank provides the children with the nutrition needed to focus on school and learning instead of hunger.

Paul First Nation School - Library Makerspace - $1,000

The Paul First Nation (PFN) School focuses on the well-being of its 150 students through a holistic approach that prepares them for the future while also focusing on respect for their past and culture. A new school is being built that will include a school library, something that students do not currently have. Currently, students have limited access to library materials as transportation to off-reserve libraries are difficult, especially during the spring months when dirt roads become nearly impossible to travel on. The funds awarded will be used to provide technology-based programs and makerspaces to students and the PFN community through after-school youth programs and other special events.

ABOUT FIELD LAW

Field Law is a western and northern regional business law firm listed as one of the largest in Canada, with offices in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The Firm is a proud, strong and independent multi-office regional firm with lawyers dedicated to professional excellence, client service and delivering value. More than 120 lawyers and 160 staff work together to provide a wide variety of legal services to businesses and institutions in corporate and commercial matters, litigation and dispute resolution, labour and employment, insurance, energy, intellectual property, privacy, professional regulatory and medical malpractice issues. Additionally, the Firm provides private services to individuals including estate planning services, tax and real estate transactions.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Kate Rieger
Field Law
Phone: 780-423-7681
Email: krieger@fieldlaw.com