Mental health treatment gets Trillium grant

Celebrating Peace Ranch's Trillium grant were (l to r) Sheila Tutty of the Halton Peel foundation; Eric Tripp- McKay, executive director of Peach Ranch; Mary Podrebarac, Peach Ranch board chair; Kathy Boynton and Sylvia Jones from MPP John Tory's office.

Peace Ranch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping adults with serious mental illness, formally launched its development efforts, thanks to a $171,200 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). Kathy Boynton representing John Tory, MPP for Dufferin-Peel- Wellington-Grey, joined OTF representative Sheila Tutty in congratulating Peace Ranch.

MPP John Tory was unable to attend and sent his best wishes. "As the Member of Provincial Parliament for Dufferin- Peel-Wellington-Grey, I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to the Board, staff and volunteers of Peace Ranch on receiving this grant," said Tory. "Peace Ranch is a very important facility in our community and this funding will ensure that it continues to provide quality care in such a unique and therapeutic setting."

The three-year grant will be used to recruit and retain a highly experienced development officer who will be responsible for increasing funding to Peace Ranch. It will also allow for the expansion of programming to meet the needs of clients with severe mental illness throughout the Peel region.

"We are thrilled and grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for this most generous grant and that the foundation is committed to addressing mental health needs in the community," said Mary Podrebarac, board chair of Peace Ranch. "This is a strong endorsement of our unique therapeutic model delivered through Peace Ranch. The funding will provide us the opportunity to address our lengthening waiting lists for services at Peace Ranch."

In recent years, the Local Health Integration Network has identified northern Peel as an under-serviced area with a scarcity of affordable housing and services for those who live with mental illness. There are currently over 6,000 people in Peel Region who suffer from serious mental illness. Over the last year, more than 140 unique individuals were cared for and served by dedicated staff and volunteers through various residential and day programs at Peace Ranch.

Peace Ranch is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping adults with serious mental illness. Founded in 1990, on over 25 acres of serene countryside in Caledon, Peace Ranch provides its participants an opportunity to work toward a more self-reliant and satisfying life through participation in a residential therapeutic farm community. For more information, please visit www.peaceranch.com.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. For 25 years, it has supported the growth and vitality of communities across the province. OTF continues to strengthen the capacity of the volunteer sector through investments in community-based initiatives. For more information, please visit www.trilliumfoundation.org.