Sep 25th, 2020

News Release: Community Kitchen gets a makeover thanks to a grant from Hard Hat Heroes Fund and contributions from residents

[cmsms_row][cmsms_column data_width=”1/1″][cmsms_text]

OTTAWA – September 25, 2020 – Ottawa Community Housing’s Regina Towers community unveiled its newly renovated community kitchen.

The Regina Towers Community Kitchen provides a safe place for residents to meet, participate in programming, interact socially, tell stories, share recipes, and support their neighbours.

Each week approximately 130 people are served by meal programs at Regina Towers.

This $50,000 project was made possible with support from our funders PCL Construction through their Hard Hat Heroes Neighbourhood Improvement Grant, administered by United Way East Ontario. The tenants of Regina Towers also raised money to contribute to the renovation.

The renovations in the kitchen include a roll-up window and additional counter space for the ease of food preparation for the many tenant-led community events that occur throughout the year. The new space is now barrier-free and also includes cupboards and additional storage space.

QUOTES

“The Foundation is proud to work with partners at PCL and the United Way to fill this need in the Regina Towers community. This investment will serve the community for years to come.”

– Wayne French, President Board of Director; OCH Foundation for Healthy Communities

“The community kitchen renewal at Regina Towers is a wonderful tool to help address food security issues in the community and community engagement. We are very grateful for the funding from PCL and the ongoing partnerships we have that help us meet the needs of the tenants.”

– Stéphane Giguère, CEO; Ottawa Community Housing

“There are a lot of great things happening here, and I’m proud to be a part of it. The community invested $2,000 we raised through barbecues and other fundraisers.”

– Guy Clairoux, resident of Regina Towers

“Today’s celebration of the Hard Hat Heroes Fund’s investment in Regina Towers through United Way East Ontario is a great example of what happens when you bring together a strong believer in the power of a community like PCL, with a committed partner like OCH and the OCH Foundation. The result is much more than a remodelled community kitchen: this is an investment in the residents here, who I know have pride in their home and are not shy about rolling up their sleeves to make their community a better place for all.”

– Mark Taylor, Vice President Resource Development, United Way East Ontario

 “PCL employees want to make a difference in their communities, and partnering with United Way has allowed us to help make an impact. As part of our annual campaign, the Hard Hat Heroes Fund is set up so that employees get to help decide which projects receive funding. At PCL, we are proud to continue our tradition of improving the quality of life in the communities we operate in.” 

– Kevin Skinner, Vice President & District Manager, PCL Construction

  About Regina Towers

There are more than 258 residents in the Regina Towers community, which is located near the Ottawa River and Britannia Park. The average monthly household income is $1170. Twenty-two percent of the building’s occupants are seniors living alone.

About the PCL Hard Hat Heroes Fund

PCL Hard Hat Heroes Neighbourhood Improvement Grant Program is offered in partnership with PCL Constructors Canada Inc. The grant is intended to give residents an opportunity to have direct input and influence into the improvement of Ottawa’s priority neighbourhoods.

About United Way East Ontario

Working with communities in the Counties of Prescott-Russell, Ottawa, Lanark and Renfrew, United Way East Ontario invests resources where they are needed most and will have the greatest impact. Through research, evaluation and partnerships with community experts, we identify the root causes of the biggest social challenges facing our communities and help find solutions that change tens of thousands of lives for the better. 100% of donations to United Way are put to work in the communities where they are raised to help those most in need. unitedwayeo.ca | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

About OCH Foundation for Healthy Communities

The OCH Foundation is committed to identifying and alleviating the social needs of tenants living in Ottawa Community Housing. Since 2014, the foundation has raised $4.1 million that gets invested in the communities through programs such as Youth Futures and RecLink. The funds help families, youth, children and seniors achieve personal success. The programs supported by the foundation focus on education, employment and community engagement. ochfoundation.ca | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

About Ottawa Community Housing Corporation

Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC)  provides approximately 15,000 homes to about 32,000 tenants, including seniors, parents, children, couples, singles and persons with special needs, within many communities across the City of Ottawa. OCHC houses a diverse population of varying languages, ethnicity and cultures. OCHC is the largest social housing provider in Ottawa, managing two-thirds of the City’s social housing portfolio, and is the second largest in Ontario. OCHC was selected as one of the National Capital Region’s Top Employers in 2018, 2019 and 2020. www.och-lco.ca | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

[/cmsms_text][/cmsms_column][/cmsms_row]