An amazing gift!

Toward the beginning of 2023 our bookkeeper let me know about a government grant she had heard about called the Community Services Recovery Fund (CSRF). Its intention was to support community service organizations, including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies, as they adapt and modernize their organizations. It was one of the rare government grants that allowed funding for faith-based charities.

There were three different tracks for funding, one of which was infrastructure upgrade, which was the focus of our application. The pandemic exposed areas of need with networking, audio/visual equipiment, and media processing, so the aim was to update these key areas so that the gear would be suitable for live, live-streamed, and recorded events.

The upper limit for funding was 200K if it was a collaborative project between various organizations, so I applied on behalf of both The Table and Church of Our Lord with the aim of benefitting the many different groups who use the building. We were awarded 50K(!) for the grant in 2023, with work to be completed by the end of June 2024.

I spent a good portion of the summer of 2023 working on the various upgrades, which required a lot of research and planning to integrate various audio, video, and networking protocols to make it all work. Though 50K is a lot of money, it gets spent quick with new gear – which is why I was so surprised and grateful when contacted in April 2024 about extra available funds. It turns out that some organizations were unable to use up their grant award by the end of June 2024 – so we were given the remainder of what we applied for: 150K for a total of 200K!

Of course, there were some conditions. I had to complete the work by June 30th and use the funding as set out in our original application. I spent the next several months buying, configuring, and installing as much I could (with a LOT of help). We finished the work just a couple thousand dollars over budget.

We are so enouraged that the Government of Canada recognizes the good and challenging work of community service organizations, including faith-based groups. As they put it, “From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, community service organizations, including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies, across Canada have shown impressive stamina and creativity in their response to the diverse and increasingly challenging needs of their communities.”

It’s tough work on the ground – and the Government of Canada should be applauded for helping community service organizations and helping us adapt for long-term impact in our communities.

In addition, a huge thanks to the United Way Centraide, specifically United Way Southern Vancouver Island (UWSVI). They were one of the three National Funders, through whom the grants were awarded. Danella and Rachel at UWSVI were supportive, kind, and very easy to work with.

Look at all this help!

I had major help with this project, without which the project would not have happened. Many thanks to:

• Sarah Kryzmowski for directing me to the grant and bookkeeping for the project

• Emily Charter for her excellent admiinstration and managing a million receipts and payouts

• Joshua Mansfield of Shiloh Studios for audio consultation, giving us purchasing discounts, help with installation

• Erik Klaasen for IT/Networking consultation and installation

• Noah Sommerfeld for helping with project management and hours of installation

• Koko Relleve working on behalf of Citta and Koko Woodworks for an incredible custom media centre

• Daniel Mirlin for help with install and configuration

• Varun for consultation on the lighting

• Houle Electric for the lighting install

• Bill McDowell acting as COOL property manager and helping with various installs

Broad strokes of purchased gear:

• New soundboard (Allen&Heath SQ6 equipped with DANTE card)

• Allen&Heath breakout boxes

• Sony FX3 (for a total of three between COOL and The Table) along with three Tamron Lenses

• Atomos Ninja 5 recording monitors with Atomos Connect for recording and transmission syncing

• DJI RS3 Pro and two RS4 Pro gimbels

• New media centre from Citta and Koko Woodworks

• Ubiquiti router, switches, and access points for speedy fibre optic transmission

• New instrument mics (stereo for piano)

• Shure Wireless mic system (DANTE equipped)

• D&B Audiotechnik speaker/amp system (DANTE equipped)

• Mac Studios and monitors to run and process the various media

• Phillips Hue lighting for hanging light, GM Lighting for tape lights in cove