QUEBEC CITY (Quebec), April 29, 2010—The Epiderma Foundation, created two years ago to support non-profit organizations devoted to the well-being of women, announced today the recipients who will share a $105,580.56 grant from the Foundation this year.
To meet the selection criteria, recognized non-profit organizations had to present a project designed to fulfill the specific needs of women facing difficulty in their local community.
Applications were carefully reviewed by the Board of Directors of the Epiderma Foundation, chaired by Pierre Montminy, President of EPIDERMA, along with this year's members Dr. Marie Bergeron, specialist in aesthetic medicine; the Honourable Liza Frulla, former politician and television host; Kateri-Anne Grenier, attorney at Ogilvy Renault; Suzanne Têtu, head of design and decoration at Epiderma; and Claude Thibault, arts and entertainment columnist.
Altogether, the following 13 organizations were selected from among 66 applicants, 12 of which were from Quebec and one from the Ottawa area:
Some of the projects selected involved purchasing furniture and computers for a housing facility, a self-esteem program for women experiencing violence and at risk of ending up on the streets, a self-defense course for adolescents and women experiencing domestic violence, creating a website for a shelter, as well as programs for assistance, training, awareness and intervention created for specific niches.
"Although we knew that we could not meet all the needs, I was convinced that, by creating the Epiderma Foundation, this initiative would provide a helping hand that could make a big difference, on a small scale over a long period of time," said Pierre Montminy, President of Epiderma. “The welcoming and enthusiastic responses from the organizations confirm that our financial support provides these charities with the missing pieces. From what we have seen, the results of the programs selected have been instantaneous."
The feedback received from organizations indicates that without the donation from the Epiderma Foundation, their projects would never have materialized, since the complementary programs do not always meet the criteria for regular financing sources. These initiatives nevertheless make a tangible difference in the field.
“The issue of sexual violence perpetrated against older women is a taboo subject that remains largely unaddressed,” said Rose-Amélie Gascon, community worker at the West Island CALACS. “Thanks to this donation, we will enhance our awareness program amongst health providers and extend our reach to the ethnic communities among us.”
“The Epiderma Foundation’s financial contribution to our Centre makes a significant impact on the work that we do in ending violence against women” said Jamie Kwong, Funding and Grant coordinator at the Sexual Assault Support Centre in Ottawa. “Thanks to this donation, we will be able to raise awareness on the issue of sexual violence and to make our services more accessible to women because we will be able to provide three new individual and group support workshops to reach a total of 222 women in need of support services. We are truly grateful for the Epiderma Foundation’s support”.
Donation applications for next year must be submitted by February 15, 2011. For more information on the Epiderma Foundation, for the donation application form or to make a donation online, please visit www.epidermafoundation.ca or any of the EPIDERMA clinics in Quebec or Ontario.
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For more information:
Valérie Marcoux/Marie-Eve Noël
Torchia Communications
514 288-8290, extentions 214 / 205
valerie@torchiacom.com/menoel@torchiacom.com
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