Luke’s Place receives Resilient Communities Fund grant to rebuild and recover from impacts of COVID-19

By Luke's Place | November 8, 2022

(Durham Region, ON) – Several months ago, Luke’s Place Support & Resource Centre for Women & Children received the good news that it was receiving a one-year, $136,500 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. On Monday, MPP Lorne Coe and MPP Todd McCarthy met with the group to hear more about how the grant is helping it recover and rebuild from the impact of COVID-19 to continue meeting the needs of people in the area.

MPPs Todd McCarthy and Lorne Coe with Luke's Place Fund Development and Communications Manager, Laura Oliver — MPP Todd McCarthy, Luke’s Place Manager of Fund Development & Communications, Laura Oliver and MPP Lorne Coe

“I am so pleased that the Ontario Trillium Foundation has been able to assist Luke’s Place with a Resilient Communities Fund grant,” said Lorne Coe, MPP for Whitby. “This will help the organization re-imagine sources of revenue and innovation in how they engage with financial supporter’s post-pandemic, so that they can continue to provide critical services to women and their children fleeing intimate partner violence. I am equally pleased that these funds will provide mental health supports to front-line staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to support abused women as they navigate the family court system.”

“This is a welcome and essential investment right here in Durham Region to support women and children through the Family Law process” said Todd McCarthy, MPP for Durham. “Having witnessed first-hand as a litigator the challenges many women and children face in the courts; it is comforting to have Luke’s Place in our community which promotes a safe and healthy environment in which to escape violence.”

“I am thrilled Luke’s Place has received this much-needed funding, so that we can continue to safely serve abused women and their children, by facilitating critical training to support our teams’ well-being and to reimagine our sources of revenue to move toward a more sustainable financial model beyond the pandemic,” said Carol Barkwell, Executive Director, Luke’s Place.

Luke’s Place works with women who have been subjected to abuse to support them and their children through the family law process. We provide women, their children and their communities with specialized services, resources and information about family law and woman abuse. Luke’s Place envisions a family law system that promotes healthy, safe families, living free from abuse and the threat of abuse.

If you are interested in learning more about Luke’s Place services, please visit our website at LukesPlace.ca.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Since 2020, OTF has supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more. 

Quick Facts

Luke’s Place was founded because of the tragic death of Luke, a 3 ½ year old Durham boy, killed by his father during his first unsupervised access visit.
Luke’s Place served 873 Ontario women last year.
Luke’s Place shares its expertise with thousands of service providers across Ontario and Canada through training, resources, and mentoring.
Luke’s Place was the recipient of the Attorney General’s Victim Services Award of Distinction in 2020-21.