SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Field Law Community Fund Program that has helped several organizations in the city with causes ranging from climate change action to supporting cancer survivors is putting out another call for Yellowknife organizations seeking cash.

The Young Leaders' Summit on Northern Climate was one of the winners under the 2015 Field Law Community Fund Program. In the back row, from left, then Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley meets with young leaders Angela Code, Naomi Peterson, Raven Firth, Alex James and Carmen Barrieau. In the front row, from left, are Katherine Thomas, Aletta Leitch, Teresa Tufts and Stephanie Young. - photo courtesy of Craig Scott

In the past three years, it has awarded funding to 43 organizations and initiatives across the communities where it provides services including Yellowknife, Edmonton and Calgary. This year, the plan is for the business law firm to donate $75,000 across all three regions - allotting between $1,000 and $15,000 per project.

In partnership with the Dene Nation and Pembina Institute, Ecology North applied and was one of the grand prize winners of the 2015 program, receiving $8,000 for the Young Leaders' Summit on Northern Climate Change.

The goal of the annual summit is to mentor and develop young leaders to take action on fighting climate change.

"We're trying to build and shape young leaders which I think is something that Field Law thought was important," said Ecology North executive director Craig Scott.

"We were very appreciative. It allowed us to bring more youth in than our limited funding had, so hopefully it changed a couple lives."

With an organizational focus on community building, Scott said Ecology North's application last year was well in line with the mandate of the program.

"It's all based on climate change and what we did is basically had presentations or surprised the youth along the way with different stops in the forest, different communities and different places and had them meet scientists, community leaders and all kinds of interesting people and learn about how climate change is impacting people and how they're adapting and the solutions they're coming up with."

In the end of the week-long program held in August, the group had a news conference and meeting with MLAs to discuss the issue.

Also last year, the Breast Health/Breast Cancer Action Group's Art of Healing initiative was fully funded with its $5,000 award from the Field Law program, said board member Rosanna Strong.

"When you've been diagnosed with cancer, you get thrown onto this treadmill and the treadmill is very much about the medicine - programs that are taking care of the actual disease but very little options to deal with emotional side of cancer," she said.

The program uses art as a medium to talk about that emotional side. Whether it's painting, as was done last year, or basketry, mask-making and photography, the art becomes a way of channeling conversations and an opportunity to be introspective, said Strong.

And the uptake was great with the workshops completely filled.

"The funding went for running the entire program," she said. "That paid for a clinical psychologist, the artists, we had Laura Crawford come in and talk about food for healthy living."

In-kind donations of supplies and space also went into putting the workshop together but Strong said the support of a business like Field Law makes a huge difference as major contributions from organizations are often focused around larger urban centres, rather than less populous areas such as Yellowknife.

She said the volunteer-run group has already met to discuss the application for the funding program this year.

"It looks like we're going to go ahead and put an application in again for another project we have," she said.

"We have a long list of things we'd like to accomplish with our organization and checking off a few things and having a grant like this is really a huge step."

Other winners in the territory included: Y Mentors, offering leadership and empowerment-mentoring for at-risk female youth; and cookhouse renovations at Camp Connections, run through the Foster Family Coalition. The camp takes in young people involved in social services within the territory.

"Each year we are inspired by individuals and organizations working to make a difference in our communities," Jack Williams, a partner with Field Law stated in an April 11 news release. "We are delighted and honoured to be a part of the empowerment and change that they are championing in the Yellowknife area. We could not be more proud to live and work in these communities and are thrilled to be kicking-off our fourth year of the Field Law Community Fund Program."

Applications for the 2016 funding program will be accepted up until May 13 with more information available www.fieldlawcommunityfund.com.