Lethbridge Living Magazine -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 1/1/2002
Last Visited: 11/5/2005
Although the process of distributing funds is not an easy one, Committee members agree they get great personal satisfaction from being involved. "Volunteering with the Foundation is a rare opportunity to make a difference," says Lewis. As donations to the Foundation have increased over the years, so too have the funds available for grants. "In the early 1980s, we disbursed $5,000 annually; last year more than $697,000 in grants went back into the community," says George Virtue, who was on the board in the 1980s. Since its inception in 1966, the Lethbridge Community Foundation has distributed almost $3.2 million dollars across Southern Alberta for projects in the areas of historical/educational, social needs/health, and culture/recreation/environment. Since 1996 more than $1.3 million has gone into grants. Says Lewis, "Especially in recent years, people have started to recognize the value of the Foundation."