By Courtney Almeida

International paper awards $80,000 in grants

Jan 10, 2019 | 4:30 AM

Grande Prairie’s International Paper Mill has awarded its annual Foundation grants worth $80,000 to five local organizations.
 
International Paper’s foundation was started in 1952.  The company bought the Grande Prairie mill in 2016 and this is the second year the foundation has given back to the local community.

“What we evaluate against is (International Paper’s) signature causes, which are education, hunger, health & wellness, disaster relief and other initiatives that improve our planet. That’s how we do the ranking and go through the selection process,” explained Financial Manager, Wade Doris. 

In 2018, five community organizations were awarded grants:
 
– Mighty Peace Youth Society- Student Leadership Conference
– Grande Prairie Friendship Centre- Literacy Program and Babies Best Start
– Benzanson Agricultural Society- Heath & Wellness sports upgrade for Community Centre
– Grade Three Ready Academy Society- Summer Literacy Program for Grade 3 students
– Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools- Indigenous Literacy Program for 11 schools
 
Selections are reviewed by a committee of local employees then confirmed by the foundation’s board of trustees.  The company will be accepting applications for next year’s grants starting in the spring.

Applications are accepted online until September 30 of the current year.  Organizations are invited to take the eligibility quiz at www.ipgiving.com to see if they could be eligible for future grants.