It's Non-Profit Sector Appreciation week in Ontario and to mark the week, the Timmins and Economic Development Corporation has launched the Timmins Nonprofit Community Facebook group.
It provides an opportunity for those working in the sector to ask questions, learn from each other, share information and find solutions to challenges they are facing.
The TEDC said there are more than 170 organizations in Timmins that operate under the not-for-profit umbrella.
"Economic development depends strongly on community development and community development works with not for profits," said Noella Rinaldo, director of community economic development.
"These are the voices of the community. These are sports, your health, your arts, your culture. So it’s important that we work with them so that we make them as strong and sustainable as we can because they are really the heart of the city."
Organizers said it's important for a city's economic health to hear from a variety of perspectives.
"The Timmins Non Profit Community Facebook Group is really for leaders of non-profits," said Madison Mizzau, community development consultant.
Mizzau said the group is not just for executive directors, but also program managers, board of directors members – all volunteers who are responsible for guiding the organizations.
"We’re really hopeful that we’ll see a lot of board members in there," she said.
Cameron Grant, a volunteer with several organizations in the city, said it's not always easy to get information.
"Not all of us have the resources or financial capacity to engage in a lot of information, workshops, modules," Grant said.
"This group to me is seen as an opportunity to bridge those gaps and break down those silos so that we begin talking to each other and really understand where the gaps lie and where we can support each other."
