Foundation grant reflects community’s generosity

By Lethbridge Herald on December 9, 2025.

Caitlin Gajdostik, Grants Coordinator with the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, presents a plaque to Jackie Stambene, fund and program coordinator and Ping Zhang, executive director for their Community Priorities Fund Grant Monday at the Southern Alberta Ethnic Association.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

The Southern Alberta Ethnic Association has received a $15,000 grant Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta’s Community Priorities Fund Grant to purchase new glassless mirrors for dance groups using the Multicultural Centre. 

This is one of 36 projects and initiatives the Community Foundation is supporting with grants totalling $528,795 through its fall and winter grant programs.

Charleen Davidson, Community Foundation Executive Director said they are very happy to be able to award over half a million dollars in grants, but there is no price tag on the impact these grants make for everyone who lives in Southwestern Alberta. 

When talking about the grant awarded to the Southern Alberta Ethnic Association, Davis said they received it because it will benefit a large group of people within the community. 

“One of the things we try and do when we are choosing the recipients for these grants, is look at who will benefit and what that benefit will be,” said Davidson. 

She said some of the people benefiting from that particular grant include newcomers to Canada and it is great to be able to welcome them into the community by giving them an opportunity to participate and continue their cultural traditions such as dance. 

Ping Zhang, executive director of the Southern Alberta Ethnic Association said the new glassless mirrors will allow for a variety of classes to take place at the association. 

“With many community members and association members using the venue for dance classes, or practice for performances, there was a need for mirrors,” said Zhang. 

She said one time a member brought a mirror from home to practice for her performance and this got her thinking about why the association did not have mirrors. 

“I started looking for a grant for that and I found the Community Foundation and I applied for the grant to support our dancing classes, that will benefit many groups in the community,” said Zhang. 

She said the mirrors will allow them to expand their programming and add classes like baby and mommy salsa dance class, baby and mommy yoga and more. 

Jackie Stambene, fund and program developer said they have beginner level classes, but now with the mirrors they will be able to add more advance levels and the instructors are super excited. 

“We can advance the classes to intermediate level and more because they all use mirrors regularly for their programs,” said Stambene. 

She said that one instructor told her that if they get the mirrors, they will move to have their classes at the association as their home base. 

“The mirrors will be on wheels, and they will be in our décor storage, so they can be brough out because we have rentals in the same room, we can’t leave them out regularly,” said Stambene. 

Zhang added that the mirrors are glassless to make them even safer as there are children around and this makes it easier and safer for transporting them while not in use. 

In addition to the support of the 36 projects, for the second year in a row, the Community Foundation is also awarding grants to food banks across the region. 

Davidson said that after the Community Foundation Board of Directors heard from these organizations about the increased demand for services during the holidays, they voted at their November meeting to proactively award grants totalling $133,000 to 20 Food Banks across Southwestern Alberta. 

Davidson shared that thanks to this grant, the Granum Drop-In Centre was able to meet their demand this holiday season. 

“They were so grateful because they said they had the number of families they were going to try and feed and they didn’t know how they would do it, but now they will be able to provide a turkey to all the families they need to feed,” said Davidson. 

In Lethbridge the Interfaith Food Bank, the Lethbridge Food Bank, the Veterans Food Bank, University of Lethbridge Students’ Union Food Bank, University of Lethbridge Food for Thought Program, and the Lethbridge Polytechnic Students’ Association Food Bank are benefiting from that grant.