By Red River Mutual

Red River Mutual Providing $150,000 to Improve Community Spaces

Apr 15, 2024 | 9:16 AM

Spruce Up Your Story Celebrates its Fifth Year of Bringing Communities Together

Applications are now open for this year’s Red River Mutual community sponsorship initiative, Spruce Up Your Story, which is back for its fifth year. The initiative offers $150,000 in total to restore well-worn, but well-loved community spaces across Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

“It’s been amazing to reflect on the past five years and see all the community spaces that have been improved because of Spruce Up Your Story. We always wanted this to be an initiative that could bring neighbours and communities together to enjoy a space in a way that they couldn’t before, and it’s been an incredibly gratifying journey to see these spaces come to life,” said Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Jennifer Ewankiw. “We’re celebrating five years now, but we’re looking forward to celebrating 10, 20, 50 more years of sprucing up spaces and committing to the communities we live and do business in.”

Spruce Up Your Story offers up to $25,000 per project, and since 2020, Red River Mutual has awarded over $500,000 to help revive 40 spaces. The BGC Battlefords Youth Program Space was one of the first projects to be restored in 2020, and Executive Director Nicole Combres reflects on how Spruce Up Your Story has helped the community.

“We had very few members past the age of 10. They didn’t necessarily feel like this was a place that was for them,” said Combres. “Having this space in the community has made sure those youth have access to not only a safe space, but safe, positive people and opportunities that might be life changing for them.”

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Those who have a beautification or renovation project in their community can apply for this year’s initiative at SpruceUpYourStory.com.

Projects will be evaluated based on community use and significance, commitment to sustainability, aspects of volunteerism and connections to a local Red River Mutual affiliated insurance brokerage.

For Spruce Up Your Story’s fifth anniversary, click here to see update videos on how some previous recipients’ communities are doing, including a full interview with Nicole Combres.

Members of the public can submit a project for consideration until May 31, 2024, and learn more about the initiative by visiting SpruceUpYourStory.com.

About Spruce Up Your Story

The Spruce Up Your Story initiative was started in 2020. Its purpose isn’t to bring a brand-new rec centre or library to life, rather, it honours and protects the spaces that are well-worn and well-loved in our Prairie communities – the places where stories are already being made. Each Spruce Up Your Story renovation or beautification project is submitted by a local community member. Red River Mutual works with its network of broker partners to promote the opportunity, and Red River Mutual staff help determine the winners.

About Red River Mutual

Red River Mutual believes everyone has a right to feel safe and protected and to know that someone is looking out for them – while we’re watching out for others. With policyholders with homes, farms and businesses all the way from Thunder Bay to the Rockies, Red River Mutual is committed to providing competitive insurance products that meet the changing needs of Canadians. As a company, we know that it’s the people we protect that matter most. That’s why we’ve strived to be a positive force in the lives of our customers and their communities since 1875.