FREDERICTON -- Three well-known New Brunswickers have joined forces during the COVID-19 pandemic to create the Fredericton Resilience Fund.
Stanley Cup Champion Jake Allen and his wife Shannon are collaborating with Steve Burns, founder of the international IT company Bulletproof.
“We sort of had one Zoom call and then next thing you know, Shannon had an idea of a fund that started in St. Louis and it sort of just clicked and took off from there,” says Jake Allen.
The Fredericton Resilience Fund will work in partnership with the Fredericton Community Foundation and the Muriel McQueen Ferguson Foundation to support business owners and employees in New Brunswick’s capital.
The goal is to raise $200,000 through local donors. The Sara Burns Police Memorial Fund -- a charity created in honour of Burns’ late wife, a police officer who lost her life in the line of duty -- will match donations up to $100,000.
“It's really been a tough time for a lot of people. For me it was something I could grab onto and hopefully do some good from it,” says Burns.
So far, the group has raised $70,000. They will use those funds to grant $300 to $500 to people adversely affected by the pandemic.
While the hope is people will continue to donate, Shannon says she also wants to make sure those who are in need will apply for help.
“We live in their community, we see them every day and we want them to be able to feel comfortable applying because this is exactly what this fund is for,” says Shannon Allen.
“I think right now, people are shy, or maybe a bit embarrassed you know, asking for help seems weird, but that's what this fund is for. It's for those people.”
