Chatham-Kent's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice Strategy

The Together CK grant portfolio supports local projects and events that benefit the community. Chatham-Kent based community organizations and not-for-profit corporations are eligible for funding. This portfolio includes annual Together CK grants for Significant and Community Events, and Community Projects, as well as Together CK Core Grant funding which supports operational needs for a four-year grant term.

The annual Together CK application intake for 2026 funding are now open, from Monday, October 27 - Sunday, November 30, 2025 (midnight) at Together CK Grant Program 2026 Funding | Let's Talk Chatham-Kent.

This intake includes one-year Significant Event, Community Event, and Community Project funding streams. Fundraising initiatives are not eligible for grants through this program.

Find program details in the Together CK Grant Guidelines - 2026.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent's 2026 has been presented to the Budget Committee. Learn about the 2026 municipal budget and upcoming opportunities to ask questions about it on Let's Talk Chatham-Kent.

The Municipality will host live Question and Answer Community Open House sessions on Facebook on November 19th (12pm) and November 20th (7pm).

During Transgender Awareness Week, every year from November 13th to 19th, individuals and organizations bring attention to the stories and experiences of transgender people and communities. The week-long celebration leads up to the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th, an annual observance honoring the lives lost to acts of transphobic violence and systemic oppression. Whether you are celebrating your trans pride or engaging in education and advocacy as an ally, Transgender Awareness week is a time for showing up, speaking up, and supporting one another. The awareness we build spurs the kind of education and change that will make it possible for transgender and gender diverse people to find the support and resources they need. Learn more about the week from It Gets Better Canada.

Thursday, November 13, 12:00 - 12:30 PM,

Transgender Awareness Week Flag Raising

Civic Centre, Chatham (315 King Street West)

Open to everyone. Organized by CK Pride.

Sunday, November 17, 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Turns & Tales, 213 King Street, West

Meet and green the author Jennifer Marie Hodgetts with her newest book, Lady Fulfilled.

Tuesday, November 18, 3:30 PM

Trans SOcial

Forever Steeped, 15B King Street East

Spend time together and enjoy a free Chicken Caesar or Ranch wrap (while supplies last) and a steeped tea.

Please join the Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team (CKOHT) and Community Drug Strategy for an engaging online learning session about the RBC Pathway to Peers Program on Wednesday November 19th from 9:30 - 11:00am.

The Pathway to Peers Program engages youth with lived/living expertise to provide peer support in the Emergency Department (ED) at Mount Sinai Hospital for young adults aged 16-29 presenting with mental and substance use health challenges.

The session will cover:

• How the P2P project came about
• Successes and challenges for implementation
• Where things are going
• Q&A discussion

To receive the meeting link, please email: jordynne.lindsay@ckoht.ca

More about the P2P Program:

• Young people are struggling more, with less resources available than ever.
• Peer support workers bring their lived experience to patient care with a trauma-informed and inclusive harm reduction approach to support individuals during their ED visit and connect them to community resources for long-term health.
• Peer workers bridge the gap between traditional ED staff and young patients, improving care experiences and reducing the need for behavioural interventions
• See the attached research paper for more information about the program.

Speakers include:

• Rhiannon Thomas, Peer Program Manager, Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (SREMI), Sinai Health
• Shelley McLeod, Clinical Epidemiologist, SREMI Research Director, Sinai Health & Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto
• Allison Dunning, Executive Director, Peer Support Canada

In honour of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, join Chatham-Kent Women's Centre for a flag raising at 11:45 followed by a rally on 3rd Street Bridge, organized by Zonta Chatham-Kent. Wear orange.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has launched CKAlert, a new emergency notification service.

Signing up for this service will allow residents to receive important public safety messages in the event of a major emergency in the community, such as flooding, boil water advisories, major road closures, and more.

Learn more about the service and sign up on the Municipality of Chatham-Kent's website.

CK Victim Services has launched a new online tool to report incidents of hate or discrimination in CK.

This new tool will give people an option to report outside of going to the police. Many people don’t report experiences motivated by hate or bias to police. The intention of this new tool is to 1) ensure that people can get access to supports if they need it, and 2) use the combined data to get an idea of trends in the community.

Key points:

• The tool is available on Victim Services website http://www.ckvictimservices.com/report-hate
• People can also call Victim Services at 519-436-6630 and leave a message saying they want to make a report. Calls will be returned within 3 business days.
• People can report their own experiences or experiences they witnessed.
• People have the option of submitting an anonymous report or providing their contact information and indicating that they would like support from Victim Services.
• Hate or discrimination could include things like (but is not limited to) harassment, intimidation, threats, denial of services, witnessing or seeing vandalism aimed at a person or the broader community because of a person’s race, ethnic origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disabilities, or other identities.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent's Employment and Social Services program has created a website with information for people who may need food assistance, including resources like:

• food banks
• little free pantries
• soup kitchens
• food voucher programs
• drop-in/outreach services.

Visit www.chatham-kent.ca/EmergencyFood or scan the QR code above to go to the website.

These services are here to support individuals and families in our community. Whether you're in immediate need or looking for ongoing assistance, there are options available to help you.

Reach Out Chatham-Kent (R.O.C.K) has designed a Homelessness Response Toolkit for local businesses, organizations, and area residents better understand and engage with local homelessness response efforts. The goal is to provide practical guidance, reduce stigma, and encourage compassionate and informed interactions with individuals experiencing homelessness.

The kit includes a quick reference postcard with information on who to call in specific situations, including phone numbers for outreach services, sharps clean-up, shelter, and other essential resources, ensuring that businesses and community members have immediate access to support when needed.

Digital copies can be accessed at www.reachoutck.com/resources.

At the February 2025 Board of Health meeting, CK Public Health released a report about household food insecurity in Chatham-Kent. A few key findings included:

• 1 in 5 households in CK are food insecure
• Many people in CK don't have enough money to buy food
• The root cause of food insecurity is poverty
• Emergency food charity is not a long-term solution.

The report calls on community members and organizations to learn about food insecurity, talk to friends, family, and colleagues about the true causes of food insecurity, and advocate for income solutions.

Find the full report, the above infographic, and more information on the CK Public Health website.