It's a sign that a bright future lies ahead when it comes to Quinte Health Care.
 
As part of Wednesday's Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation Annual General Meeting, it was announced that twenty groups will share $120,000 in grant money -- the best year yet for the Kay Stafford Memorial Fund.
 
The list was announced by Pam Pettigrew with Gerald Draaistra handing out the certificates to each group's representatives.
 
Quinte Access Transportation is one of those community organizations and will get $25,000 for a new accessible van.
 
Shelley Ackers is the Executive Director of Quinte Access and said the money for that vehicle from the fund is vital to its service.
 
"Whatever they need to get to, we'll be able to.", said Ackers.  "So many of the programs that were recipients of the grants, we provide service for a lot of their clients to access those programs as well.  So we're very intertwined in the community with all of these different organizations."
 
The van will be added to a fleet of at least six that provides a client base of 4,500 people 50,000 trips through its specialized service and 80,000 trips through its public transit service
 
The addition will now allow Quinte Access to serve anyone in the Quinte West and Brighton areas.  
 
Ackers added she is looking forward to increased service and more routes next year for her clients, that and improved overall well-being.
 
"We know that everything adds up to a healthy community.  Whether it be recreation, sports, shopping, just getting out and socializing, along with medical appointments, it's all vital to making a healthy community."
 
In addition, six local high school students and one student from Loyalist College each received $1,000 in bursary money to put towards their post-secondary studies at Wednesday's TMHF Annual General Meeting.
 
Here is a list of all of the grant recipients from the Kay Stafford Memorial Fund:
 
Community Groups:
 
Alzheimer's:                                           $2,700
Batawa Lions:                                        $4,500
Big Brothers:                                          $3,000
Brain Injury Association:                       $2,700
Canadian Ski Patrol:                             $4,400
Community Care -- Northumberland:   $6,000
Frankford United Church:                     $3,000
Frankford Youth Centre:                       $5,000
Gift From The Heart:                            $5,000
John Howard Society:                        $10,000
Lions Club of Trenton:                          $3,858
Lower Trent Conservation:                  $8,500
Our TMH:                                           $10,000
Quinte Access:                                   $25,000
Quinte Children's Foundation:             $6,000
Quinte West Fire & Emergency:          $5,000
Quinte West Youth Centre:                  $5,000
Volunteer & Information Centre:          $1,500
VON:                                                    $2,958
YMCA:                                                 $5,000
 
Students Receiving $1,000 Bursaries each were:
 
Taylor Smith (Bayside)
Rebecca Thickson (ENSS)
Madison Royer (Marc Garneau)
*Frank Vreugdenhil (Quinte Christian)
Olivia Garrett (St. Paul's)
Daniel Eden (Trenton High School)
Carley Davis (Loyalist College)
 
* (absent)