WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE? You can guide the future of your community and causes that you care about by making a legacy gift to the charity of your choice. Charitable donations help to build communities and support a wide range of causes.
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APRIL 25, 2021
2 |CAPITAL GIVING | 25 APRIL 2021
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A strong sense of community
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esidents of Greater Victoria have always shared a strong sense of community, one where we work together and support each other as we create a vibrant, caring community for all. COVID-19 has disproportionately affected many vulnerable populations, while the civil society organizations serving them also face unprecedented challenges. A recent report entitled Unraveling: Nonprofits, COVID-19, and the Fabric of BC Communities, released by the Victoria Foundation, Vancouver Foundation and Vantage Point, paints a picture of how many charitable organizations in our region have adapted and pivoted services, but also points to alarming warning signs for the near future. • 67% of the organizations in the Capital Region have an increased demand for programs and services. • 51% of the organizations in the Capital Region reported a drop in volunteer involvement. • Across BC, 71% of organizations, especially smaller organizations, are expecting a budget shortfall in 2021. In an effort to help support the sector, in 2020 the Victoria Foundation launched the Community Recovery Program (CRP), which provides flexible, general operating funds for local eligible organizations responding to the social and economic impacts of the pandemic. This granting stream responds directly to needs identified by local organizations and supports recovery efforts and building resilience for local charities for the short and long-term. “The reality is that for our local non-profits the need is still as a strong as ever,” said Sandra Richardson, CEO of the Victoria Foundation. “The Victoria Foundation is determined to remain diligent to ensure our community’s most vital organizations are supported all the way to the end of this crisis and beyond, because if they are suffering, so too are the people who rely on them and, ultimately, the community as a whole.” In its first round of funding, the CRP distributed over $2.3 million to 126 organizations on Southern Vancouver Island working in a wide variety of areas from health and wellness, to
homelessness prevention, to racial and gender equity and reconciliation. A major donation that contributed to this funding was made by the JAYMAC Fund, a donoradvised fund held at the Victoria Foundation that offered up a $100,000 gift specifically to support the arts sector, which has been hit especially hard by the pandemic. This funding has helped organizations such as Intrepid Theatre to survive through the financial hardships of the pandemic. “The support has been vital to Intrepid Theatre’s overall stability,” said Heather Lindsay, Intrepid’s Artistic and Executive Director. “From discovering online adaptations to our festivals, to reconfiguring our venues to be able to safely open our doors when the time is right, to finding ways to keep artists and audiences connected, every aspect of Intrepid’s operations have changed and having this support allows us to continue to stay creative, hopeful, and operating.” The organizations supported by the Community Recovery Program are responding directly to needs in the community. The Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness, for instance, has opened two new housing sites and has seen its staff grow from seven to over 50 since the beginning of the pandemic, all in its efforts to meet demand. “This funding support is timely on a number of fronts, first because of the need to transition individuals into housing, particularly in light of COVID-19 and second because of COVID-19 our workload has intensified greatly,” said Fran HuntJinnouchi, Executive Director. “Our goal is to help Indigenous people maintain their housing within the context of pathways to healing and recovery; thus, this grant is important in this process.” The Community Recovery Program is made possible largely thanks to donations made to the Victoria Foundation’s Community Action Funds. These funds, launched in September 2020, give the opportunity to donate confidently to COVID relief and recovery efforts within the cause areas that matter most to the donor. With a new round of Community Recovery Program grants open for applications this spring, and ongoing research and support of the civil society sector as the pandemic continues, the Victoria Foundation remains committed to ensuring the generosity of our community results in the greatest impact.
Pearle Harbour’s Agit-Pop! at OUTstages 2020. Credit: Intrepid Theatre
BUILDING COMMUNITY ACTION TOGETHER Community Action Funds allow you to give confidently to COVID relief and recovery efforts within the cause areas that matter to you. Whether your passion is to support the arts, health related programs, the environment, social justice or one of the many other cause areas impacted by the pandemic, when you make a gift to a Community Action Fund, you can have confidence that your gift will be put to the highest and best use. There are two ways your contribution can support the Community Action Funds: Give to the broader Vibrant and Caring Community 1 Fund allowing the Foundation to respond to critical needs as they arise.
your gift on one or more of the 2 Concentrate specific cause areas. Each Community Action Fund offers you the opportunity to focus your philanthropy on one of the complex issues faced by our community. Visit our website to learn how you can help to create a vibrant, caring community for all. Contact us at 250.381.5532 or by email at donorservices@victoriafoundation.bc.ca. victoriafoundation.ca
4 |CAPITAL GIVING | 25 APRIL 2021
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“Everything just kind of fell apart,” Victoria says, remembering the moment of deepest pain in her life. Victoria spent much of her childhood moving from place to place with her parents. Her younger days were unsettled, and not just because of the moves. Her parents often fought, and ultimately split up. When Victoria was 15, she made her way back to the city that’s her namesake. In spite of the turmoil of her younger years, Victoria managed to build a life for herself. She worked hard and focused on providing a good home for her own daughter. Then, four years ago, the unthinkable happened. Her daughter tragically passed away at just 16 years of age. “My whole world turned upside down,” Victoria whispers, “I just couldn’t do it anymore.” Victoria was blindsided by grief, falling into a debilitating depression. She eventually turned to substance use to numb the deep pain of her daughter’s loss. Within months, she’d lost her job, her home, and her family to the horror of addiction. She found herself on the streets, struggling to get by. She had no idea where to turn for support. But thanks to donors like you, Cool Aid found her. First, she was provided with a tent and other life-saving supplies, to survive harsh days and nights on the street.
And then, the moment that marked a turning point in Victoria’s life: she was offered a room at the new supportive housing project at the Comfort Inn across from Topaz Park. “I couldn’t believe it. I really didn’t. It felt too good to be true.”
“Family couldn’t help me. I couldn’t help myself. But Cool Aid is helping me.” Victoria smiles. She’s in a place where she can get her life back on track.
Thanks to this partnership between Cool Aid, Our Place, BC Housing, and other local organizations, Victoria has a safe, warm home for the first time in years.
“It can feel like there’s no way out,” she says, “and then, someone comes along and gives you this and loves you. And I have people to reach out to, and everyone looks out for each other. It’s incredible.”
She and over 60 other vulnerable men and women now have the peace of mind and stability of a room of their own, as well as hot meals, medical services, and addiction counselling.
Thank you for everything you do to help neighbours like Victoria find home and hope again.
Cool Aid is Building for the Long Term You can help with a gift in your will Cool Aid provides housing, healthcare and support services for 12,000 people in Greater Victoria experiencing homelessness and living in poverty.
WE PROVIDE recreation and training activities at the Downtown Community Centre, employment opportunities, and help 7,000 locals each year with support services.
WE PROVIDE housing and support for over 700 people, most of whom were previously homeless, and we are building 228 new affordable apartments for the community.
Cool Aid responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with a new Health Outreach Team that provides medical and health care for hundreds of our neighbours at temporary housing sites and large encampments.
CoolAid.org/bequest • 250.414.4799 • langelini@CoolAid.org
6 |CAPITAL GIVING | 25 APRIL 2021
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Showing up for local seniors
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id you know that, in Greater Victoria, the number of people aged 75+ will more than double to roughly 47,000 people by 2040? With this demographic growing faster than any other in our community, I fear what the future may look like for local seniors. I grew up in a small town that, like Victoria, had a lot of elderly residents – so much so that many of my friends were decades older than me. Though I didn’t fully understand why at the time, I quickly realized that my visits had a real impact on my most elderly friends. Just by showing up, by taking an interest, I brought them joy. This simple realization led me to a career in long-term care. I spent decades working at Tillicum Lodge, Oak Bay Lodge, Aberdeen, and Priory here in Greater Victoria, leading and organizing support programs for elderly residents. It was often the simplest things that made a difference – someone to talk to, a sense of purpose or of being valued – but they often didn’t know how to ask for help, or feel like they should.
I’ll never forget one resident at Oak Bay Lodge who said to me, “Why would you want to come here and look after us old folks? You need to go get a life!” To me, helping care for those in need was my life, and I didn’t want to be anywhere else. But now as I age myself, I see how seniors and their needs often seem to get forgotten. It’s rarely seen as a tragedy when an older person’s health declines, even when the decline could have easily been prevented through simple social programs, or with mobility support. I even find that I’m becoming invisible – people often bump into me now when I go shopping – so it’s easy to see how seniors can come to feel like they’re just a burden that’s in the way. So as Victoria’s population gets older, I fear what this will mean for the growing number of elderly who will be aging at home. I know what their needs will be, and how few of these needs will be met by the government-funded portion of our healthcare system. Many seniors also won’t know who to ask for help, or even feel like they can ask.
Fortunately, when I worked in healthcare, I became aware of the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation and the wonderful contribution they make in seniors’ lives. In the long-term care facilities where I worked, Eldercare’s impact could be seen all around me: residents received weekly exercises classes, therapy equipment, visits by a music therapist, art classes, and even busses for outings all provided by donor funding. They never overlooked the personal touches either: • For an elderly woman who was unsteady on her feet, Eldercare bought special pants with pads that would prevent a painful hip fracture in case she had a fall • For a tall gentleman who found all the standard wheelchairs at his facility terribly uncomfortable, Eldercare paid for a custom fitted one • Eldercare even organized a special Christmas program to deliver presents to residents who celebrated the holiday, but who no longer had family to celebrate with.
As Victoria’s senior population grew, Eldercare expanded its programs to help seniors living at home too. Today they fund adult day programs, community bathing programs, educational programs for seniors and caregivers, and even home medical alarm services for low-income seniors who have a high risk of falls or hospitalization – simple social programs that help seniors prevent mental and physical decline, and maintain their independence and dignity. I trust them to keep making the right decisions for the future too, and so for me, financially supporting Eldercare is now a way I can help seniors and the elderly in my community. I’ve even created a gift in my will to Eldercare, so that I can keep ‘showing up’ for seniors after I’m gone. I take great comfort in that.
- Barb Doughty, former healthcare worker, and Eldercare donor
May is 82 now. Animals still bring her joy.
For seniors living with dementia, life-like companion pets can enhance feelings of comfort, access to memories, and the ability to engage meaningfully with friends and loved ones. A gift in your Will can create a legacy of innovative therapies for seniors in need.
1454 Hillside Ave., Victoria, BC V8T 2B7 250-370-5664 Charity# 898816095 RR0001
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Meeting the tsunami of grief: News from the bereavement services frontline at Victoria Hospice
Stand with us on the frontline of compassion
“Palliative care isn’t only about managing symptoms and making people physically comfortable. It’s about closeness and humanity. It’s about helping families through the hardest days of their lives.” - Dr. Amy Tan, Victoria Hospice Medical Director
W
hen we think about the death of a loved one, most of us picture ourselves at their bedside. We want to be there with our loving presence to comfort and reassure them. Instinctively, we feel if we are beside them, holding their hands, our loved one’s last days and moments will be eased. They’ll be sure of our love, and how much they matter to us. Attending to people we love at their death is for many, one of the most meaningful and important moments in our lives. But virtual good-byes can never replace our loving embrace.
When you give, you make it possible for us to walk alongside pa�ents and families during this difficult �me. Donate today to help support compassionate end-of-life care.
VictoriaHospice.org/Compassion Victoria Hospice, 4th Floor Richmond Pavilion, 1952 Bay Street, Victoria, BC V8R 1J8 Tel: 250-519-1744 • Charitable Registra�on: 11928-4230-RR0001
The pandemic has robbed thousands and thousands of these acts of love. That count grows higher every day as waves of the pandemic roll across the country. Visitor restrictions applied in all health care settings during this pandemic – while important for everyone’s safety – massively interfere with our ability to demonstrate love at the end of life, and in turn, to grieve. Victoria Hospice bereavement counsellors are seeing first-hand just how devastating the pandemic and its restrictions
have been on people experiencing grief and loss. Vulnerable and marginalised people, and people with preexisting mental health concerns, are especially at risk of prolonged grief now. Even well-resourced people who might normally navigate grief with the informal support of friends and family and the comfort of community rituals are now seeking professional bereavement support and counselling. The agony of separation from loved ones at the end of life has triggered a tsunami of grief in the community. And that tsunami is right at Victoria Hospice’s front door. Victoria Hospice bereavement counsellors are responding to this unprecedented need. They walk alongside people with support for each person’s unique path in bereavement. But they need your support. With your help, people in grief can access the expert bereavement educational programs, professional counselling, and support groups they need right now. - Donate today at victoriahospice.org.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Victoria Foundation Every Kid is One Caring Adult Away from Being a Success Story! - Josh Shipp
What makes Boys & Girls Club of Greater Victoria so successful in changing lives? > Our doors are always open, no one is turned away > We help youth who… - Need a place to go after school - Live risky lifestyles - Live in poverty - Are facing jail time - Are homeless - May be teen parents - Have addiction or mental health issues > Our adult to youth ratios are low so we keep our personalized support and mentoring high > We build on each child’s strengths, developing capacity, character and capability, step by step > We feed our kids nutritious meals and snacks every day which is often the only healthy food they receive
Mostly it looks like fun. Well, it is. What you don’t see (we plan it this way) is the intentional guidance & instruction that is part of every interaction, every activity, every program, every relationship – every day.
OPPORTUNITY CHANGES EVERYTHING YOUR LEGACY WILL… Help more than 1,200 children and youth every year: • Eat breakfast, healthy meals & snacks so they have a fighting chance to learn, grow and develop • Have a safe place to belong, learn new skills and build positive relationships • Overcome learning barriers so they will graduate from high school and thrive in the world • Discover their curiosity and spark their desire to learn
ALUMNI SAY...
69
%
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB SAVED THEIR LIFE
HELP NOW! Please join an exclusive group by giving a lasting gift of hope for the future through: • Your written will • Your insurance policy • Your gift of property • An endowment fund in your family name
Imagine...the life you will change by leaving your legacy!
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The War Amps Key Tag Service Celebrates 75 Years
Jeanne
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Leave a lasting gift …
with a charitable estate donation in your will. Your support provides amputees, including children, with the essential artificial limbs they need to thrive. With your help, we are also a reliable source for expertise, advocacy and peer connections, and our historic work for veterans continues to the present day.
estatedonation@waramps.ca • waramps.ca • 1 800 465-2677
he War Amps Key Tag Service is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The service has not only been reuniting Canadians with their lost keys, it has been helping to make a difference in the lives of amputees, like Sima Culjak. The War Amps was started in 1918 by amputee veterans returning from the First World War to help each other in adapting to their new reality as amputees. They then welcomed amputee veterans following the Second World War, sharing all that they had learned. In 1946, the Key Tag Service was launched so that returning war amputees could not only work for competitive wages, but also provide a service to Canadians that would generate funds for the Association. Today, the Key Tag Service continues to employ amputees and people with disabilities. In the winter of 1985, Sima and her sister were just teenagers when they were walking from their village, in the former Yugoslavia, to visit their mom in
the nearest town. They got lost in a canyon and after seven days without food or sleep, they were found by hunters. “My sister and I had frostbite and an infection in our lungs. To save our lives, doctors had to amputate both of our legs below the knee,” she says. In 1990, Sima and her husband moved to Canada where she began working at The War Amps Key Tag Service. “As many of my coworkers are amputees, we share a special bond,” says Sima. “We support each other and show each other that the sky is the limit.” War Amps spokesperson Rob Larman adds, “We’d like to thank the public for helping to make the Key Tag Service a success. Your support funds essential programs for children, veterans and all amputees across Canada.” The War Amps Key Tag Service is a free service, but if you find value in it, you can choose to make a donation. - Order key tags online at waramps.ca or by calling 1-800-250-3030.
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You can keep Vancouver Island families close when it matters most.
CHAMPIONS WANTED Help keep Vancouver Island families close at Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon. Donate today at
www.rmhbc.ca No family ever plans to stay at Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon, but for 2,000 families each year, it becomes a home away from home. When children from Victoria and neighbouring communities are diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer or heart disease, they are often flown to Vancouver that same day. Families face urgent challenges: where to stay, how to care for their other children, and even where to find a change of clothes. That’s where Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon (RMH BC) comes in, providing accommodation and support for families who must relocate to Vancouver for treatment. Last year, 19% of the families we served came from Vancouver Island. The Ruljic family was one of many Victoria families who found a home at RMH BC, when their son Novak was diagnosed with leukemia at 2 ½ years old. The House provided a safe place to sleep, play and cook meals while Novak’s family focused on the fight of their lives. “Our stay here was nothing short of amazing,” says mom Nicole. “At the darkest point of your life, it’s like you can see a little bit of light. There’s hope.” • An essential service made possible by your support, RMH BC stayed open for families all 365 days of 2020. • Families can stay for weeks, months, or years. • Staying at RMH BC saves families $3,000 - $6,000 per month. • Programs like family meals reduce day-to-day stress so they can care for their sick child. • More than a place to stay, the House makes possible countless superhero movie nights, home-cooked meals and bedtime stories. You can support Island families at RMH BC by making a donation, hosting a virtual fund-raiser or learning more. - Visit www.rmhbc.ca.
12 |CAPITAL GIVING | 25 APRIL 2021
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Bear Essentials is a lifeline for families of Island kids with complex needs Lucas is a happy little guy. Like many other fiveyear-olds, he loves learning at school, playing with his brother, and swimming. While in many ways Lucas is just like his classmates, he also faces a range of complex health challenges that make life that much more difficult for him and his family. Diagnosed early in his life with global developmental delay, a severe intellectual disability, and breathing issues, Lucas requires specialized equipment and care. “There are so many special things he needs,” says his mom, Laura. “It’s a constant struggle, wondering how you’re going to pay for everything.” As Lucas is nonverbal, he is unable to share stories of his weekend with his friends at school or simply communicate his basic needs to his parents. That is – until Laura was able to purchase an iPad through the Bear Essentials program. Designed to assist with the costs of health-related equipment
and travel, the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island Bear Essentials program helps thousands of Island kids like Lucas every year. With the apps on the iPad, Lucas can learn through images, socialize with his friends, and even use pictures to initiate storytelling. “Now he can show off his little voice, even though it’s not coming from his own body; at least now we know what he wants,” says Laura. Every day, Bear Essentials gives Island families access to the vital health equipment their kids need to thrive. The program provides families with gas money to get to their child’s medical appointments, accommodation when they need to stay overnight, and specialized equipment like wheelchairs, insulin pumps, and Lucas’ iPad. You can make a difference for Island kids like Lucas. Donate today at islandkidsfirst.com.
You can make a world of difference for Island families this season Make a gift today islandkidsfirst.com
Champions for the health of every Island family
Island kids need you