Make it happen! COMMUNITY NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR VITAL GRANTS
INTRODUCTION
2016 PROJECTS
Make it happen! The Victoria Foundation has a long and valued history of strengthening community wellbeing by investing in people, opportunities and solutions. Our close connections and face-to-face dialogues with local charitable organizations – together with research from our annual Vital Signs report – allow us to provide insightful, effective grants to make this great community an even better place to live, work, grow and play. We are pleased to share summaries adapted from grant applications received from local charitable organizations for projects proposed for 2016. These highlight the current needs of many organizations that carry out vital work in our community in five areas of interest: AREA OF INTEREST
PAGE
Arts, Culture & Heritage
2
Community Service
7
Education
14
Environment
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Health & Recreation
19
On page 24, Make it happen! describes our seven community Leadership Funds. At the back of the booklet, we have included an index of the organizations for your easy reference. This booklet is also available online at victoriafoundation.bc.ca where you can click through to the websites of each organization to learn more about them. We invite you to visit Victoria’s Community Knowledge Centre at ckc.victoriafoundation.bc.ca. This online knowledge hub extends the Victoria Foundation’s commitment of connecting people who care with causes that matter® to highlight organizations addressing issues identified in our Victoria’s Vital Signs® report. Grantees that have received funding through past Make it happen! projects are also featured on the Community Knowledge Centre. We encourage you to consider supporting one or more of the projects or leadership funds in this booklet. Please use the Grant Distribution Form. For assistance, please contact our donor services staff at 250.381.5532 or donorservices@victoriafoundation.bc.ca. Working together, we can strengthen the wellbeing of our community. Together, we’re better.
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ARTS, CULTURE & HERITAGE
2016 PROJECTS
CENTENNIAL UNITED CHURCH REQUESTING $2,000 Centennial United 130th Anniversary Stained-Glass Window Repairwww.cucvictoria.com In honour of Centennial United’s 130th anniversary, the Church Council proposes to repair two of the stained-glass windows facing the Gorge Road entrance. A comprehensive window survey by Mercer Schaeffer Glassworks indicated that the windows above the main door in the narthex are in extreme need of repair. These windows are the first impression people have when approaching the church, so they are important to maintain. Furthermore, the repair restores the building's historic significance in the community. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture CIVIC ORCHESTRA SOCIETY OF VICTORIA REQUESTING $15,000 2015/16 Season of Musicwww.civicorchestraofvictoria.org Inaugurated in 1983, the Civic Orchestra of Victoria is a volunteer organization dedicated to providing an opportunity for musicians of varying ages and abilities to perform a wide repertoire of orchestral music for supportive audiences in the Victoria region. Funds are requested for the spring 2016 performances of Moshe Hammer Performs Tchaikovsky and Animals Through the Ages. The orchestra serves as a platform for aspiring soloists and for choral groups, both as a learning experience and for the enjoyment of its members. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture DANCE VICTORIA SOCIETY REQUESTING $7,500 South Vancouver Island Dance Archives Assistantwww.dancevictoria.com Dance Victoria will contract an Archives Assistant to work with the South Vancouver Island Dance Archives. Established in 2011, the Dance Archives has an active volunteer committee that meets weekly to receive, catalogue and properly house photographs, news clippings, house programs and other materials donated from the community. Working with the volunteer committee, the Archives Assistant's main duties will include cataloguing materials, developing summaries for each collection, and assisting with the development of displays and exhibits for installations. Exhibits will be showcased at the Royal Theatre and at Dance Victoria's studios. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Learning FRIENDS OF THE ASHTON GARRISON MUSEUM REQUESTING $12,000 Period Military Uniforms For Displays and Parades The Friends of the Ashton Garrison Museum provides volunteer and financial support to the Lt. General Ashton Armoury Museum. Authentic military uniforms, both originals and replicas, will greatly enhance the museum visitors' experience while they are learning about Canadian military history, particularly as it pertains to the contributions of the citizens of Victoria. Though uniforms from World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Cold War are becoming harder to obtain, some companies do provide authentic replica uniforms with the accoutrements. As they are acquired, these uniforms will be worn by volunteers and drivers and used in displays. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture
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ARTS, CULTURE & HERITAGE
2016 PROJECTS
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE OF VICTORIA REQUESTING $5,000 The Victoria International Jewish Film Festivalwww.jccvictoria.ca The Victoria International Jewish Film Festival will present independent films that are not readily available at local cinemas. The Festival seeks to bring disparate groups together to learn about and reflect on fundamental and universal themes as expressed in Jewish-themed films. The films will not be religious in nature, but will offer secular, cultural experiences to the Jewish and wider communities of the region. The films will broaden awareness and provide an opportunity for community engagement. Volunteers will carry out all the festival planning, organization and delivery. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Belonging & Engagement OCTA COLLECTIVE (artsREACH) REQUESTING $17,300 artsREACH In-School Programwww.artsreach.ca The artsREACH In-School Program provides free 90-minute workshops in visual arts, theatre, and dance through public schools that serve the highest populations of low-income families in the Capital Regional District. Workshops are offered to grade K-5 classes selected by school principals. Taught by professional artists, artsREACH workshops foster imaginative play, encourage individual creativity, and promote teamwork. Teachers learn new skills and techniques by observing artsREACH artistinstructors and all materials are provided free of charge. The program's goal is to deliver 200 workshops (100 visual arts, 75 dance and 25 theatre) to over 20 schools during the 2015/16 term, a 23 percent increase over 2014/15. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture THE OTHER GUYS THEATRE COMPANY SOCIETY REQUESTING $15,000 Creating Legends: BC In Songwww.otherguystheatre.ca Director/Composer Ross Desprez and Musical Director/Composer Tobin Stokes, both from The Other Guys Theatre, composed 22 original songs and created a theatrical piece that includes West Coast events transformed from historical moments into folk legends. The original compositions will be performed by five of Victoria's finest actors and musicians against a backdrop of multimedia archival imagery sourced from the Royal BC Museum and Archives. Creating Legends: BC In Song will premiere in Victoria in 2016, in partnership with the RBCM. The goal is take this play on tour to BC communities in 2017 to celebrate Canada's 150th Anniversary. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture PACIFIC NORTH-WEST HERITAGE HOME FOUNDATION 2013 REQUESTING $25,000 Restoration of Heritage Homes, Lectures and Workshopswww.wentworthvilla.com The Pacific North-West Heritage Homes Foundation (PNWHHF) proposes to engage local home owners and skilled tradespeople in the art of heritage home restoration. Six expert-led workshops on restoring heritage buildings will be offered to these target audiences at PNWHHF's museum. The workshops are estimated to reach about 100 people per year. Benefits include generating an appreciation of local architecture and history and creating a fully equipped local venue to build community capacity in applying modern construction technologies and regulations to historic methods and mediums. A post-workshop evaluation of attendees will inform quality improvement and program relevance. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 3
ARTS, CULTURE & HERITAGE
2016 PROJECTS
PANDORA ARTS COLLECTIVE SOCIETY REQUESTING $15,000 Wellbeing – From Studio to Communitywww.pandoraarts.ca This project will offer twice weekly intergenerational facilitated studio art sessions in two half-year cycles focused on supporting individuals from age 14 to seniors struggling with mental health issues and any others who would find a regular, safe, understanding and creative community important to their wellbeing. The project will affect 60 to 75 individuals over the year with ten to 20 individuals per week participating in any single studio day. Several workshops and exhibitions will be included as part of the program. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness PTARMIGAN MUSIC AND THEATRE SOCIETY REQUESTING $20,000 Strength Within Arts Workshopswww.ptarmigansociety.org Ptarmigan intends to expand its successful Strength Within program to Victoria. Working with local community partners, Ptarmigan will create interactive, educational art programs for people marginalized by illness, disability, poverty and advanced age using music, theatre, dance, filmmaking and the visual arts. Ptarmigan aims to provide inspirational and healing art programs that encourage learning, self-expression, enjoyment, socialization, and improve physical and mental health for participants. This project will support underserved populations so that they can realize their artistic and creative capabilities. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Belonging & Engagement SOOKE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY REQUESTING $15,000 Sooke Harmony Projectwww.sookephil.ca The Sooke Harmony Project (SHP) plans to offer free music instruction to low-income children ages six to 12 in the Sooke region. The SHP engages children in music lessons and rehearsals, builds orchestras with these children in their own neighbourhoods, and arranges field trips to concerts and special events. Each student will receive an instrument to take home, and all are enrolled in group classes or private lessons. Beyond improving their musical abilities, children develop life skills, make academic progress, increase their cultural awareness, and create strong connections. They also learn to collaborate, lead, and perform as a unit. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture THEATRE SKAM ASSOCIATION REQUESTING $33,300 Shop Talkwww.skam.ca Shop Talk is a live theatre performance that examines sexual politics in the workplace. Created by Theatre SKAM, the performance takes place in an actual carpentry shop where the audience watches the action of the play unfold amid the construction of a set for an opera. The plot focuses on Sarah, a carpenter, who faces the challenge of working in a male-dominated workplace. The production employs 27 people, features a female director and an all-female design and production team, and showcases a 15-member cast. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture
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ARTS, CULTURE & HERITAGE
2016 PROJECTS
T'SOU-KE NATION REQUESTING $15,000 Ladybug Garden & GreenhouseWUI,CIST CEN,TOLwww.tsoukenation.com WUI,CIST CEN,TOL brings elders and youth together to grow and forage for foods, medicinal herbs and traditional seafoods on the traditional territories of the T'Sou-ke Nation. This enriches the knowledge of youth in regards to their culture, heritage and traditional ways incorporating the SENĆOŦEN language by naming the plants they forage. The WUI,CIST CEN,TOL gardening and foraging project promotes healthy eating and active living with hikes for exercise and endurance, and teaches sustainability through workshops on food preservation, drying and storing. Using the T'Sou-ke Nation's traditional territories as an "outdoor classroom" for outings and the gardens to promote healthy living within the community, this project aims to teach members about indigenous food systems and to encourage self-sufficiency. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness VICTORIA CHORAL SOCIETY REQUESTING $7,500 Mendelssohn Concert 2016www.victoriachoralsociety.ca Victoria Choral Society will produce a concert on April 10, 2016 featuring major choral works by Mendelssohn and Brahms, including Mendelssohn's Symphony #2 (Hymn of Praise) and Brahms' Song of Destiny. This concert will bring these great choral-symphonic masterworks to the Victoria-area audience and provide an opportunity to hear the first performance of the Hymn of Praise in Victoria in nearly 60 years! The project will also benefit the local music community, as VCS will be hiring 38 instrumentalists and three soloists. In addition, VCS will reach out to youth, disadvantaged people, and community groups through complimentary or reduced-cost tickets. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture VICTORIA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC REQUESTING $30,000 Getting Started - Early Childhood Music Outreachwww.vcm.bc.ca The Victoria Conservatory of Music’s Getting Started - Early Childhood Music Outreach initiative provides access to music education free of charge to young children (infants to five years old) and their parents through childcare centres and preschools. The initiative focuses on centres that serve marginalized populations and families facing financial challenges. Early education in music has benefits that transcend the musical domain and no child should be denied access to these benefits because of financial need. This specialized music outreach initiative for young children is foundational for future cognitive and emotional health. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Getting Started in our Community VICTORIA PHILHARMONIC CHOIR SOCIETY (VPC) REQUESTING $5,000 Mozart/Haydn Choral Concertwww.vpchoir.ca VPC, an auditioned, multi-generational organization, has become a vital part of the region's musical culture. Support is needed for a March 2016 choral concert featuring works by Mozart and Haydn. The Greater Victoria audience will be thrilled with another outstanding major classical performance by the VPC, orchestra and soloists. An all-ages event, the concert offers incentives for young people to attend or participate, promoting accessibility. Choristers benefit with improved vocal capacity and a deeper sense of belonging by working together to create the event. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 5
ARTS, CULTURE & HERITAGE
2016 PROJECTS
VICTORIA SYMPHONY SOCIETY REQUESTING $25,000 Rink Cycle IIwww.victoriasymphony.ca In February 2007, the Victoria Symphony joined with School District 61 in producing the Rink Cycle, an event in which hundreds of music students joined with the Symphony in a performance at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. For Rink Cycle II: Canada and the Future, the Symphony will build on the previous work with new repertoire; an expanded group of schools; more involvement for students who sing; a movement component for students who are not specifically studying music; a collaboration with First Nations schoolchildren and performing artists; and a commissioned work using traditional First Nations music, themes and stories. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture
PHOTO CREDIT: DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST
VICTORIA THEATRE GUILD & DRAMATIC SCHOOL (Langham Court Theatre) REQUESTING $18,000 Volunteer Learning Programwww.langhamtheatre.ca The Victoria Theatre Guild and Dramatic School will initiate a comprehensive learning program in each of its Guilds to re-energize its mandate to provide theatrical learning and address the many requests from its volunteers for learning opportunities. Residents of Victoria come with widely varied experience and abilities to volunteer at the Guild. These learning opportunities, in conjunction with volunteers' experience at the Langham Court Theatre, will give Guild members the support they need to be more confident and provide them with a more fulfilling creative experience. These learning opportunities will also be offered to non-members as an important outreach project of the Guild. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture PANDORA ARTS COLLECTIVE SOCIETY This project will offer twice weekly intergenerational facilitated studio art sessions in two halfyear cycles focused on supporting individuals from age 14 to seniors struggling with mental health issues find a regular, safe, understanding and creative community important to their wellbeing. (Page 4) REQUESTING $15,000
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COMMUNITY SERVICE
2016 PROJECTS
ANAWIM COMPANIONS SOCIETY REQUESTING $18,000 Community Engagement Pilot Projectwww.anawimhouse.com Funds will support community engagement and communications activities, including compensation for a community outreach liaison position and equipment costs. Through this project, the community outreach liaison will identify and connect with new funders, communicate with existing donors, build partnerships with related organizations to reduce duplication, and expand awareness of Anawim's day services in the community. If the year-long project is funded and meets its goals, it will make Anawim's services more sustainable and build the organization's capacity to fund this position from its own revenues. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Housing BC FAMILIES IN TRANSITION SOCIETY (Family Services of Greater Victoria) REQUESTING $29,300 Men on Their Ownwww.fsgv.org Family Services of Greater Victoria will research, design and deliver a new group program for men experiencing relationship breakdown. Multiple studies have demonstrated that men's experience of divorce is more damaging than it is for women, yet programs to address this problem are rare. Men have more serious outcomes in physical and mental health, social integration, and postdivorce/separation relationships with their children. To design an effective program, Family Services of Greater Victoria will use its client database to interview men about what they perceive to be the needs of men; develop a program based on these interviews and on recent academic research; and begin delivery of a pilot program. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness CFAX SANTAS ANONYMOUS SOCIETY REQUESTING $12,560 Christmas Giving Networkwww.cfaxsantas.com The Christmas Giving Network, established in 2012 and spearheaded by CFAX Santas Anonymous, works collectively to ensure that Christmas support programs are delivered effectively by each of its ten member charities throughout the Capital Regional District. The Network understands that families and individuals seeking help at Christmastime worry that demand will outweigh resources and therefore some apply to multiple agencies for support. Duplicate applications reduce the ability of charities to help the ever-growing need in our community of those struggling to provide for their families during the holidays. Funds would assist the Network to purchase the established database used to identify duplication and other important data about our community's needs. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Standard of Living CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION AND COUNSELLING SOCIETY OF GREATER VICTORIA REQUESTING $10,000 (Mary Manning Centre) Raising Happy Kidswww.marymanningcentre.com Raising Happy Kids provides practical parent education and support for two groups of ten parents/caregivers with children and youth affected by trauma. The groups focus on parenting skills, safety plans and communication, utilizing art therapy, discussion, role plays, and relaxation techniques. Topics covered include loss, trauma, child development, and emotional regulation. Benefits include providing timely access to trauma-informed mental health services and increasing safety and resiliency within families. The program aims to provide practical parenting tools, connect VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 7
COMMUNITY SERVICE
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families to support networks, and increase protective factors for children and youth while increasing the safety of their home environment. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Safety COMMUNICA DIALOGUE AND RESOLUTION SERVICES SOCIETY REQUESTING $12,500 Re-Entry Mediation Program Developmentwww.communicabc.org Communica's Re-Entry Mediation Program will provide mediation between prisoners exiting prison and individuals with whom they would like to build positive relationships. The program is being modeled on a successful program operating in Baltimore, Maryland, which has had very good success reducing re-offending rates for participants. The funds will be used to support the initial steps needed to jump-start the program, including conducting research, consultations with community partners, and developing the training and tools needed to launch the Re-Entry Mediation Program. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Safety COMMUNITY SOCIAL PLANNING COUNCIL OF GREATER VICTORIA REQUESTING $17,188 YPQI: Building Long-Term Program Sustainabilitywww.communitycouncil.ca The Youth Program Quality Initiative (YPQI) provides ongoing support to youth workers and organizations serving youth with a quality improvement process that involves training, coaching and peer-to-peer learning and networking. It works with over 20 organizations and more than 100 youth workers. By supporting youth programming that emphasizes meaningful youth engagement, the YPQI increases the resiliency of our community's youth and improves protective factors for youth mental health. This project aims to develop and implement steps identified in the initiative's long-term development plan to make the YPQI sustainable by September 2016; these will be developed and applied in parallel to the regular YPQI program. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Belonging & Engagement CRIDGE CENTRE FOR THE FAMILY REQUESTING $26,620 The Cridge Brain Injury Employment Programwww.cridge.org The Cridge Centre for the Family's Brain Injury Services have provided support to survivors of brain injury for over 20 years. Without support, survivors are at risk of homelessness, as they often have to relearn basic living and work skills. Job skills training is provided for up to 36 survivors each year, which enables them to be self-sufficient members of the community. Funds will support a pilot offering survivors who have been trained in kitchen and food skills an opportunity to work as cooks at a local school's hot breakfast program, both increasing food security for the students and employing survivors in a supportive environment. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Standard of Living FERNWOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD RESOURCE GROUP SOCIETY REQUESTING $37,375 Neighbourhood Family Food Securitywww.fernwoodnrg.ca The Neighbourhood Family Food Security project aims to expand and ensure the sustainability of the family, child and youth-focused food programs offered through eight community centre partners. These family meals, community kitchens and other food skill programs facilitate access to healthy food for vulnerable and low-income people. Community centres involved in this project are hubs of integrated resources that build family capacity to meet food needs by providing opportunities to 8 VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN!
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build relationships and learn essential life skills. These centres also connect families with other resources and services to support them in coping with food insecurity and managing their own wellbeing. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Standard of Living FRIENDS OF LIVING AND LEARNING THROUGH LOSS REQUESTING $3,325 Supporting Youth - Community Educationwww.learningthroughloss.org Learning Through Loss is committed to the health and well-being of youth in our community by providing grief education and loss support groups to youth ages 10 to 18. To ensure youth have access to resources and support, the Supporting Youth - Community Education project was created to provide training and education to those who support youth: youth peers, parents, youth workers, and professionals. These educational workshops are led by a highly qualified team and enhance our community's capacity to understand youth grief and loss issues. The project also aims to provide practical tools and strategies for supporting youth to make healthy choices and heal through their loss experiences. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness GARTH HOMER SOCIETY REQUESTING $30,000 Supported Self-Employmentwww.garthhomersociety.org Through the development of micro-enterprises based on individual interests, the Supported SelfEmployment Program (SSE) provides young adults with developmental disabilities and autism with a new path to inclusion, belonging, and work. It is addressed to individuals with moderate support needs who have the cognitive capacity for employment but lack the social and emotional skills. This is a group that is currently largely unsupported through normal funding channels. SSE will help them build skills and gain the confidence that comes through ongoing community engagement and, ultimately, be successful in a regular employment position. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Standard of Living GEORGE PRINGLE MEMORIAL CAMP SOCIETY (Camp Pringle) REQUESTING $15,000 Camp Watch - Bullying Preventionwww.camppringle.com The Camp Watch - Bullying Prevention Pilot Project will train 40 Camp Pringle youth staff and volunteers to reduce all forms of bullying at summer camp, and these staff and volunteers will in turn provide anti-bullying education to over 500 campers ages five to 19. Staff, volunteers and campers will be provided with language to talk about bullying and tools to put an end to bullying at camp. Campers will receive a pink anti-bullying t-shirt and a guide to anti-bullying. Resources and results from this pilot will be shared with the 50 BC Camping Association Accredited Camp partners across the province. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Safety HEROWORK PROGRAM SOCIETY REQUESTING $25,000 Program Developmentwww.herowork.com HeroWork helps other charities thrive by renewing and refreshing their physical infrastructure through exciting special events called Radical Renovations. Imagine a modern day barn-raising, where community comes together with massive cooperation and common vision. This project will support VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 9
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the creation of a standardized leadership and event training program to empower Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) to organize Radical Renovations for worthy charities. This program will include standardized business processes, program manuals, LOC skills matrices and structure, leadership training and mentoring, project and team evaluation protocols, monitoring systems, branding, marketing, supply chain development--in short, every component necessary for community teams to put on successful Radical Renovations. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Economy JOHN HOWARD SOCIETY OF VICTORIA REQUESTING $15,172 Feeding Ourselves and Others Community Garden Projectwww.feedingourselvesandothers.com Feeding Ourselves and Others is a therapeutic organic garden project supporting individuals facing mental health, addictions, poverty, housing instability and related issues. Some individuals are completing community work service through Victoria Integrated Court, and all participants earn a stipend for their hours worked in the garden. This project successfully integrates therapeutic gardening with income generation through market sales, which improves lives and contributes to local food security. Participants report benefits such as learning new gardening skills, feeling more stabilized, improving their mental and physical health, enjoying an increased sense of community, making new friends, and experiencing economic improvement and increased employability. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Belonging & Engagement MUSTARD SEED STREET CHURCH REQUESTING $80,000 Food Share Network - Action Plan Implementation Phase 2www.mustardseed.ca Over the past year, the Food Share Network (FSN) has made significant progress on its Action Plan outlining collaborative initiatives to address food insecurity and poverty in the Capital Regional District, which has integrated programs between non-profits, outlined outcomes and indicators of success, and established shared client metrics. Further, the several pilot projects have been successful in achieving their intended outcomes. Phase 2 will see the continuation of the administration of the FSN and the expansion of the Neighbourhood Food Delivery Program from seven agencies to 12, the operation of the distribution online portal and the farm gleaning pilot. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness PACIFICA HOUSING ADVISORY ASSOCIATION REQUESTING $69,730 The Greater Victoria Streets To Homes Programwww.pacificahousing.ca Every year the Greater Victoria Streets to Homes Program moves 125 homeless adults directly into permanent market housing while providing customized support to help them stay there. The program secures housing and integrates support services to effectively deliver services to people with mental health issues, substance use issues, generational poverty, brain injury, and other significant health concerns who are homeless. By tailoring the support to the unique needs of each client, the vast majority of clients are successful in maintaining long-term housing. The stabilizing effect of housing reduces a client’s interaction with law-enforcement and use of emergency medical services. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Housing
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PEERS VICTORIA RESOURCES SOCIETY REQUESTING $11,701 The Dinner Group: Fostering Peer Education & Community Networkingwww.safersexwork.ca This project builds on a pilot over the past year and will support two underserved sex worker subpopulations, males and indoor-based escorts, to gather monthly for dinner and a guest presentation. Guest presenters for the pilot included the Victoria Police Department, lawyers, a financial/tax specialist, a physician and sexual health educator, and members of municipal and federal governments. The Dinner Group benefits clients by providing for peer education and increased leadership capacity, and also benefits community by educating the public about the needs of diverse populations of sex workers. This project allows PEERS to expand its program reach. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Belonging & Engagement SALT SPRING ISLAND FARMLAND TRUST SOCIETY REQUESTING $25,000 Salt Spring Island Farm Centre for Food Securitywww.ssifarmlandtrust.org The Farm Centre for Food Security, a community food hub, addresses identified needs on Salt Spring Island for local food storage, coordinated distribution, value-added processing and meals, and food literacy. The Development Permit is approved and the Master Plan is completed for full construction and implementation of the Centre. The Centre will support increased local food production (target of a 25 percent increase in first five years), provide job experience for vulnerable individuals, improve access to healthy local food, and increase community resilience. Funds requested will support Phase 1 of developing the Centre, including renovation of the existing barn, installation of utilities, providing workshop programs, setting up winter food storage, and beginning land reclamation. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Economy THRESHOLD HOUSING SOCIETY REQUESTING $56,120 Safe Housing For Youthwww.thresholdhousing.ca The Safe Housing for Youth Program is a transitional housing program for youth ages 18 to 22 who are at risk of becoming homeless. Through the program, staff search out "youth-friendly" landlords, set up youth safely in rental accommodation, and provide support for transitional planning. Youth are also involved in an intense life-skill program to ensure they become self-supporting and selfreliant, and participate in school completion or other day programs. Their aim is to move toward their goals, while the aim of Threshold is to provide a safe environment for at-risk youth to achieve those goals. Threshold mentors youth from being "at-risk" to being "at-promise." Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Housing UMBRELLA SOCIETY FOR ADDICTIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH REQUESTING $40,000 Strengthening Family Physician Response to Addicted Patientswww.umbrellasociety.ca Umbrella has many years of experience helping people struggling with addictions to navigate multiple systems of care. Family physicians, both in private practice and walk-in settings, are ideally placed to identify patients for whom substance use has become a problem and can initiate that first, often very difficult, conversation with them. Their pace of practice is driven by the current fee structure and this often prohibits follow-up beyond further office visits. This project will provide a path for family physicians to refer patients to Umbrella, whose outreach workers will offer a variety of one-to-one support and follow them closely in the community. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 11
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VANCOUVER ISLAND MEN'S TRAUMA COUNSELLING SOCIETY REQUESTING $10,000 Post-Trauma Road to Recovery: Stage 2 group for men with PTSDwww.menstrauma.com The Men’s Trauma Centre provides victim support services and individual and group counselling to men who have experienced trauma. Trauma is an emotional wound that creates lasting damage to development and includes physical, emotional or sexual abuse. The Centre is experienced in providing specialist groups for men, including a Stage 1 group helping men recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that has been very successful. Funding is requested to develop a pilot Stage 2 PTSD counselling group for men that will build on the work done in Stage 1, with results to be shared with other organizations. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness VICTORIA COMMUNITY FOOD HUB SOCIETY REQUESTING $29,500 Neighbourhood Food Networks Exploratory This project will support the development of a network of neighbourhood-based food hubs in the Capital Region. It will build on existing social and physical infrastructure in schools, municipal facilities, and community organizations to increase access to fresh, healthy food and improve community food literacy. Through establishment of a Neighbourhood Food Networks Working Group, participating agencies will take the next steps to identify neighbourhood assets, create an online food wiki tool, and develop an aligned workplan around shared priorities. This upstream project will engage local governments, schools and regional organizations to strengthen these efforts through programs, resources and supportive policy. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness VICTORIA HUMANE SOCIETY REQUESTING $20,000 Sled Dog Fostering and Adoption Projectwww.victoriahumanesociety.com The Victoria Humane Society will rescue, rehabilitate, spay/neuter, socialize, foster and adopt out over 50 sled dogs. The sled dogs are anxious, nervous and timid around people and require special care to prepare them for adoption. With the right care and a lot of patience, the majority of sled dogs are quick to learn, becoming incredible family pets as they adapt to a new way of life that includes cars, noise, stairs, furniture, leashes and toys. Potential families will be screened to ensure they are the right match for each of these unique dogs. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness VICTORIA SEXUAL ASSAULT CENTRE SOCIETY REQUESTING $20,000 Resisting Violence Through Food Justice and Social Actionwww.vsac.ca This project encourages youth to explore the connections between gender-based violence, colonization and food justice. This project includes: preserving salmon; a camp to explore topics of food justice and sexualized violence; teach-outs with local organizations and individuals; cooking and dialogue classes; and social actions. Participants will have the opportunity to explore their experiences of power, oppression, and privilege; make connections between gender-based violence, colonialism and food justice; and learn how everyone can take responsibility for creating personal, social and systemic change to promote healthy relationships and inclusive communities. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Belonging & Engagement 12 VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN!
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2016 PROJECTS
WEAR 2 START SOCIETY REQUESTING $5,500 Wear 2 Start Website Projectwww.wear2start.com Wear 2 Start requires a professionally designed website to enhance the service delivery and the sustainability of this volunteer-driven society. The current website is outdated, cumbersome to maintain, and experiencing technical challenges. An updated website will allow Wear 2 Start to integrate social media, recognize its sponsors and donors, reach a new segment of supporters, track metrics and add the capability to receive online donations. This website is essential for Wear 2 Start to raise its community profile and showcase its services so it can continue to meet its mandate to assist and empower low-income women seeking employment to dress their best and gain the confidence to succeed in job interviews. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Standard of Living "WORKLINK" EMPLOYMENT SOCIETY REQUESTING $3,000 Client Supports Projectwww.worklink.bc.ca "WorkLink" Employment Society is contracted to provide WorkBC and Service Canada employment services and programs to job-seeking clients. Some governmental financial assistance is available for specific, eligible items required for clients' participation, but often clients' needs fall outside the set criteria. Financially destitute individuals may be blocked from programming or accepting jobs if they cannot access funds for required items. Client Supports pays for needed items where no other option exists, including food, communications, industry licences, training-related needs, and transportation. This ensures all clients can access programs and jobs that assist them in becoming self-sufficient through employment or through greater community attachment. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Standard of Living JOHN HOWARD SOCIETY OF VICTORIA A therapeutic organic garden project supporting individuals facing mental health, addictions, poverty, housing instability and related issues. Participants learn new gardening skills and enjoy a greater sense of community. (Page 10) REQUESTING $15,172
VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 13
EDUCATION
2016 PROJECTS
BOARD OF EDUCATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 63 - Saanich REQUESTING $20,000 Indigenous Education DepartmentSENĆOŦEN Youth Media Project This project engages Indigenous youth in a film project that explores language revitalization and stories from community elders. The project is based in the traditional territory of the W̱ SÁNEĆ Peoples, in the four communities of BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), WJOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), SȾÁ,UTW̱ (Tsawout), and W̱ SÍKEM (Tseycum). A local W̱ SÁNEĆ artist, hosted at a district secondary school, works directly with students who are studying the SENĆOŦEN language to create a film as an extracurricular activity. This comprehensive project involves a variety of skills for the students: film production, photography, videography, computer work, public speaking, and practicing SENĆOŦEN skills with local elders. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture GREATER VICTORIA VOLUNTEER SOCIETY (Volunteer Victoria) REQUESTING $26,846 All On Board: Building Capacity, Strengthening Knowledgewww.volunteervictoria.bc.ca All on Board is a new training initiative to help more than 500 volunteers from small- and mediumsized nonprofit organizations across Greater Victoria engage more effectively in board work. The program aims to increase volunteers' knowledge of emerging requirements and best practices in board governance and help them build capacity and reduce risk as board members and as leaders of community-based organizations. Many of the new accountability requirements in the 2015 BC Society Act will take effect in the Fall of 2016. This program helps volunteers better understand their roles and responsibilities and plan their actions to remain compliant with the legislation. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Learning HALIBURTON COMMUNITY ORGANIC FARM SOCIETY REQUESTING $17,899 Farmer Internship Programwww.haliburtonfarm.org Along with its other goals of supporting farmers, stewardship, growing pure food and community, Haliburton Farm has steadily been realizing its educational vision in a Farm School. One challenge is funding a paid Internship Project, in compliance with the Employment Standards Act. The project will support the development of four new certified organic food producers, critically needed to increase local sustainable food production. Interns will work with eight on-site farm businesses, learning effective certified organic production techniques, holistic nutrition and habitat stewardship. Interacting with many community members, the project will have benefits far beyond its completion. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Learning READY TO RENT BC ASSOCIATION REQUESTING $20,188 Expanding Walk With Supports to Increase Housing Stabilitywww.readytorentbc.net Ready to Rent BC provides tenant education to support housing stability and prevent homelessness. Participants who take Ready to Rent's RentSmart 12-hour course receive a certificate that many landlords and housing providers recognize in the Capital Regional District, in lieu of references and/or credit checks, which are barriers to housing for many and first-time renters. RentSmart graduates access 'walk with' coaching support to help navigate and address any issues or conflicts that may arise around renting. The Expanding Walk With Supports project will develop a training model and manual for this support and expand the service to meet the growing demand. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Housing 14 VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN!
EDUCATION
2016 PROJECTS
STORY THEATRE PRODUCTIONS SOCIETY REQUESTING $7,500 Professional Video Creationwww.storytheatre.ca Story Theatre is a low-tech Victoria-based theatre company that promotes literacy and the use of stories, primarily for elementary school audiences. Story Theatre has been told by government funders and touring partners that it needs to have professional-quality videos to show both funding and showcasing juries. This project is to produce two full-length videos of Story Theatre's touring shows as well as a comprehensive promotional video, all of which would be edited into shorter segments. This would allow the company to promote Story Theatre in a number of ways, including on its website and on YouTube. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Arts & Culture PROJECT LITERACY VICTORIA REQUESTING $20,000 Literacy Victoriawww.literacyvictoria.org After a six-month closure due to financial issues, Literacy Victoria (LV) has restarted operations on a smaller, more focused scale. This project is designed to support the work required to re-establish LV on a strong foundation with a clear vision and solid plan for ensuring a healthy and sustainable organization. Key tasks include implementing and adapting the strategic plan; ensuring the LV vision for the region is practical and sustainable with adequate staff and space; and establishing a strong and realistic financial plan. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Learning VICTORIA READ SOCIETY REQUESTING $26,350 Designing a Collaborative Literacy "Alliance" for Greater Victoriawww.readsociety.bc.ca The existing model for providing literacy support services in Greater Victoria is no longer viable. A core group of agencies have been working together to establish a broad consortium of stakeholders to develop a more collaborative approach that will better serve the needs of the community and achieve greater efficiencies in service delivery. Building on the results of a Challenge Dialogue, this project will support the creation of a Strategy Roadmap that connects and integrates the necessary actions, outcomes, goals and impacts into a coherent visual strategy. The Roadmap is a key next step in the design, development and implementation of a literacy "alliance." Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Learning VICTORIA RESTORATIVE JUSTICE SOCIETY (Restorative Justice Victoria) REQUESTING $8,890 Advanced Volunteer Skills Trainingwww.vrjs.org Through this project, bi-monthly skill enhancement workshops will be offered for over 70 volunteers and staff from local Restorative Justice Victoria agencies to help advance caseworker abilities and foster volunteer engagement. Two years ago, funding from the Victoria Foundation provided advanced training by a local mediator. The proposed workshops move outside the realm of mediation to allow caseworkers to adeptly navigate recurring themes in referred cases (for example, mental illness, serious crimes, clients in crisis, and youth disengagement). These workshops will allow Restorative Justice to offer a more holistic approach to promoting belonging and social cohesion in personal and community relationships. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Belonging & Engagement VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 15
ENVIRONMENT
2016 PROJECTS
BATEMAN FOUNDATION REQUESTING $15,000 Outdoor Educational Program at the Robert Bateman Centrewww.batemancentre.org The Centre would like to extend its current in-gallery educational program to include an additional outdoor component in a park environment. Offered in partnership with the CRD, this program will offer children the opportunity to learn about and gain a respect for nature through art and direct exposure. The participating students will have a unique experience that combines both culture and environmentalism, which the Centre hopes will create a foundation for an ongoing relationship with nature. Through this direct exposure, participants can expect to experience proven health benefits so important to learning. The grant will be used for the development and evaluation of this program. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness BOARD OF EDUCATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 64 - Gulf Islands REQUESTING $20,000 Pender School Solar Roof Projectwww.sd64.bc.ca This project will involve the installation of approximately 120 solar photovoltaic panels on the school roof, generating clean electricity. It will demonstrate that renewable energy has entered the mainstream, act as a teaching tool, and provide an exciting opportunity for students, teachers, families and the Pender Island community to work together on a vital solution to the challenge of climate change. As well as the environmental and educational benefits, the project will generate revenue that will be used for student bursaries and energy-related science equipment for the school. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Environmental Sustainability GEORGIA STRAIT ALLIANCE REQUESTING $12,000 Protected Bluespace - a National Marine Conservation Areawww.georgiastrait.org Through the Protected Bluespace project, Georgia Strait Alliance and the Saanich Inlet Protection Society will partner in collaboration with other local non-profits to achieve the long-standing goal of establishing a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) in the Southern Georgia Strait. Through information gathering, education, outreach and garnering support from influencers and opinion leaders, project leaders will urge federal and provincial decision-makers to move forward on declaring the NMCA. Once established, the NMCA will provide a management plan to ensure conservation of marine habitats, species and water quality in balance with ecologically sustainable use of marine resources. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Environmental Sustainability GULF ISLANDS CENTRE FOR ECOLOGICAL LEARNING REQUESTING $3,200 Southern Gulf Islands Conservation Conferencewww.gicel.ca The Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning, along with the Mayne Island Conservancy Society, will host a conference for Southern Gulf Island conservancies and nature education organizations in March 2016 on Mayne Island. The purpose of the conference is to create connections and identify opportunities for collaboration. With more than 20 different groups working actively to promote nature literacy and conservation in the Southern Gulf Islands, there is great potential for cooperation and collaboration. This workshop will give attendees an opportunity to share their resources and discuss common challenges and solutions. Resource sharing is the key to increasing efficiency and effectiveness. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Environmental Sustainability 16 VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN!
ENVIRONMENT
2016 PROJECTS
NATURE CONSERVANCY OF CANADA REQUESTING $20,000 Connecting Victorians to the Natural World Around Uswww.natureconservancy.ca/bc The Nature Conservancy of Canada will host eight to ten public events in the Greater Victoria area in 2016 to further engage Victorians with the natural environment that surrounds us. Four of the events will be Nature Talks, a speaker series with local conservation experts. An additional four conservation volunteer events will feature field experts and offer a chance for participants to get their hands dirty in the field. All events will provide Victorians an opportunity to learn more about the natural environment and to engage with local experts about a variety of environmental topics. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Learning PENINSULA STREAMS SOCIETY REQUESTING $15,000 Environmental Education Projectwww.peninsulastreams.ca Peninsula Streams Society (PSS) will continue to deliver its annual environmental education programs to more than 1,250 grade three and grade six students in School Districts 63 and 61, and expand these programs into additional schools. In addition, PSS will work with teachers and community members to develop and deliver a pilot grade five program. With programs in all three grades, PSS will engage students in educational experiences at least three times over their elementary and middle school careers. Students at more than 13 schools participate annually in these programs, in which they learn about concepts of environmental sustainability and engage in hands-on ecological restoration and other stewardship activities. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Learning ROCKY POINT BIRD OBSERVATORY SOCIETY REQUESTING $20,000 Monitoring Migratory Bird Populationswww.rpbo.org Rocky Point Bird Observatory has been monitoring the populations of birds breeding in the region since 1994. Birds are key indicators of the health and sustainability of the natural environment, and this ongoing project helps to assess whether natural or human-caused changes are negatively impacting our natural spaces. The long-term data from this project is also used to assess changes in bird populations at a national and continental scale. In addition, Rocky Point Bird Observatory trains numerous volunteers and interns in field techniques, preparing many of them for future careers as wildlife biologists. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Environmental Sustainability SEACHANGE MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY REQUESTING $8,715 The Restoration of SṈIDȻEȽ Shoreswww.seachangesociety.com SeaChange is planning a beach enhancement project in Tod Inlet that will demonstrate to thousands of park visitors the advantages of an erosion control strategy for low wave-energy shores. Funding is requested for the third planning phase of the project that will include the following: developing a project design and work plan; engaging with BC Parks, the Tsartlip Nation, coastal engineers and other project partners; and presenting the project to the public. The beach enhancement project will provide for an increase in marine biodiversity on a degraded shore affected by historical cement manufacturing, with the goal of restoring areas traditionally harvested for food by the Saanich First Nations. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Environmental Sustainability VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 17
ENVIRONMENT
2016 PROJECTS
VICTORIA COMPOST & CONSERVATION EDUCATION SOCIETY REQUESTING $7,750 (Victoria Compost Education Centre) Healing City Soilswww.compost.bc.ca The goal of the Healing City Soils project is to create a virtual soil map of Victoria to make community members aware of potential contamination in their backyard or boulevard soil and empower them with the knowledge and skills to grow food safely based on that awareness. A workshop and fact sheet series about soil remediation and basic food growing skills will be created. Five neighbourhoods will be initially involved in the mapping process, and students from Camosun College’s Environmental Technology program will lead research in each neighbourhood and coordinate soil testing through their campus lab. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Environmental Sustainability PENINSULA STREAMS SOCIETY (PSS) PSS will continue to deliver its annual environmental education programs to more than 1,250 grade three and grade six students, and expand these programs into additional schools. (Page 17) REQUESTING $15,000
ROCKY POINT BIRD OBSERVATORY SOCIETY Birds are key indicators of the health…of the natural environment, and this ongoing project helps to assess whether natural or human-caused changes are negatively impacting our natural spaces. (Page 17) REQUESTING $20,000 18 VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN!
HEALTH & RECREATION
2016 PROJECTS
BOY SCOUTS OF CANADA - CASCADIA COUNCIL (Camp Barnard) REQUESTING $15,000 Keego Kitchen/Dining Hall Renovationwww.scouts.ca Scouts Canada's Camp Barnard provides facilities for Scouts and other youth groups to participate together in physical activities and adventures in an outdoor environment. The Camp's kitchen, Keego Kitchen, is heavily used by many groups from May to September, but sits empty much of the rest of the year due to the lack of insulation. Funds will be used to winterize the building with a new roof, insulation, a vapour barrier, drywall, and a heat pump. Having a winterized building will encourage use by school and non-profit groups throughout the year, supporting the Camp to operate as a financially sustainable facility. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Environmental Sustainability BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS SOCIETY FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES REQUESTING $5,000 (Easter Seals BC & Yukon)Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan 2016www.eastersealscamps.ca Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan provides week-long, sleep-over summer camp sessions on Vancouver Island for over 300 youth with cognitive and/or physical disabilities, ages six to 18. All activities are designed to build confidence, independence and peer-to-peer interaction in a recreational environment. Campers are encouraged to participate in activities such as climbing walls, water sports, canoeing, wheelchair sports and leadership training. Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan provides a unique opportunity for individuals with disabilities to share ideas, learn team-building skills and become strong community leaders. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness CANADIAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION REQUESTING $9,650 Walk and Talk Program for Diabetes Self-Managementwww.diabetes.ca Walk and Talk is a free eight-week Canadian Diabetes Association program that teaches the principles of diabetes self-management for those living with or at risk of diabetes, and their caregivers. Participants meet weekly to learn and gain new skills from professionals such as dietitians, podiatrists, diabetes educators and fitness instructors. The 1.5 hour sessions include a group walk where they can further engage with each other and the guest speaker. Participants receive weekly wellness tools and resources to add to their self-management toolkit. Walk and Talk empowers people to self-manage their diabetes in a supportive, peer oriented environment. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT REQUESTING $100,000 Active Transportation & Healthy Communities Programwww.crd.bc.ca The Active Transportation & Healthy Communities Program is designed to encourage and support the increased use of cycling, walking and rolling among residents in the Capital Region. The program involves collaboration between the public sector and non-profit organizations to tackle the complex health, social and environmental challenges associated with increased automobile use. Through the implementation of ten diverse projects over two years intended to reach children, youth, seniors, First Nations, newcomers and others, the program will engage 28,000 residents in achieving the vision of a healthy, connected population who safely use active transportation for both recreation and commuting purposes. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Transportation VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 19
HEALTH & RECREATION
2016 PROJECTS
CRISIS INTERVENTION AND PUBLIC INFORMATION SOCIETY OF GREATER VICTORIA REQUESTING $30,000 (NEED2)NEED2 2016www.need2.ca The online emotional and crisis support provided through the chat and text service at youthspace.ca reaches youth under 30 years of age when other services are unavailable. Research shows the online medium allows increased accessibility and disclosure around issues involving shame and blame, specifically suicide, self-injury, anxiety, depression and sexuality, compared to face-to-face and phone support. This project will ensure youth across Vancouver Island continue to have access to this invaluable service. Leveraging the skill of well-trained youth volunteers, this project provides support that decreases risk, increases positive coping skills, and serves as a portal to life-saving intervention. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness HOME IS WHERE WE LIVE - LIFE CYCLES PROJECT SOCIETY (LifeCycles) REQUESTING $39,700 Food Skills Empowerment Projectwww.lifecyclesproject.ca The Food Skills Empowerment Project will enable the research for and coordination of a service referral and delivery system to fill the gap in food literacy education within LifeCycles' networks, reaching 5000 people. Building on 21 years of organizational experience, this system matches experienced food literacy educators with community need. LifeCycles will pilot three new food literacy workshop series aimed at local food businesses, emergency food providers, and schools. The project will increase regional impact, support neighbourhood food hub development, and increase involvement of schools, businesses, and individuals, while building food security, local economy, selfreliance, creativity, teamwork, and greater wellbeing. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION CANADA REQUESTING $20,000 Community Engagement Programwww.jdrf.ca JDRF’s Community Engagement Program in Victoria delivers support and knowledge to help individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Programming includes delivering Bags of Hope full of information and resources to T1D families; connecting the newly diagnosed with T1D mentors who can provide emotional support; and training young people with T1D as youth ambassadors so that they can learn from each other and educate the community at large. This program gives families, children, youth, and adults with T1D the tools, support, and knowledge they need to overcome the challenges of living with diabetes. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness LUTHER COURT SOCIETY REQUESTING $15,000 Dining Room Refurbishment Projectwww.luthercourt.org Nearly 40 years ago when Luther Court opened its doors, the organization purchased a set of dining room chairs for seniors who were still relatively young and mobile. Today, however, the current population is much more physically challenged. Staff frequently need to slide seniors to and from the dining table, which creates significant torque and stress on the furniture. The seniors also require the chairs to have specific functions that allow them to independently stand up and sit on the chairs with safety. The project is the continuation of the refurbishment of the dining room with the goal of replacing 50 chairs with attractive, suitable chairs. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Safety 20 VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN!
HEALTH & RECREATION
2016 PROJECTS
O.R.C.C.A. DENTAL CLINIC SOCIETY REQUESTING $49,500 Certified Dental Assistant Positionwww.orccadental.org O.R.C.C.A. provides dental care to children and adolescents from low-income families. Its volunteer dentists, hygienists and Certified Dental Assistants come from dental offices that are each run differently, both in recording and tracking treatments as well as in the kind of instruments used. In order to provide the highest standard of care with consistent treatment plans, prepared instruments, and solid communication, O.R.C.C.A. requires a Certified Dental Assistant on staff to oversee the EXAN Tracking Program and have materials ready for volunteer teams to work. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness SAANICH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLACE REQUESTING $46,800 Tillicum Early Years Hubwww.saanichneighbourhoodplace.com This pilot project will provide one-stop wrap-around services for families with young children to improve health and developmental outcomes. The Hub will offer access to childcare, health screening, early intervention and special needs services, nutrition resources, family counselling and support, parent education, and links to other services such as employment, immigration and housing programs. The Hub will offer a seamless continuum of support, beginning with pre- and post-natal information, parent-infant activities and infant/toddler childcare. Funding is requested for the planning of the Hub, including working closely with partners to coordinate service delivery. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Getting Started in our Community SAANICH VOLUNTEER SERVICES SOCIETY REQUESTING $10,000 Macular Degeneration Peer Support Groupwww.saanichvolunteers.org Saanich Volunteer Services Society’s Macular Degeneration Peer Support Group provides an opportunity for seniors who have this irreversible condition to come together to share challenges, learn coping strategies, and avoid isolation. SVSS is uniquely positioned to identify isolated seniors experiencing vision loss, coordinate transportation to the group meetings, and direct family and caregivers to additional sources of support. The program facilitates discussion around stigma, grief and anger as well as transition and acceptance. The peer support group connects participants to each other and to community resources in an effort to encourage healthy adaptations, continued independent living, and increased community involvement. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness SHORELINE COMMUNITY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION REQUESTING $15,000 Shoreline Youth Empowerment Programswww.shorelinecommunityschool.ca Funding is requested for Shoreline's Youth Empowerment Programs, including its Girls Empowerment Mission that engages at-risk females ages ten to 14 by strengthening self-esteem and self-confidence through participation in experiential activities. These include physical, introspective, skill development and leadership activities. Most of the leadership activities will encourage community participation and the girls' involvement in community initiatives such as Resilient Neighbourhoods and environment and sustainable food projects. Funding is also requested for Shoreline's AfterSchool Club and Nights Alive, co-ed youth programs that provide a safe, supervised environment for students to participate in after-school sports and recreational and leadership activities. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Belonging & Engagement VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 21
HEALTH & RECREATION
2016 PROJECTS
SOOKE FAMILY RESOURCE SOCIETY REQUESTING $14,000 Prenatal Education and Outreach Programwww.sfrs.ca The Prenatal Education and Outreach Program provides pregnancy education, prenatal and postnatal support, and outreach to the greater Sooke community through local, accessible group and individual services. The program serves 50 to 75 pregnant women annually through four prenatal courses and over 250 one-on-one outreach sessions. The courses and services provide participants with the opportunity to gain knowledge and confidence, increase their awareness of community resources, and develop a shared sense of community identity. The overall goal of this program is to support the health and wellbeing of new babies and their families in the community. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Getting Started in our Community SWOVA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH SOCIETY REQUESTING $15,000 Healthy Masculinity for Boys and Young Menwww.swova.org Healthy, non-violent masculinity for boys and young men ages 13 to 19 years is important to the community of Salt Spring Island. Many popular forms of media promote harmful portrayals and stereotypes of masculinity. This project will encourage male youth to express their needs and actively work in partnership with project leaders to create activities that boost self-esteem, health, wellness and positive engagement in the community. The project will assist in building a new generation of male leaders who are able to model strength without violence and who can become positive change makers in our community and society. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Belonging & Engagement VICTORIA SINGLE PARENT RESOURCE CENTRE SOCIETY (1UP) REQUESTING $18,072 Resiliency Stream: Building Healthy Single Parent Familieswww.singleparentvictoria.ca Resiliency Stream courses develop the innate capacity of low-income, isolated single parents to care for themselves and their children and to develop self-reliance, self-esteem and effective life skills that result in healthier and more resilient children, families, and communities. Directly addressing many of the single parents' struggles, 15 courses six to eight weeks long and 12 workshops will be offered in 2016. These courses and workshops will allow over 150 parents to gain the education and confidence they need to move themselves and their families from a position of vulnerability to a position of personal and economic prosperity and inclusion. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Standard of Living VICTORIA THERAPEUTIC RIDING ASSOCIATION REQUESTING $8,000 Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association Program Fundingwww.vtra.ca Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association provides therapeutic horseback riding programs for individuals with physical, cognitive and social challenges. Funding would support three programs. The Adaptive Riding Program helps meet the physical and occupational therapy goals of each student and provides safe and effective recreation, increasing their overall well-being and fostering a community connection. The Early Intervention Program aids in the physical and cognitive development of at-risk children ages three to five. The Life Skills Program is a pilot that builds on the Adaptive Riding Program by incorporating stable management practices to develop personal responsibility, behavioural regulation and time management skills. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness 22 VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN!
HEALTH & RECREATION
2016 PROJECTS
YOUNG PARENTS SUPPORT NETWORK REQUESTING $20,640 Child & Youth Health Network Collective Impact Initiativewww.ypsn.ca The Child & Youth Health Network (C&YHN) is a cross-sector collective impact initiative which is aligning organizations and resources behind the vision of "Communities supporting healthy kids growing into healthy adults raising healthy kids." In 2016, to ensure that children and youth in the Capital Region thrive, the C&YHN will launch its first five-year campaign and a region-wide shared measurement system. The C&YHN will continue to focus on partnership development to support deep engagement across sectors as a key strategy for creating a healthy and sustainable region through fostering the well-being of young people. Primary Vital Signs Issue Area: Health & Wellness
VICTORIA THERAPEUTIC RIDING ASSOCIATION VTRA provides therapeutic horseback riding programs for individuals with physical, cognitive and social challenges. Funding would support three programs: Adaptive Riding Program, Early Intervention Program, and the Life Skills Program. (Page 22) REQUESTING $8,000
O.R.C.C.A. DENTAL CLINIC SOCIETY O.R.C.C.A. provides dental care to children and adolescents from low-income families. In order to provide the highest standard of care, with consistent treatment plans, O.R.C.C.A. requires a Certified Dental Assistant on staff. (Page 21) REQUESTING $49,500
VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN! 23
LEADERSHIP FUNDS VITAL VICTORIA FUND The Vital Victoria Fund supports community applications in all areas of interest. Grant decisions, made annually by our Board on the recommendation of our Community Engagement Committee, support the needs identified through our Victoria’s Vital Signs ® report. Current strategic priorities for the Vital Victoria Fund are Homelessness and Food Security. SMART & CARING COMMUNITY FUND The Smart & Caring Community Fund supports programs that are proactive, measurable and responsive to findings from our local and national Vital Signs reports. Our current initiative focuses on the finding that Canada’s children are less active and at greater risk from childhood obesity than ever before. In partnership with the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence, the ABCs of Physical Literacy program provides young children with the skills that establish the groundwork for confident involvement in sports and recreation opportunities. FOOD SECURITY FUND The Food Security Fund was established in 2015 to improve regional food security. Our Victoria’s Vital Signs ® report found that 14% of households in Greater Victoria are food insecure, with higher rates among vulnerable populations such as seniors and children. At the same time, food prices are projected to continue to rise. Gifts may be designated to the Food Rescue project, a collaborative initiative to recover healthy food from grocery stores that would otherwise be wasted and distribute it to food banks, schools and the working poor. VITAL YOUTH Our Vital Youth program provides students at eight high schools on southern Vancouver Island with hands-on experience in philanthropy and community development. The Victoria Foundation allocates each school group an annual grant of $2,500 to distribute to local charitable organizations of their choice and adds $500 to each school’s endowment fund to model the importance of legacy gifts. ENVIRONMENT FUND The current focus for the Environment Fund is initiatives that address climate change in our region. Applications from community organizations on southern Vancouver Island are accepted each year for review by the Community Engagement Committee of the Board. LITERACY FUND A love of reading led Harry and Mary Morrow of Victoria to leave a legacy for literacy. Born in Northern Ireland, Harry immigrated to Canada in 1947 and developed a deep affection for his adopted country. Following Mary’s death in 1999, Harry found consolation in his love of reading. Through a generous bequest gift upon Harry’s death in 2014, the Literacy Fund was established to support initiatives in our region which strengthen literacy skills. VICTORIA FOUNDATION ADMINISTRATION FUND The Administration Fund supports leadership initiatives such as research for the Victoria’s Vital Signs ® report, our online Community Knowledge Centre, and other projects that allow us to support and showcase charitable organizations in our community. 24 VICTORIA FOUNDATION – MAKE IT HAPPEN!
THANK YOU
Together with you, the Victoria Foundation works to strengthen the wellbeing of our community. Our vision is as relevant today as it was when the Foundation was created in 1936. That is our history, our legacy and our future.
LUTHER COURT SOCIETY (Page 20)
PHOTO CREDIT: PETER POKORNY
FERNWOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD RESOURCE GROUP SOCIETY (Page 8)
THE OTHER GUYS THEATRE COMPANY SOCIETY (Page 3)
SHORELINE COMMUNITY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (Page 21)
YOUNG PARENTS SUPPORT NETWORK (Page 23)
GARTH HOMER SOCIETY (Page 9)
INDEX OF ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATION NAME ANAWIM COMPANIONS SOCIETY BATEMAN FOUNDATION BC FAMILIES IN TRANSITION SOCIETY (Family Services of Greater Victoria) BOARD OF EDUCATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 63 – Saanich (Indigenous Education Department) BOARD OF EDUCATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 64 - Gulf Islands BOY SCOUTS OF CANADA - CASCADIA COUNCIL (Camp Barnard) BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS SOCIETY FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES (Easter Seals BC & Yukon) CANADIAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT CENTENNIAL UNITED CHURCH CFAX SANTAS ANONYMOUS SOCIETY CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION AND COUNSELLING SOCIETY OF GREATER VICTORIA (Mary Manning Centre) CIVIC ORCHESTRA SOCIETY OF VICTORIA COMMUNICA DIALOGUE AND RESOLUTION SERVICES SOCIETY COMMUNITY SOCIAL PLANNING COUNCIL OF GREATER VICTORIA CRIDGE CENTRE FOR THE FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION AND PUBLIC INFORMATION SOCIETY OF GREATER VICTORIA (NEED2) DANCE VICTORIA SOCIETY FERNWOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD RESOURCE GROUP SOCIETY FRIENDS OF LIVING AND LEARNING THROUGH LOSS FRIENDS OF THE ASHTON GARRISON MUSEUM GARTH HOMER SOCIETY GEORGE PRINGLE MEMORIAL CAMP SOCIETY (Camp Pringle) GEORGIA STRAIT ALLIANCE GREATER VICTORIA VOLUNTEER SOCIETY (Volunteer Victoria) GULF ISLANDS CENTRE FOR ECOLOGICAL LEARNING HALIBURTON COMMUNITY ORGANIC FARM SOCIETY HEROWORK PROGRAM SOCIETY HOME IS WHERE WE LIVE - LIFE CYCLES PROJECT SOCIETY (LifeCycles) JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE OF VICTORIA JOHN HOWARD SOCIETY OF VICTORIA JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION CANADA LUTHER COURT SOCIETY MUSTARD SEED STREET CHURCH NATURE CONSERVANCY OF CANADA O.R.C.C.A. DENTAL CLINIC SOCIETY OCTA COLLECTIVE (artsREACH)
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INDEX OF ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATION NAME THE OTHER GUYS THEATRE COMPANY SOCIETY PACIFIC NORTH-WEST HERITAGE HOME FOUNDATION 2013 PACIFICA HOUSING ADVISORY ASSOCIATION PANDORA ARTS COLLECTIVE SOCIETY PEERS VICTORIA RESOURCES SOCIETY PENINSULA STREAMS SOCIETY PROJECT LITERACY VICTORIA PTARMIGAN MUSIC AND THEATRE SOCIETY READY TO RENT BC ASSOCIATION ROCKY POINT BIRD OBSERVATORY SOCIETY SAANICH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLACE SAANICH VOLUNTEER SERVICES SOCIETY SALT SPRING ISLAND FARMLAND TRUST SOCIETY SEACHANGE MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY SHORELINE COMMUNITY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION SOOKE FAMILY RESOURCE SOCIETY SOOKE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY STORY THEATRE PRODUCTIONS SOCIETY SWOVA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH SOCIETY THEATRE SKAM ASSOCIATION THRESHOLD HOUSING SOCIETY T'SOU-KE NATION (Ladybug Garden & Greenhouse) UMBRELLA SOCIETY FOR ADDICTIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH VANCOUVER ISLAND MEN'S TRAUMA COUNSELLING SOCIETY VICTORIA CHORAL SOCIETY VICTORIA COMMUNITY FOOD HUB SOCIETY VICTORIA COMPOST & CONSERVATION EDUCATION SOCIETY (Victoria Compost Education Centre) VICTORIA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC VICTORIA HUMANE SOCIETY VICTORIA PHILHARMONIC CHOIR SOCIETY VICTORIA READ SOCIETY VICTORIA RESTORATIVE JUSTICE SOCIETY (Restorative Justice Victoria) VICTORIA SEXUAL ASSAULT CENTRE SOCIETY VICTORIA SINGLE PARENT RESOURCE CENTRE SOCIETY (1UP) VICTORIA SYMPHONY SOCIETY VICTORIA THEATRE GUILD & DRAMATIC SCHOOL (Langham Court Theatre) VICTORIA THERAPEUTIC RIDING ASSOCIATION WEAR 2 START SOCIETY "WORKLINK" EMPLOYMENT SOCIETY YOUNG PARENTS SUPPORT NETWORK
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STRENGTHENING THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY At the Victoria Foundation, we believe in connecting people who care with causes that matter®. The support of generous donors allows the Victoria Foundation to do what it does best – strengthen community wellbeing by investing in people, opportunities and solutions. We identify and help to address the issues in our community through the vital work of the many charitable organizations that receive discretionary and donor-advised grants each year. We encourage you to consider supporting one or more of the projects or leadership funds in this booklet. Together we’re better. Together we can make it happen. VICTORIAFOUNDATION.CA donorservices@victoriafoundation.bc.ca 250.381.5532