2021 – 2022 Community Impact Directory

While we have seen the devastating toll on the most vulnerable in our own community due to COVID-19, we have also seen innovation, new partnerships, and generosity. Despite the challenges, our community came together and showed their local love.

There are many things that remain constant on Southern Vancouver Island: how we care for one another, our strong sense of community pride, and our love for everything local. We are deeply grateful for the support we have received from our generous and caring donors, from local businesses, from labour, from government.

Here are the local community organizations that we are supporting this year due to donors’ dollars. We are proud to invest in these local non-profits that assist us in delivering on our areas of action: helping families in need; helping isolated seniors; creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive community; and supporting individuals with mental health challenges and/or addictions.

*The following directory is best viewed on a desktop computer. To find individual agencies, please scroll using the gray arrows in the section titled “Funded Community Partners.”

Signature Initiative

Inter-Cultural Association (ICA)

Tools for Equity – ICA Equity Training Program and Community Partnership Network

Victoria is a diverse city with 18% of residents being immigrants to Canada. Almost 5% of the population are Indigenous. A recent report on racism conducted by the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) revealed that 71% of Indigenous, Black, Asian or other Persons of Colour report that they have personally experienced racism in the last five years. Tools for Equity has been designed to support businesses and organizations address issues of systemic racism through training and organizational coaching.

Community Partnership Network (CPN)

The Community Partnership Network (CPN) is a network of more than 300 member agencies, businesses and institutions committed to building diverse, welcoming, and inclusive communities in Greater Victoria. ICA coordinates the CPN and works with members to develop their organizational capacity to welcome diversity, enhance inclusivity and address systemic racism and discrimination. CPN members work to develop their capacity by exchanging knowledge, sharing resources and information aimed at promoting and supporting their organizations and communities to engage with our increasingly diverse region more effectively.

Signature Initiative

Beacon Community Services

More than Meals Program

Seniors over the age of 65 make up close to 18% of the population of Victoria. Many seniors in the CRD experience extreme loneliness and isolation, malnutrition or food insecurity, mobility issues and limited income that greatly impacts their physical, mental and emotional well-being. More than Meals is a coordinated approach to address food insecurity and social isolation through weekly meal delivery to over 500 seniors in the CRD.

The original partners involved in the initiative were Beacon Community Services, James Bay New Horizons Society, Oak Bay Volunteer Services and Silver Threads Service for Seniors.

Family Caregivers of BC

Focusing on Family Caregivers: Reducing the Impact of the Pandemic on Mental Health and Well-Being

Focusing on people in the CRD who are caring for a family member or friend because of chronic disease, mental health challenges and frailty due to aging.

Funded Community Partners

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria Capital Region

Community Mentoring Program – Matching children with screened adult mentors in order to increase resiliency in the youth through the fostering of healthy adult relationships.

Bridges for Women Society

Bridging Mentorship Program – Providing women survivors of trauma with opportunities to develop personal networks and essential skills to forward their personal and career goals.

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Victoria

Healthy Schools Healthy People – A collaborative initiative working to identify key social issues and challenges facing Westshore families and find meaningful and effective ways to increase community health and well-being.

Burnside Gorge Community Association

Family Self Sufficiency Program (FSS) – An innovative, asset building and financial literacy skill development program for families with low incomes.

Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria

Greater Victoria Rent Bank – Bridging low-income or at-risk households through a short-term financial crisis, not just with financial assistance but with advocacy and service navigation supports to help them stay housed.

Family Services of Greater Victoria

Little Phoenix Daycare – A trauma-informed daycare with staff equipped to identify behaviours and emotional triggers that may indicate past or current/ongoing trauma for verbal and pre-verbal children.

Farmland’s Trust

Agriculture Land Protection Program – Ensuring that small farms in the Saanich Peninsula are able to access supports required to continue producing local food while protecting and preserving farmlands and agricultural features of our region for future generations.

LDABC The Learning Curve

Child & Family Support Program – Providing an array of services to educate, support and advocate for children with learning disabilities and their families

Parent Support Services Society of BC

Supporting Vulnerable Families to Raise Resilient Kids – Helping families develop healthy parenting strategies through cost effective, safe, community based peer-support Circles for parents and caregivers.

Rent Smart Education and Support Society

RentSmart Public Courses – Increasing housing stability and preventing homelessness through education, certification and support.

Saanich Neighbourhood Place

Tips and Tools for Dads (Virtual Parenting Program) – Supporting fathers and male-identifying parents build the skills that help them be more effective in their role as parents to their children

Soap for Hope Canada

Essential Hygiene and Linen to Families in Need – Providing financially insecure families in the CRD with Hygiene Kits containing basics such as soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, deodorant, nail clippers, feminine products, sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, robes and slippers.

Sooke Family Resource Society

Pre-Postnatal Education/Outreach with Family Support Outreach – A low to no cost prenatal and postnatal education, support and outreach program for pregnant women and their families in Sooke and the surrounding areas.

Sooke Transition House Society

PEACE Program – A counselling program supporting children, youth, and families impacted by crisis and family violence.

The Cridge Centre for the Family

Respitality Program – A respite program for parents who have special needs children that partners with local hotels and businesses to meet the need for caregiver respite.

The Cridge Centre for the Family

Young Parent Outreach Program – Focusing on providing support to young parents age 16 to 24. The program offers tools to create stable, safe, and healthy lives for themselves and their children.

The Galiano Club

The Galiano Club Community Food Program–It Takes a Village – Food Security for Families – A holistic, multi-faceted community-based program working to increase food security and a sense of belonging and connection on Galiano Island.

Together Against Poverty Society

Homelessness Income and Tenancy Support – The HITS program provides direct housing and income support to vulnerable families facing eviction or living in unsafe housing.

Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS)

Enable Program for Newcomer Children and Youth – Providing social, academic and emotional support to newcomer children, youth and their families.

Victoria Rainbow Kitchen

In-House Hot Meals & Food Sharing Program – Preparing and serving a nutritious, tasty, hot lunch to over 140 people in need each day, five days a week each year at the Esquimalt United Church.

Signature Initiative

Blue Love Campaign for Mental Health

Through United Way’s work in the community as a convener and leader of social change, we are acutely aware that COVID-19 has increased the demand on mental health services by up to 50%. The need for counselling, outreach and peer support services will continue to grow as we live through this pandemic and its aftermath. United Way’s Blue Love Campaign for Mental Health will help fill those gaps in services. Our goal is to raise $1 Million by the end of December 2021 for valuable mental health programming. No person should have to wait for help in a time of crisis.

Funded Community Partners

Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society

Indigenized Responses to Overdose Emergencies & Mental Health Crises – Supporting an Addictions and Mental Health Coordinator (AMHC) to lead the work of the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness in responding to the needs of the Indigenous Street Community and staff in a culturally supportive way.

AVI Health & Community Services

Engage: Connect – A project providing system navigation and support services for people struggling with severe substance use in the Greater Victoria area.

Burnside Gorge Community Association (on behalf of the Coalition of Neighbourhood Houses)

Neighbourhood Response to Youth Mental Health – A collaborative initiative providing intake, assessment and support services to at-risk and vulnerable youth aged 12-18.

Canadian Mental Health Association - BC Division (CMHA)

Living Life to the Full – Older Adults – Supporting the mental health of older adults using a cognitive behavioural therapy method.

Connections Place Society

Work-Ordered Day – Helping members of Connections Place to stabilize their lives by providing a structure that reduces social isolation, builds connection, and creates a personal sense of well-being.

Esquimalt Neighbourhood House Society

Mental Health Counselling for Adults – A community-based, volunteer-led program helping people with a complex range of mental health and addiction issues gain control of their lives and improve their well-being.

Greater Victoria Citizens’ Counselling Centre

Adult Counselling Services – Providing short-term, accessible and affordable individual, couples and group counselling to low-income adults.

Greater Victoria Psychosocial Rehabilitation Collaborative

South Island Mental Health and Substance Use Navigation – A shared, integrated system – An initiative comprised of several local mental health and substance use organizations, family groups and People with Lived Experience designed to identify gaps/barriers for people facing mental health challenges and to improve access, navigation and utilization of recovery-oriented mental health services across the CRD.

Mental Health Recovery Partners – South Island

Living Hope & Recovery – Providing mental health peer support services for those with or without concurrent substance use issues.

NEED2 Suicide Prevention Education & Support

Youth Suicide Prevention Program – Connecting with youth and young adults in the classroom and online, providing suicide awareness education, emotional support and crisis intervention.

Pacific Centre Family Services Association

Intake and Referral Service – Supporting a counsellor in establishing client counselling and support needs at the first initial contact to the organization. Assessment of the client needs by the counsellor provides and maintains a smooth transition between integrated services.

Pacific Training Centre for the Blind

Blind People in Charge: Outreach and Connections – Supporting blind and Deafblind people in Greater Victoria and the CRD while meeting the growing need for combatting isolation during COVID-19 and beyond.

Peers Victoria Resource Society

Drop In: A community Wellness Program for Sex Workers – A weekday program at Peers that runs Monday to Thursday providing participants with a hot lunch, a wellness education workshop, as well as access to the computers, donation room, nurse services and harm reduction supplies.

Saanich Volunteer Services Society

Supporting Senior Wellness: Staying Connected – A program connecting seniors with seniors – keeping older adults socially engaged and mentally and socially stimulated.

Sooke Family Resource Society

Caring for Community Counselling – Providing affordable counselling to individuals, couples and families of varying ages, socioeconomic and cultural background living in the Sooke area.

South Island Centre for Counselling & Training (SICCT)

Overcome Your Anxiety Program – Providing high quality counselling services to low income and marginalized individuals who may otherwise be unable to access the help they need.

Umbrella Society for Addictions and Mental Health

Peer Outreach Program – A program working with anyone for whom substance use has become a problem, assisting clients and members of their families as they identify their own needs. Emotional and tangible supports include counselling and connections to related community resources.

Vancouver Island Men’s Therapy Centre

No One Left Behind – Providing both subsidized counselling and outreach support for up to 50 male and male-identifying vulnerable community members who would other go without access to counselling services or community support.

Victoria Brain Injury Society

Coping Strategies – A 24-week coping & skills-based program facilitating rehabilitation for brain injury survivors – improving overall confidence and mental well-being, while reducing anxiety, depression and isolation.

Victoria Cool Aid Society

REES Outreach and Support Program – Providing accessible, responsive and barrier-free supports and services to adults facing mental health and/or substance use challenges, poverty, unemployment, homelessness, unstable housing, chronic health and disability conditions, isolation, and other personal and societal challenges.

Victoria Native Friendship Centre

Youth Mental Health Program – Supporting vulnerable youth struggling with self-harm, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression through both an online and an in-person, socially distanced drop-in.

Victoria Sexual Assault Centre

Sexual Assault Crisis Counselling Program – Assisting survivors of sexualized violence in dealing with the most immediate emotional, physical and behavioural responses to sexual assault, and providing help for those who are currently experiencing a crisis in their life as a result of past sexual abuse.

Land Acknowledgement

United Way Southern Vancouver Island serves the communities of southern Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands that are located in the traditional, unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples including: the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples Songhees Xwsepsum/Kosapsum [Esquimalt] Nations here in the Victoria core area, the WSÁNEĆ (SȾÁUTW/Tsawout, W̱JOȽEȽP/Tsartlip, BOḰEĆEN/Pauquachin, WSIḴEM/Tseycum) out on the Saanich Peninsula, and to the west the Beecher Bay, Sc’ianew (Chenuh), T’Sou-ke, Pacheedaht, and MÁLEXEŁ/ Malahat, and Gulf Islands Penelekut Nation. May we build strong working relationships with all local nations with trust, humility, kindness, and respect where we live, work, and learn.

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2021 – 2022 Community Impact Directory

Signature Initiative

Signature Initiative

Funded Community Partners

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria Capital Region

Bridges for Women Society

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Victoria

Burnside Gorge Community Association

Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria

Family Services of Greater Victoria

Farmland’s Trust

LDABC The Learning Curve

Parent Support Services Society of BC

Rent Smart Education and Support Society

Saanich Neighbourhood Place

Soap for Hope Canada

Sooke Family Resource Society

Sooke Transition House Society

The Cridge Centre for the Family

The Cridge Centre for the Family

The Galiano Club

Together Against Poverty Society

Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS)

Victoria Rainbow Kitchen

Signature Initiative

Funded Community Partners

Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society

AVI Health & Community Services

Burnside Gorge Community Association (on behalf of the Coalition of Neighbourhood Houses)

Canadian Mental Health Association - BC Division (CMHA)

Connections Place Society

Esquimalt Neighbourhood House Society

Greater Victoria Citizens’ Counselling Centre

Greater Victoria Psychosocial Rehabilitation Collaborative

Mental Health Recovery Partners – South Island

NEED2 Suicide Prevention Education & Support

Pacific Centre Family Services Association

Pacific Training Centre for the Blind

Peers Victoria Resource Society

Saanich Volunteer Services Society

Sooke Family Resource Society

South Island Centre for Counselling & Training (SICCT)

Umbrella Society for Addictions and Mental Health

Vancouver Island Men’s Therapy Centre

Victoria Brain Injury Society

Victoria Cool Aid Society

Victoria Native Friendship Centre

Victoria Sexual Assault Centre

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Land Acknowledgement