Collection: Causes
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AVI Health & Community Services
Regular price $0.00Regular priceUnit price / perOn September 17, 1985, five men (Wayne Cook, Don MacIvor, Roy Salonin, John Spencer, and Grant Sullivan) sat around a kitchen table and decided it was time to meet the challenge posed by the AIDS epidemic on Vancouver Island. These five men saw the growing need for accurate and up-to-date information and services relating to HIV/AIDS. That evening saw the birth of AIDS Vancouver Island (Now AVI Health and Community Services), with the founders forming the first Board of Directors.
Since its inception AVI has been a beacon to so many people in the communities they serve – Campbell River, Courtney/Comox, Nanaimo, Westshore, and Victoria. Each day staff work tirelessly to deliver on AVI’s mission to promote health, dignity, and well-being for all people affected by HIV, HCV, and substance use by delivering sex-positive and harm reduction based education, prevention, and support services.
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Community Living Victoria
Regular price $0.00Regular priceUnit price / perOn December 16, 1955, a group of dedicated parents founded what is now called Community Living Victoria (CLV). Today, as the largest non-profit community living service provider on Vancouver Island, Community Living Victoria provides a range of support services to children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities and their families.
Their work is guided by their values, experience and history and draws from strong roots in the community. Community Living Victoria recognizes the rights of everyone to have a full range of life choices, including access to education, affordable and appropriate housing, leisure options, gainful employment and participation in the community. A healthy community encourages the involvement of everyone.
The Victoria Community Living Foundation was established in 1995 to raise funds and awareness that benefit the children, youth and adults and their families supported by Community Living Victoria.
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Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre
Regular price $0.00Regular priceUnit price / perThe Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) is a not for profit organization that helps military members and their families navigate and celebrate all facets of military family life.
The MFRC brings the military community together and connects family members with the resources they need, when they need it most. They service families of 6,700 military personnel (Regular and Reserve force). These families cope with frequent and unpredictable geographic relocations, long deployments of their loved ones in the military and concern about the well-being of their military member. The MFRC's aim is to support families on the home front so that they can develop coping skills as well as enhance their resilience and sense of belonging. -
Island Kids Cancer Association
Regular price $0.00Regular priceUnit price / perThe Island Kids Cancer Association (IKCA) was formed in 2017 to fill a gap in services on Vancouver Island. After a childhood cancer diagnosis, families often need to spend time on the mainland in Vancouver for treatments, but the support needs to exist in their home communities as well. Beyond medical expertise and experience, families need to live and navigate their experiences, connect with one another, and receive access to supportive resources such as financial assistance and mental health and wellness opportunities. IKCA understands that a childhood
cancer diagnosis is often a lonely and frightening experience that impacts
everyone — including siblings and extended family members, and so they filled the gap.While growing as a charity, IKCA remains local and grassroots. They've grown in community partnerships recognizing that community support is crucial to continue assisting the children and families facing childhood cancer. They've been able to expand the offerings that they can provide to families which focus on connection, mental health and wellness, and financial support.
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Rainbow Kitchen
Regular price $0.00Regular priceUnit price / perFounded in 2010, Rainbow Kitchen is a family-friendly community kitchen that specializes in providing delicious meals and connecting the community to resources. Their dedicated team of staff and volunteers have helped grow Rainbow Kitchen into the second largest soup kitchen in Greater Victoria!
If you or someone you know is in need of food, Rainbow Kitchen can help. Everyone is welcome, no questions asked! With a variety of programs centered around food security, Rainbow Kitchen serves over 10,000 meals every month.
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Victoria Native Friendship Centre
Regular price $0.00Regular priceUnit price / perThe Victoria Native Friendship Centre started out in 1970 with 1 person and a phone. Now, VNFC offers 55 programs and wrap around services for urban Indigenous people out of a decommissioned elementary school along with off-site affordable housing units and a medical clinic.
A dedicated staff of 140 people provide 55 programs and services to the 20,000 off-reserve Indigenous people in community, as well as supporting 4,500 on-reserve citizens in the 10 local Nations. VNFC's unique wrap-around programming includes full daycare, early childhood development programs, family violence prevention, law and health services, mental health and addictions supports, education and employment programs, youth services, food security programs, housing supports and services, Elders' programs, a full community kitchen, cultural and arts events. The VNFC also owns and operates 50 units of affordable housing and hopes to expand its housing options in the future.