In the past six years (to summer, 2022) the Rotary Club of Victoria-Harbourside and the Harbourside Foundation have donated over $760,000 to organizations you see here.
Organizations we funded in 2022:
1000 x 5 Children's Book Recycling Project Society - 1000X5 provides struggling families with up to 30 age appropriate books/child/year to foster early literacy during the critical developmental stage of birth to five. Its mission is to increase the early literacy rates and therefore the family literacy within our community.
9-10 Club Serving Soup to the Hungry Society – Our support provides those in need will receive personal care items including warm socks, gloves, hats - and toiletries like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and shampoo.
Breakfast2Music Society – This program provides breakfast for students at McKenzie, Tillicum, Vic West, George Jay, Quadra and Northridge elementary schools; Shoreline, Lansdowne and Rockheights middle schools; and Reynolds and Esquimalt high schools.
Bridges for Women Society - Its Mentorship Program will provide women survivors of trauma with opportunities to develop personal networks and essential skills to forward their personal and career goals.
Cornerstone Youth Society (Sanctuary) - Youth 14-22 will have an opportunity to receive support and mentorship in developing confidence and life skills. Examples include resume writing, sewing projects, and outdoor experiences such as farm visits.
HeroWork Program Society - will collaborate with the Victoria Cool Aid Society to undertake a comprehensive renovation to Cool Aid's Downtown Community Centre which is a multi-purpose gymnasium built in 1968.
LifeCycles - Seed the City is using innovative urban farming approaches to increase food production on school grounds and to deliver career pathway programs for high school students in agriculture and food systems. This is in partnership with the Greater Victoria School District (SD61), Saanich School District (SD63), and TOPSOIL Innovative Urban Agriculture.
MOVE Adapted Fitness & Rehabilitation Society of BC - MOVE’s Supported Therapeutic Exercise Program (STEP) is essential to the health and wellbeing of individuals living with disability in British Columbia.
Parkinson Wellness Projects – This program provides one-on-one counselling services for PWP participants (and family members). There is also a 5-week educational program for those who are newly diagnosed with the disease.
Saanich Neighbourhood Place - Lunch for Little Ones is Saanich Neighbourhood Place’s meal program for the children who attend its licensed childcare programs . As many as 89 children are provided with freshly prepared, ‘from scratch’ meals and snacks each day.
Shelbourne Community Kitchen - The Pantry Program is a food support program for individuals and families who do not have enough money for food throughout the month. Access is once each month and funds are needed to supplement food sourced through donations, growing programs (primarily proteins, culturally appropriate foods like halal, special dietary foods.
Society for Kids at Tennis – The society provides a series of 1 hour lessons on a year-round basis for the children of underserviced families. They also conduct week-long classes for a number of summer camps run by our partner organizations.
The Cridge Centre for the Family – Funding will help replace the van Harbourside helped fund in 2012. The Cridge Young Parent Outreach Program (YPOP) offers support, mentoring and advocacy to young parents as they endeavor to have healthy babies, develop their parenting skills, and pursue their educational and employment goals.
Umbrella Society for Addictions and Mental Health - Umbrella's Indigenous Outreach Team (IOT) is staffed and led by Indigenous individuals and aims to provide culturally sensitive encouragement for clients to seek help with mental health and substance use issues.
Vancouver Island Kids Klub Society - The Brown Bag Lunch Program is a free service to any Elementary or Middle School in the Victoria, Saanich and Sooke School Districts who have identified children coming to school without a lunch.
Victoria Community Food Hub Society (VCFHS) - Farmbucks to allow organizations such as Our Place Society, Palenke Greens, Immigrant and Refugee Centre society to purchase fresh, healthy, seasonal and regional produce to offer to the vulnerable communities they serve, which include women, low income, marginalized and IBPOC members.
Victoria Cool Aid Society - Everyone deserves to smile: This program will provide dental care to a vast number of vulnerable patients in severe dental pain or burdened with a dental emergency. Many patients are unable to cover the cost of even basic care. Our support will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, by Cool Aid supporter, Andrew Beckerman.
Victoria Native Friendship Centre - Free weekly soup lunches. Assessment services for housing, and other supports.
Victoria Rainbow Kitchen Society – The Society provides In-House Hot Meals & Food Sharing Programs, broadening this year to two local schools.
Victoria Sexual Assault Centre – The Victoria Sexual Assault Clinic provides a confidential, accessible and trauma informed environment for recent survivors of sexual assault to access medical, justice, and emotional support needs all under one roof. The Clinic is the first and only one of its kind in B.C.
Victoria Women's Transition House Society - The PEACE (Prevention, Education, Advocacy, Counselling & Empowerment/Children Who Witness Abuse Children's Camp program is a specialized, intensive, integrated counselling and recreational camp for children and youth who have witnessed domestic violence and abuse. Offered free of charge, the program includes Summer and Spring Break day camps for children ages 8-14.
YMCA-YWCA Vancouver Island – Pandora Youth Apartments (PYA) provides safe and affordable housing to youth while allowing them to develop the skills necessary to transition to stable and responsible adult living. Staff assist youth with their mental wellness, health appointments, housing stability and food security.
tary Foundation, including 6 other Rotary clubs and the Government of Canada. The Contribution from the Rotary Club of Victoria-Harbourside was $3200 USD. Total accumulated funds that will be used for this initiative will be $70,003 USD. Women trained in this program already have micro businesses and can normally expect to double their income by completing the program.