Grants on their way to 11 Valley First Charities

Boys and Girls Club of Kamloops

Youth Life Skills is a free drop-in program running from September 2018 to December 2019. Every weekday from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM all youth in our community are welcome to cook and share a healthy meal together and engage in 1-hour workshops covering topics such as mental health, nutrition, employment readiness, budgeting, navigating government systems, etc. to improve food security and develop the skills needed to reach their full potential.

Kamloops

CMHA Kelowna & District

Family Support Programs at Foundry are in need of expansion. Since opening in September 2017, Foundry Kelowna has seen 900 youth aged 12 – 24 access mental health and substance use services, 65% of these youth arrive with their families or caregivers. When young people face challenges it can be hard to know the best way to support them. The Family Support program empowers families and caregivers to find the right care and support for young people. Positive outcomes include: improved capacity and ability to care for themselves and their families; increased skill development and resiliency; increased connection to services and supports. Funding will support the direct costs associated with expanding these programs.

Kelowna

$12,500

Food Action Society of North Okanagan

Armstrong, Vernon & Lumby

$12,915

Karis Support Society

The Parenting Recovery Program is a facilitated, recovery-focused parenting program offering resources, information and skill development for women in recovery who are pregnant, parenting and/or in the process of having children returned to their care.  Offered on-site at Karis, the facilitated class portion of the program is offered 4 days/week for 4 hours/day and includes one-on-one trauma counselling and aftercare for mothers who have transitioned to the community but continue to access our services. The program includes individualized goal setting, recovery planning, relapse prevention, cognitive behavior therapy, basic life and parenting skills, knowledge of child development, age appropriate behaviors, parent/child attachment, and impacts of addictions on parenting.

Kelowna

$10,000

Minerva Foundation for BC Women

Leadership Challenge Workshop will bring together 100 women in the Kamloops area to participate in The Leadership Challenge® Workshop as a part of Minerva’s Combining Our Strength™ (COS) Initiative. The workshop is designed to inspire, engage, and help leaders develop the skills needed to meet whatever leadership challenges lay ahead. Each workshop will attract 100 indigenous, non-indigenous, and youth leaders who will come together to help fulfill their leadership potential and meet the challenges facing their community. COS is a joint-partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women, helping them to fulfill their leadership potential and meet the challenges facing their communities. Through open communication, resource-sharing, networking, mentorship, and skill development, COS builds leadership capacity within communities across BC.

Kamloops

$10,000

Pacific Community Resource Society

Ashnola Peer Support and Leadership Program will provide training and employment to one past participant at the

Ashnola Treatment Centre in a specialized support position. This peer mentor will help bridge gaps between staff and clients and bring a unique insight to the team. With so many clients voicing their future goals of joining this field, a collaborative approach where successful participants can demonstrate personal developments would be an excellent way to (re)enter the work force. A peer leadership position will provide encouragement, hope and goals for those interested in taking the next step.  A successful trial will provide data to sustain a program of this type for years to come.

Keremeos

$6,720

South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation

Patient Care Tower at Penticton Regional HospitalThird installment of 5 towards a $100,000 commitment from the Valley First Community Endowment. An additional $50,000 was committed from the credit union’s community investment funding for a total of $150,000 from Valley First. Funding towards a large capital campaign for the Patient Care Tower at Penticton Regional Hospital (PRH). The new Patient Care Tower will include new ambulatory care clinics, 84 single-bed rooms, five operating rooms, new digital imaging equipment, MRI, helipad and UBCO Medical School. Phase 1 of the construction began in 2016 and will be completed by early 2019.

Penticton

$20,000

Princeton Family Services Society

Princeton

$5,000

Whitevalley Community Resource Centre

Breaking Bread; Seniors program recognizes the importance of healthy nutrition; having the knowledge to prepare and use it; the need to support some clients who might not easily have the means to provide healthy meals/snacks; and the significance of “breaking bread together”, many of the programs offered through Whitevalley include healthy snacks and instruction/mentoring on preparation.  The First West Foundation funding will allow us to provide additional healthy food and snacks to more/different clients who might be vulnerable at our Senior Drop-In, Saddle Mountain and in the community, Parent and Tot groups, After School, Summer Day Camp programs. 

Lumby

$7,600

Vermillion Forks Elementary School

Afterschool Homework and Recreation Club for the ongoing support of afterschool programming, 5 days days a week for 2-hours a day at our school for all students (grades 4-7). Students are offered free tutoring by qualified Educational Assistants, recreation time, and healthy snack.

Princeton

$10,000