Residents of Mount St. Mary have been able to hear the spirit of Christmas, thanks tothe Festive Brass performing treasured holiday songs from a safe distance for the past three Sundays.
The Festive Brass, which usually performs at Butchart Gardens at this time of the year, gave residents a one-hour outdoor concert instead.
Through open windows, residents listened to their favourite songs, tapped their toes, sang with housemates and smiled.
The musicians were rewarded was lots of waving and shouts of 鈥渢hank-you鈥� from appreciative elderly residents.
In the garden, residents were also able to enjoy a festive collection of Christmas trees and a snowman made of pallets created by woodworking students from Oak Bay High School. The display, complete with twinkling lights, was made possible by financial and in-kind gifts from local stores and donors.
Founded by the Sisters of St. Ann, Mount St. Mary Hospital is home to approximately 275 frail, elderly and vulnerable individuals requiring complex care. For more information, go to .
Lions clubs hold new year drive-thru for food bank
The Lions clubs of Saanich and Chinatown are holding a drive-thru Bottle and Food Drive for the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank, Jan. 2 and 3.
Hunger never takes a holiday and this year, the need is even greater.
The top items requested are soup, stew, chili, canned beans, canned chicken, canned fish and canned meat (Spam and ham).
The event runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 2 and 3 at 4240 Glanford Ave. Volunteers will help unload donations, so there is no need to get out of your vehicle.
Save-on-Foods helps families at Jeneece Place
Families staying at Jeneece Place will have all the ingredients to prepare a holiday meal away from home, thanks to a donation by Save-On-Foods.
This is the sixth year the grocery store chain has made a seasonal donation. This year, representatives dropped off $1,000 worth of groceries and $600 in gift cards.
鈥淔amilies staying at Jeneece Place are often experiencing some of the most stressful times of their lives, and this year, the anxiety has ramped up with financial uncertainty, isolation, and fear of infection,鈥� said Veronica Carroll, CEO at Children鈥檚 Health Foundation of Vancouver Island. 鈥淭his generous contribution by Save-On-Foods allows families to utilize food in the pantry to make their own meals between hospital visits, so they don鈥檛 have to worry about grocery shopping and can instead focus on their child鈥檚 health.鈥�
Jeneece Place is a home away from home for families who need a place to stay while their child receives care. It has welcomed more than 2,000 families since opening in 2012. It鈥檚 funded by donations to the Children鈥檚 Health Foundation of Vancouver Island. For more information, go to .
Island charities get backing from federal emergency grants
Charities and service organizations across the capital region, the Gulf Islands and north to Cowichan will receive $735,000 in grants, thanks to the federal government Emergency Community Support Fund.
Out of the 41 grants approved, five programs were co-funded by the United Way Greater Victoria and Victoria Foundation. The two organizations help the federal government administer the funds locally.
The grants will help local charities serve the immediate needs of populations that have experienced heightened vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local recipients include Peers Victoria Resources Society, Esquimalt Neighbourhood House Society, Nesting Doula Collective, the Island Community Mental Health Association and the Indigenous Perspectives Society.
Karman Lippitt, business development and communications co-ordinator for the Indigenous Perspectives Society, said the support is extremely valuable and much appreciated. 鈥淭he requirement to shift all services online in 2020, due to COVID-19, has been challenging. This funding will help the society continue to provide our services and support the well-being of Indigenous children, families and communities in sa国际传媒 and in sa国际传媒.鈥�
For a full list of funded projects, go to .
Royal Bank gives $20,000 to United Way
The RBC Foundation has donated $20,000 to United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island to support local youth and individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淩BC has partnered with us for years and we know how strongly they care about their communities. We are so thankful to have them support us again as we fund programs to respond to COVID-19 challenges,鈥� said Signy Madden, executive director of United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island. 鈥淎s the impacts of the pandemic continue to surface, the needs of our vulnerable neighbours continue to increase. This donation, this generous act of local love, will help us to immediately support those who need it most.鈥�
Since the beginning of the pandemic, United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island has funded 165 programs helping more than 45,000 people from the Malahat to Port Hardy.
Caring citizens and those with the ability to give are encouraged to contribute to the Local Love in a Global Crisis campaign, which helps local people with basic needs. For more information, go to .
PISE increases accessibility with renos
The Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence has announced the completion of major accessibility renovations to its facility.
The $850,000 project, called Accessibility 2020, focused on universal design and reducing barriers for individuals to participate in sport and recreation.
The project was made possible by a major grant from the federal government鈥檚 Enabling Accessibility Fund. Camosun College, 94 Forward, Tire Stewardship sa国际传媒 and the Rick Hansen Foundation sa国际传媒 Accessibility Grants Program (made possible by the financial support of the Province of British Columbia) also provided significant financial support towards the project.
The improvements include the addition of power-assisted door openers to classrooms, bathrooms and common areas, conversion of the front courtyard to a multi-sport, fully accessible training surface, resurfacing of the gymnasium floor with a new centre performance court, surrounded by automated spectator stands with accessible seating and new shelters with accessible team benches for the Alex Campbell Field Turf.
鈥淎 silver lining of the pandemic has been the ability for PISE to complete these major renovations so that we will be stronger and more accessible to our community while the pandemic continues, and more importantly when it is over,鈥� said Robert Bettauer, CEO of PISE.
For more information, go to .
Women In Need aims to continue co-op programs
There is still time to help Women In Need Community Co-operative in its Community Cheer Campaign, whose goal is to raise $25,000 toward five empowerment programs for women.
Women In Need is a local non-profit co-operative that funds its operations and programs almost entirely with revenue from its resale stores, online shop and monetary donations.
The organization says the year has been challenging, with revenue deeply affected by the pandemic.
鈥淚t has been both heartwarming and inspiring to see the resilience of our community in coming together to create a new path forward,鈥� said executive director Clare Yazganoglu. 鈥淎s we move into the winter, this support remains crucial to us as we continue to find ways to remain viable and ensure that we can deliver our programs.鈥�
For more information, go to .
