Members of the Century Toppers Rod and Custom Car Club have raced to the rescue of the Salvation Army, with $2,000 toward the annual Toy Drive.
One in seven children live in poverty, which means many of them go to bed on Christmas Eve not knowing if there will be any toys for them under the tree in the morning.
Last year, more than 85,000 children across Canada received toys from the Salvation Army at Christmas.
The Century Toppers Rod and Custom Car Club is open to all vehicles of interest, classics, hot rods, muscle cars and specialty vehicles.
For more information, go to salvationarmy.ca or centurytoppers.ca.
Dodd’s Christmas dinner will feed hundreds
Victoria’s less fortunate can share in the spirit of the season as Dodd’s Furniture holds its annual Christmas dinner on Wednesday at Our Place Society.
Along with a Thanksgiving dinner, the traditional Christmas dinner, with all the fixings, is the furniture retailer’s way of giving back to the community.
More than 2,000 people typically turn up for the event, which is estimated to have served in excess of 40,000 meals in 19 years.
Dinner will be served between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 21 at Our Place Society, 919 Pandora Ave. For more information, go to doddsfurniture.com.
Gift cards support mental-health programs
The Uptown shopping centre is donating 10 per cent of its holiday gift-card sales to support mental-wellness programs.
Proceeds from the initiative will go to Connections Place, a non-profit society dedicated to helping people with mental illness succeed in life.
“One in four people live with mental disorders and many go without support that could be life-changing,” said Kristy Lowes, marketing director for Uptown.
“Our holiday gift-card program pairs up gift-giving with giving back to raise funds and awareness about the important work Connections Place is doing to help local youth and adults struggling with mental wellness live more fulfilling lives.”
Gift cards can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the centre’s Guest Services.
Connections Place is a non-profit society supporting the rehabilitation of those with mental-health issues by establishing an accredited Clubhouse International in Victoria.
For more information, visit connectionsplace.org or shopuptown.ca.
Realtors chip in for Salvation Army
In the spirit of Christmas, the Victoria Real Estate Board recently donated $1,000 to the Salvation Army’s Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre on Johnson Street.
The donation went toward the centre’s annual Community Christmas meal for vulnerable people in Victoria, which took place last Wednesday.
“We at the Salvation Army are so grateful for the kind and generous support of the Victoria Real Estate board toward our Community Christmas meal,” said Major Brian Slous, executive director of the centre.
“It helps us make Christmas a little bit brighter for the marginalized and disadvantaged in our community. Without donors and community partners supporting us, we would not be able to make a difference and bring hope to those who find themselves without hope, particularly at this time of year.”
For more information, go to salvationarmy.ca or vreb.org.
Secret Garden Tour welcomes entries
The Sooke Philharmonic Society is looking for area residents who are willing to open their gardens to the public for the annual Sooke Secret Garden Tour, which takes place June 4, 2017.
They are beating the bushes for people who have a garden — or know some other green thumb who has a garden — in the Sooke area for the tour. The event is a major fundraiser for the society.
Deadline is Jan. 18 for the 2017 tour and the society is already looking for gardens for 2018.
For more information, contact Margaret Lintern at 250-642-6747 or [email protected] or Sue Hyslop 250-642-1397 or [email protected]. For more information, go to sookephil.ca.
Cool Aid needs warm clothes
With the cold weather upon us, the Victoria Cool Aid Society is looking for warm clothes for its annual drive, which runs until Jan. 5.
This is the eighth year of the event, which is collecting new or used winter coats, mittens, gloves, hats, socks, sweaters and blankets.
Clean out your closet and make 1,000 of Cool Aid’s clients warmer, healthier and happier.
Drop off the clothing between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. weekdays, except Christmas week, until Jan. 5 at Cool Aid’s Labour Pool, 465 Swift St. (near Wharf Street).
For more information, call Wendy Stone at 250-388-9296, or go to coolaid.org/labour.
Golf trio honoured for MS campaign
Three local golf-course superintendents are being honoured, not for keeping their golf courses green, but for their philanthropy, with a Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, next month at Government House.
Ten years ago, Brian Youell, master superintendent of Uplands, Gregor Kowalski, former superintendent of Royal Oak, and Dean Piller, superintendent of Cordova Bay Golf Course started an event to raise funds and awareness for multiple sclerosis.
On the event’s 10th anniversary, to be held in January, it will surpass the $1-million mark for funding multiple sclerosis needs in the community.
For their efforts, the three have been invited to receive their medals at a ceremony with Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon, on Jan. 5 at Government House, 1401 Rockland Ave.
Victoria Foundation hands out grants
Community grants worth more than $2 million were awarded to 98 non-profit organizations on Vancouver Island by the Victoria Foundation last week.
The Victoria Foundation is the region’s largest non-government funder, having awarded more than $15 million so far this year and more than $175 million since it began in 1936.
“What struck me with this year’s grants is the impressive breadth of local issues being addressed,” said Sandra Richardson, CEO of the organization. “From welcoming newcomers, to supporting homeless youth and women at risk, to restoring our natural environment and improving access to healthy food, the range is incredible. Our congratulations go to all of the recipients and our thanks also go to all of the committee members, donors and board members whose enthusiastic participation makes these grants possible.”
Supported by the foundation’s Vital Victoria Fund, the grants are awarded every year in December. Individual donors and fund holders contributed almost $750,000 to the total.
The Victoria Foundation Board has established food security and homelessness as the three-year strategic granting priorities for the Vital Victoria Fund. Grants range from $3,000 for a produce cooler for the food bank at St. John’s Church to $40,000 for St. Vincent de Paul to provide long-term housing for at-risk women and single mothers who are moving into transitional housing.
Community grants have ties to Victoria’s Vital Signs, an annual community report card produced by the Victoria Foundation. All of the grants have a connection to one or more of the issue areas identified in the report that contribute to the vitality and well-being of our community: Arts and Culture; Getting Started; Standard of Living; Learning; Belonging and Engagement; Safety; Sports and Recreation; Economy; Transportation; Housing; Environment; and Health and Wellness. For a full list and description of the 98 projects funded, go to victoriafoundation.ca.
Celebrate the new year in Nanaimo
Ring in the new year in Nanaimo at the Finale 2016, billed as the city’s premier family New Year’s Eve celebration.
Hosted by the City of Nanaimo, this year’s event carries an Under the Big Top theme, with an acrobat school, entertainment, swimming, skating, face painting, crafts and two countdowns (at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.)
Live entertainment will feature music by the Doctors of Rock ’n’ Roll and children’s entertainment by the Purple Pirate.
Members of the city’s Junior A hockey team, the Nanaimo Clippers, will also be on hand to skate with and to play hockey.
Tickets are $10 per person, $32 for a family of five and free for children two years and under. The celebration runs 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Beban Park Recreation Centre, 2300 Bowen Rd., Nanaimo. Tickets can be purchased at Beban Park box office. For more information, go to nanaimo.ca.
Donors pull dementia society closer to goal
The Nanaimo Travellers Lodge Society is one step closer to achieving its goal of $2 million for its Eden Gardens capital building campaign, thanks to a recent pledge by the Rogers Foundation, and Budget Car and Truck Rentals.
Local businessman Barrie Rogers, through his Rogers Foundation, along with Budget Car and Truck Rentals, has pledged $100,000 to the society over a five-year period.
Nanaimo Travellers Lodge has been specializing in dementia care at its current home for more than 12 years, with day programs, community bathing and full care for 90 residents with dementia.
The move to Eden Gardens, a purpose-built facility, means the society will be able to increase its accommodations to serve 130 residents. The facility is under construction on Northfield Road in Nanaimo.
The society is looking forward to additional support from the community. Donations are tax deductible, and naming opportunities are still available. For more information, go to nanaimotravellerslodge.com or call 250-760-2646.
Gingerbread sales aid food banks
Buy a gingerbread cookie family and help feed a real family at the Good Earth Coffeehouse’s Gingerbread Families campaign, until Dec. 31.
For more than 10 years, the coffee house chain has sold gingerbread cookies to raise funds for charitable organizations and Canadians in need. This year, it is hoping to sell 9,500 packages of Gingerbread Families — with $1 from every sale donated to a local food bank.
All cafés will accept non-perishable food donations as well.
“The Gingerbread Family program is our way of helping families alongside the Mustard Seed Food Bank,” said Michael Going, co-founder and CEO. “We are happy to partner with food banks across Canada as they provide an essential service in each and every community we operate in.”
Each gingerbread package contains a family of three cookies made from wholesome ingredients. These holiday delights are available at all four Good Earth locations in Greater Victoria or can be purchased online.
For more information, go to goodearthcoffeehouse.com.