Bicycles for Humanity collecting bikes for Africa
Bicycles for Humanity Victoria still have room for good used bikes, financial donations and spare parts as they fill their 12th shipping container full of bikes bound for Africa. The container will contain the group’s 5,100th bike shipped to Africa since it started in 2009. Two container loads have gone to Namibia and two to Uganda, while the last seven have gone to Malawi.
Some of the bikes are donated to needy organizations, while the remainder are refurbished locally and sold for modest amounts to locals who use them to better access food, water, employment, school and work.
Any profits the bike sales generate go back into the program for expenditures such as spare parts and shipping costs, and to help fund an orphanage.
Volunteers have been scouring Greater Victoria for the past few months and have collected 300 bicycles, but there is room for 150 to 200 more in the container. They are accepting old bikes, bike parts and accessories such as pumps, tires and tubes.
There are three collection options:
• Drop off at 847 Royal Oak Ave. (call first at 250-479-7415)
• Drop off at Recyclistas Bike Shop, 25 Crease Ave. (tag them for Bicycles for Humanity)
• Bike pickup in Greater Victoria (call 250-479-7415)
• For more information, go to b4hvictoria.blogspot.com.
Teeny Tiny Garden Tour
You don’t have to leave home to catch a glimpse of some of Victoria’s best backyard gardens in this year’s Virtual Teeny Tiny Garden Tour fundraiser, now until the end of July. The event is a fundraiser for the Victoria Hospice. This is the 16th year of the event — and the second virtual tour.
Donations from fundraising events pay for almost half of the hospice’s annual operating costs. The money goes toward ongoing programs for patients and families and for education and research.
“Victorians have been spending more time than ever in their gardens during the pandemic and the interest in our first virtual edition of the tour last year was phenomenal,” said Wendy Innes, interim director of fund development. “Although we can’t wait to welcome our tour-goers back in-person, the virtual tour offers an accessible way for everyone to enjoy the tour and we are thrilled to share it with our community.”
This year’s event showcases three gardens.
Also in the lineup this year are unusual plants, creative ideas for small spaces, water features, greenhouses and a bathtub kitchen garden.
In lieu of a ticket to take the tour, viewers are encouraged to order the 2022 Teeny Tiny Garden Tour Calendar or make a donation to Victoria Hospice.
• You can take the tour at victoriahospice.org/ teenytinygardentour.
Shred paper, raise money
The Victoria Chinatown Lionesses are holding a Paper Shredding Fundraiser with proceeds from the event helping the group fund local community projects.
They are asking for a donation of $10 for shredding a banker box (or equivalent) of confidential documents and paperwork. The documents will be shredded while you wait. They will accept cash, credit card, debit or company cheque. The event runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of Save-on-Foods at Fort Street and Foul Bay Avenue.
• Go to victoriachinatownlionesslionsclub.ca.
Funds for mental health
The Victoria Hospitals Foundation has launched Equipped to Heal, its latest community fundraising campaign, with a focus on mental health.
The foundation aims to raise at least $1 million for mental-health and substance-use services at Royal Jubilee Hospital to respond to the increasing demands on the hospital.
Island Savings is kick-starting the campaign with a pledge of $120,000. Donations will go toward equipping the newly opened Sub-Acute Unit in the Eric Martin Pavilion at the Royal Jubilee Hospital campus. The unit will add up to 19 beds and increase psychiatric inpatient capacity by up to 35 per cent.
You can contribute by donating online at victoriahf.ca/equipped, calling 250-519-1750, or mailing a donation to Wilson Block, 1952 Bay Street, Victoria B.C., V8R 1J8.
Help for Hospice House
The Cowichan Lake Community Forest Co-operative has donated $100,000 to the recently opened Cowichan Hospice House. The facility’s secure medication room will be named to recognize the gift.
“We are excited to be able to donate to Cowichan Hospice, to show our support for such important care for patients, family and friends during their time of need,” said Lorne Scheffer, chair of the Lake Cowichan Community Forest Co-operative.
The room includes a computerized dispensary to ensure the safe storage and delivery of powerful medications to manage patients’ symptoms and a medication safe with a timer, enabling nurses to dispense medications securely. The hospice, which opened in November 2020, is also equipped with 10 patient rooms, family areas, children’s play area, kitchen, sacred space, quiet room, spa room, nursing station and a garden area.
For more information, go to cowichanhospice.org.
