Almost 100 homeless people living rough on city streets will sleep warmer this winter, thanks to a donation of sleeping bags by a social-action group.
Rabbi Harry Brechner and members of Avodah, Congregation Emanu-El’s social-action group, delivered 96 new sleeping bags to Rev. Allen Tysick, executive director of the Dandelion Society, on Wednesday.
“My deepest gratitude and thanks go out to Avodah for these urgently needed sleeping bags,” said Tysick. “Through community partnership, all is possible.”
This is the second year that the group has responded to a call for sleeping bags. Last year, they collected 75 sleeping bags and 50 emergency blankets.
“We believe that everyone deserves a warm bed and adequate housing,” Brechner said. “However, right now, providing sleeping bags to our most vulnerable neighbours is essential. It is one important way to show that we care and to make a meaningful difference to people who live on the streets.”
Congregation Emanu-El created the group in 1993 to support poor and homeless youth, adults and families. This year’s donation was made possible through the support of the Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island and the Betty Averbach Foundation.
The Dandelion Society advocates for and provides compassion, hope and care daily to people living on the streets of Victoria.
For more information, go to congregationemanuel.ca or hopeliveshere.ca.
A pie in the face for the United Way
Organizers of the annual Pie-in-the-Face fundraiser at the Inn at Laurel Point don’t think this year’s target of $500 is a pie-in-the-sky goal.
Every year, staff at the hotel have paid to throw or receive pies. They have the option of paying $2 for one throw, $5 for three throws or $15 for 10 throws. A closeup throw is also available for $5.
Last year, they raised more than $300 for the United Way of Greater Victoria. Between tossed pies and other initiatives, staff have raised more than $43,000 for the United Way in the past five years.
But why do the participants look so happy to get one in the face? It might be because the pies are made of real whipping cream (one can even get flavouring, such as sprinkles, too). At other events the topping is shaving cream, which is not as tasty as the dairy version.
The public is welcome to watch the pies fly, between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. on Thursday on the Aura patio, Inn at Laurel Point, 680 Montreal St. Proceeds benefit this year’s United Way of Greater Victoria campaign. The charity helps connect people and resources throughout the community and addresses the region’s most challenging social issues. For more information, go to uwgv.ca or laurelpoint.com.
Elk and Beaver lakes need urgent help
Can aging lakes in Victoria be rejuvenated? Find out at A Tale of Two Lakes, a public forum that presents scientific information about the problems with Elk/Beaver Lake and potential measures to address them, on Thursday.
The forum is co-sponsored by the University of Victoria Environmental Law Centre and the Victoria Golden Rods and Reels Society.
One of the scheduled speakers is Rick Nordin, who published a report on the lake’s water quality. Other stakeholders confirmed to attend include:
• Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C.
• Habitat Acquisition Trust
• Peninsula Streams Society
• Victoria Rowing Society
• Victoria Golden Rods and Reels Society
• Gorge Waterway Initiative
Free admission. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the forum taking place 7 to 9 p.m. at the Law Lecture Theatre 159, Fraser Building, University of Victoria.
To read Nordin’s report, go to crd.bc.ca/GWI/resource-library/ reports-studies. For more information, go to peninsulastreams.ca/ archives/a-tale-of-two-lakes-elkbeaver.
Scavenger hunt to paddle around Brentwood Bay
The Amazing Race for Heart!, a paddling scavenger hunt around Brentwood Bay to raise money and awareness for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, takes place Nov. 1.
The inaugural fundraising event hopes to promote a healthy and active lifestyle while raising money and awareness for the foundation.
Registration starts at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at Pacifica Paddle Sports, 789 Saunders Lane, Brentwood Bay. A wrap-up dinner for participants starts at 5:30 p.m. For more information, go to heartandstroke.bc.ca. To register, go to fitforheart.ca.
New surgery unit a Peninsula priority
The Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation hopes to raise $2 million in its annual fundraising campaign, which kicked off this month.
The money will go toward a crucial renovation of the Surgical Daycare Unit at the Saanich Peninsula Hospital. With the most up-to-date operating rooms on Vancouver Island, demand is high at the hospital.
Day surgery is growing, thanks to technological advances in surgical procedures. Operations that used to involve hours of surgery and days of recovery are now done in a matter of hours. Benefits include less pain, medication and complications and faster recovery.
Donations to the current fundraising campaign will help the hospital create a larger, custom-designed space to accommodate the more than 1,500 surgical procedures and the almost 800 medical procedures that take place each year at the hospital. The state-of-the-art unit will include a waiting room, medication room and nursing station.
The Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Its mission is to provide equipment and facilities to support the Saanich Peninsula Hospital. For more information, go to sphf.ca.
Island Savings offers grants to non-profits
Island Savings is inviting charities on Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands to apply for funding from the newly established $2-million Island Savings Community Endowment.
There is $70,000 in funding available in early 2016 for charities with programs that promote resilient and sustainable Island communities. Expressions of interest for grants are being accepted.
“The endowment grants are designed to enhance Island Savings’ communities by funding programs that improve people’s capacity to care for themselves and their families, to learn new skills and develop the resilience to overcome challenges,” said Seline Kutan, executive director of the First West Foundation, which oversees the funds.
The fund will also support charitable programs that enhance environmental stewardship and sustainability.
The endowment was made possible by the merger of Island Savings and First West Credit Union on Jan. 1. It is a legacy gift that generates funding for Island communities above and beyond Island Savings’ established community investment activities and non-profit relationships, including the GIFT granting program. This year, the First West Foundation is distributing more than $580,000 across 25 communities in B.C. For more information on grant guidelines or to submit an application, go to firstwestfoundation.ca.
Sort books to aid UVic book sale
The University of Victoria Libraries are looking for volunteers for their upcoming Book Sale for the United Way of Greater Victoria.
Volunteers are needed for the sale’s sorting phase, which runs from Monday, Nov. 2 to Friday, Nov. 13 at the McPherson Library at the university, not including weekends or holidays. The community donation drive takes place on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the entrance to the McPherson Library in Parking Lot B (behind the Bob Wright Centre and the McPherson Library).
Volunteer opportunities are also available during the setup phase, Monday Nov. 16, the sale days of Nov. 17 to 19, or the take-down on Nov. 20. Sign up at volunteersignup.org/RCBTP or contact Christine Walde or Jennifer McClintick at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Calling all local authors
The Greater Victoria Public Library is inviting local authors to submit their books to the library’s annual Emerging Local Authors Collection.
This will be the second year the library has presented the collection, by local authors, for readers of all ages. The collection showcases self-published, independent or small-press books of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. In addition, the collection will also include ebooks for the first time.
“We applaud our local writers and are excited to give them a platform to share their creative works,” said Rina Hadziev, co-ordinator of collections and technical services at the library. “We were blown away by the books we received last year, and we can’t wait to see what this year will bring.”
Books eligible for inclusion include those written between 2011 and 2015, in print or ebook format, by southern Vancouver Island authors. This collection will launch at the Central Branch in early April 2016.
The application deadline is Jan. 15.
To find out more about the criteria for eligibility and to fill in an online application form, go to gvpl.ca/emerginglocalauthors.
The Greater Victoria Public Library provides services and collections in 10 libraries and online to more than 300,000 residents. For more information, go to gvpl.ca.
Pay library fines with food donation
Still with the library: On Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, the library is hosting its Food for Fines event. The library will waive overdue fines up to $5 per cardholder when patrons bring in a donation of non-perishable food. Food collected at the event will be donated to local social-service agencies. For more information, go to gvpl.ca.
Musical doctors support hospice fundraiser
The Civic Orchestra of Victoria and the Victoria Gilbert and Sullivan Society will perform with Dr. Peter Houghton, a local doctor, in Live to Dream, a fundraising concert under the direction of Dr. George Corwin, for the Victoria Hospice, Sunday, Nov. 22.
They hope to raise $35,000 in honour of the 35th anniversary of the hospice.
The program for the concert will include Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 4, performed by Houghton, Grieg’s Symphonic Dances and selections from Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado.
Tickets are $25. The concert starts at 2 p.m., Nov. 22, at the University Centre Farquhar Auditorium, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd.
For more information, go to victoriahospice.org.
