The Victoria Foundation has just distributed over $3.13 million from their Community Recovery Program.
This huge influx of cash will help 142 organizations on Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands manage the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s exciting to be able to support so many organizations right now in our community who are doing incredible work” says Carol Hall, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Foundation.
“We hope this will allow those organizations to continue to deliver the programs that make a difference to so many lives in our region.”
One of the non-profit organizations that has received a grant is Kaleidoscope Theatre, founded in 1973.
“COVID has hit the Arts industry very hard” says Pat Rundell, executive director of Kaleidoscope. “It has put all our artists out of work, our designers, our actors, our technicians, and we haven’t been able to reopen our doors for our audiences, or open our doors for our artists. The support from the Victoria Foundation means the world to us. It allows us to return to work, it allows us to create art for our community, performing outdoors in a safe environment, and provide free, accessible theatre for young people who have had too much screen time, or have felt shut-in during this past year.”
The Indigenous Perspectives Society also received a grant.
“We offer trainings that are in direct support of Indigenous community agencies. We also deliver cultural perspectives training, which is a way to increase cultural competency, and increase understanding of Indigenous perspectives in non-Indigenous sectors and organizations,” said Karman Lippitt of the Indigenous Perspective Society. “The funds that we were able to receive from the Victoria Foundation supported the rebuild of our websites, as well as purchase of some equipment for supporting our team working from home. So it’s made an enormous difference for us in terms of what we’re able to communicate through our websites, and what information we can make available to visitors and clients. We’re so grateful.”
Learn more about the Community Recovery Program in this week’s episode of Vital People.
Veronica Cooper
