5 days Victoria artists turn doors into works of art for Habitat for Humanity Victoria Doors aren't usually considered art, but a new fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity Victoria might change your mind about that. Dozens of local artists have transformed all kinds of doors into works of art to help make home ownership a reality for working families. Tess van Straaten takes a look in this week's Vital People.
2 weeks 'It's everywhere': Invasive ivy pull at UVic one of several Greater Victoria Green Team activities in honour of Earth Month April is Earth Month and lots of activities are taking place here on Vancouver Island and around the world. But making a positive impact on the environment is something the Greater Victoria Green Team does all year. Tess van Straaten takes a look in this week's Vital People.
3 weeks Helping history take flight: BC Aviation Museum volunteers restore historic planes The BC Aviation Museum has been in the spotlight, with news that the iconic Hawaii Mars water bomber will land there in the fall. Tess van Straaten takes a look in this week's Vital People.
4 weeks Mustard Seed cooks up a creative Chef's Challenge fundraiser to help those in need With rising inflation, more people than ever before are turning to food banks for help. It's estimated about 70,000 people in Greater Victoria alone are food insecure. Tess van Straaten has more.
1 month Pull for Hunger: How former world-champion arm wrestler Mike Kadar is giving back When you think of food drives, arm wrestling doesn't usually come to mind. But a Vancouver Island man — who just happens to be a world-famous arm wrestler — decided to do a 'pull for hunger' to help make a difference. In this week's Vital People, Tess van Straaten introduces us to the former three-time world champion who is also volunteering his time to help build the sport he loves.
1 month 'Life or Death': Islanders raise money for breast milk bank in war-torn Ukraine For the last two years, a group of Vancouver Islanders has been doing what it can to help people in war-torn Ukraine, and they now need your help to set up a breast milk bank for the sky-rocketing number of premature babies now being born there. Tess van Straaten has the details in this week's Vital People.
2 months Persistent Pest: Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society volunteers battle broom Scotch broom is an invasive and persistent pest on Vancouver Island, but this week, volunteers in Sooke descended on Whiffin Spit to battle the broom.
2 months Ronald McDonald House is a 'home away from home' for Vancouver Island families with sick kids Hundreds of Vancouver Island families stay at Ronald McDonald House each year while their children are getting treatment at BC Children's Hospital. But it's almost always at capacity, and some families are being turned away.
2 months Volunteers at St. Andrew's Church in Sidney dish up nourishment for the body and the soul For more than 20 years, volunteers in Sidney have been serving up soup once a week. The neighbours' lunch builds connection and community for seniors and people of all ages.
2 months Vital People: Wounded Warrior Run raises awareness about PTSD Eight runners will embark on an eight-day, 800-kilometre trek from Port Hardy to Victoria next weekend. The Wounded Warrior Run raises money and awareness for first responders and military suffering from PTSD and other on-the-job trauma. In this week's Vital People, Tess van Straaten has more on the epic run and the participants' reasons for taking part.
3 months Pay it Forward: Random Acts of Kindness Day is now a full week in Victoria Random acts of kindness can brighten someone's day, so instead of just having it be one day this year, the Victoria Foundation is encouraging people to take part in Random Acts of Kindness week Feb. 12-17. In this week's Vital People, Tess van Straaten shows us how people can pay it forward.
3 months 'I love the fresh air!': Cycling Without Age volunteers get seniors out for rides We all know how important connection and getting out in the community is, but for people in long-term care, it can be difficult. That's where the Cycling Without Age program comes in. Volunteers take residents out for rides as passengers in a special cargo bike called a Trishaw and as Tess van Straaten shows us in this week's Vital People, they need your help to keep things rolling.
3 months 'It can be very isolating': How Victoria's single parent resource centre is helping With inflation and the high cost of food and housing, many dual-income families are struggling so it's even tougher for single parents.
4 months Victoria arts non-profit looking for fundraising help As a creative reuse centre, SUPPLY Victoria's mission is to divert materials from the landfill and put them into the hands of artists, students, and teachers.
4 months Vital People: Greater Victoria boy spreads Christmas cheer one carol at time WATCH: A young Sidney boy is spreading holiday cheer and raising money for those in need one Christmas carol at a time. Tess van Straaten reports.
4 months Sole Sisters look to give back to women in shelters ahead of holidays The Sole Sisters are helping women fleeing domestic violence ahead of the holidays by creating 50 grab-and-go bags.
5 months Vancouver Island family that lost child to cancer turning tragedy into something positive The Comboyes started the first Canadian chapter of the Cure Starts Now to help fund pediatric brain cancer research. Tess van Straaten has more.
5 months 'Altruistic organ donors are phenomenal': Victoria man donates part of his liver to a stranger VITAL PEOPLE: Hundreds of Canadians die each year waiting for transplants. But as Tess van Straaten shows us, living organ donors can save countless lives.
5 months Vital People: Staying warm in winter with Cool Aid's 10,000 socks campaign The staff at Kia Victoria are excited to be helping with the Victoria Cool Aid Society's annual 10,000 socks campaign. "It was a no-brainer for us living in this community and being part of this[...]
5 months Vital People: Dance Victoria Nutcracker tickets for families in need Dance Victoria helps Ukrainians new to Victoria with tickets to Ukrainian Shumka Dancers' Nutcracker. Here's Tess van Straaten.
8 hours What's in the water? Dirty water situation at Victoria condo getting clearer Repairs to a faulty water pump are the reason behind murky water at downtown Victoria condo building, but a week later an advisory is still in place until testing is completed.
9 hours Alleged wolf-dog in Coombs reportedly shot and killed A Coombs resident who's dog was killed by the alleged wolf-dog says he's heard from a reliable source that the wolf-dog has been shot and is dead.
9 hours B.C. sex offender pleads guilty to breaching supervision order following manhunt A high-risk sex offender who went on the run for 10 days in Vancouver has pleaded guilty to breaching his long-term supervision order and failing to attend court.
9 hours 15-year hunting ban and $10K penalty for man who baited, killed B.C. grizzly The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says a man has been fined $10,000 and banned from hunting for 15 years for illegally killing a grizzly bear near Elkford, B.C.