Community Impact
The 2024 Give Where You Live campaign was the most successful campaign yet – raising over $250,000 for 10 local charities.
Give Where You Live is an exciting giving campaign that empowers you to join others in West Vancouver & the North Shore in supporting a select group of local charities. There are a range of partners selected each year and in 2024 the over-arching theme was poverty reduction – some of these charities are providing vital supports to those in need, while others provide a hand up to help break the poverty cycle.
Below are highlights from the Impact Reports, showing the impact that your donations made.
Thank you
To everone that donated!
You made a difference.
Sport 4 Life Program
Raised: $12,019
Matching Funder: Ian and Rosemary Mottershead Fund
About: Athletics4Kids (A4K) is a registered Canadian charity that ensures that all children on the North Shore can participate in amateur sports by providing financial assistance through registration fees for kids 5-18 years old. We work with community groups, social service organizations and sports clubs to ensure that no child is left on the sidelines. Our sports grants help assist school-aged children on the North Shore, in over 55 different sports and they are issued to the sports program providers directly for application towards registration fees.
Results:
Since 2002, Athletics4Kids has partnered with families across BC who need financial assistance keeping their kids in sports.
Together, with the help of individual donors, companies and foundations, we have provided over $3.1 million through over 14,500 Sport4Life Grants. This has enabled thousands of kids to participate in over 55 eligible sports.
In 2024, we served kids in 37 regions across BC with a strategic focus on neighbourhoods like Surrey, Delta and Coquitlam where child poverty rates are high and access to sport is low.
DONATE DIRECT TO ATHLETICS4KIDS
North Shore Kids’ Weekend Food Program
Raised: $21,024
Matching Funder: Ian and Rosemary Mottershead Fund
About: Many children on the North Shore rely heavily on school meal programs but over the weekend may not eat at all. For a cost of only $25, Backpack Buddies sends a child home with a bag full of kid approved meals to last the weekend. $925 feeds a child for the full school year. Watch the video.
Results: In the 2024 Give Where You Live program, community members donated $11,024 and the Ian and Rosemary Mottershead Fund at the Foundation matched $10,000 – providing $21,024. This allowed over 20 children on the North Shore to be fed for 1 year!
*more children are on the waitlist on the North Shore.
]
DONATE TO BACKPACK BUDDIES as part of the 2025 Give Where You Live campaign.
Raised: $22,047
Matching Funder: Ian and Rosemary Mottershead Fund
About: Providing the healing comfort and companionship of pet therapy by visiting people who could benefit from the unconditional love and support of a pet in a social, emotional, or physical way.
Results: Yes – the project reached the intended people as outlined in the application. For instance, volunteer pet therapy teams visited seniors residing in care facilities, patients in hospitals, cancer centres and hospices, clients in both rehab facilities and mental health institutions, students at schools – elementary, secondary and post-secondary (colleges and universities); community members in both community and corporate settings; youth at libraries were visited during Read to Me programming as well as Front-Line-Workers at BC Ambulance Services. All of these individuals benefited from the unconditional love and acceptance of a therapy dog.
The project runs from February 1, 2025 to February 1, 2026; to date, we are on target to reach the anticipated number of community members by completion.
There are multiple benefits associated with reading to a dog – motivation to read more regularly, fostering a positive association with reading, increased confidence and fluency – to name just a few. During the sessions, it’s easy to spot the children reading their chosen stories, settled next to the therapy dog in the library. One therapy dog team has even trained their dog to gently flip the pages of a book, and to look at the pages as they are being read to.
North Shore Christmas Bureau
Raised: $31,050
Matching Funder: Ian and Rosemary Mottershead Fund
About: Family Services North Shore Community Hub provides a safe environment open year-round for our North Shore neighbours in need. Over the holidays, the FSNS Christmas Bureau ensures families, individuals, and senior clients can celebrate over the holidays with a warm meal and spend time with family. Recipients have an average monthly income of $1,705 (family of 4), and in 2023, the program supported nearly 3,000 people living in our community including over 950 children.
Results:
• Over 2,600 individuals were supported through the Christmas Bureau this makes up over 1,100 families, including 244 new families and all received a holiday gift basket
• Over 620 community sponsors created and delivered beautiful holiday gift baskets to families
• Our team delivered over 1,100 meals to isolated seniors and 400 bags of groceries to families, which fed approximately 1,911 North Shore residents
• We were able to provide over 3,000 winter coats and 1,000 personal care kits to those who came in needed essential items.
Not only were we able to provide the above resources, but thanks to additional funding we were able to top up families of 4+ with additiaonl grocery gift cards, further easing the burden of providing food for their family and just enjoy being together. We were able to keep stocked our teen gifts, which are always the first items to go. These items are so important as they are not just gifts, but provide a sense of inclusion and connection being able to be like their peers. And no one got turned away. With lots of walk ins toward the end of the month before the Christmas Bureau closed, we were able to give families or individuals a bag with toiletries and grocery gift card(s). For example, we had a senior who came in looking for sheets. The Hub team put together a care package of not only sheets, but cookies, chocolates, tea and gift cards. The relief and gratitude on their face was heartwarming.
A West Vancouver Seniors’ Activity Centre Program
Raised: $48,309
Matching Funder: Ian and Rosemary Mottershead Fund
About: The Seniors’ Activity Centre’s meal program began in 2021, when the pandemic brought to light a genuine need among the community’s most vulnerable seniors who lacked the means to access regular meals. The Feed the Need program currently serves 350 meals per week, improving many lives. Your donation will ensure that these seniors continue to receive healthy and nutritious meals until the end of 2025. $355 will feed one senior for 3 months.
Results: Once again the “Feed the Need” program thrived, thanks to support of the West Vancouver Foundation and other funders. Over 100 seniors received up to 3 meals per week, free of cost. All individuals are part of BC Housing residencies within West Vancouver which is the focus point of the program. The program is volunteer led with staff support, and has become a staple program within the community.
As the program continues to grow, we are having more residents reach out to us for support. This is unique in the sense that outreach is a major goal of the West Vancouver Seniors’ Activity Centre, and you don’t often have people reaching out to you for support. We are proud of this as it means the program is gaining traction, but also that people are feeling comfortable connecting with the West Vancouver Seniors’ Activity Centre when requiring support.
DONATE TO FEED THE NEED, through this year’s Give Where You Live campaign.
Client Care Program
Raised: $24,803
Matching Funder: Ian and Rosemary Mottershead Fund
About: The mission of Harvest Project is to serve North Shore residents who are experiencing challenging life circumstances, by providing holistic support that empowers each one to take positive steps in their lives. Harvest Project assists individuals and families by providing vital resources so that each one can regain wellness and participate more fully within the North Shore community.
The motto of Harvest Project is “extending a hand up, not a hand out”, which directs us to extend a hand to lift people up.
Results: With the generous support of the West Vancouver Foundation, Harvest Project provided 3,665 client-care sessions across our programs. These included:
– 1,203 Client Care appointments
– 1,070 Grocery Support Program onsite “shopping” appointments
– 153 Nutrition Pathway appointments
– 1,054 Clothing Support Program appointments through Clothes for Change, our on-site Thrift Store
– 185 Art therapy and financial management
Through our Grocery Support Program, we distributed $642,708 in groceries, supporting 432 clients and their dependents, and through our Emergency Food Program, we distributed an additional $36,124, serving 413 residents.
Outcomes:
– Stabilized individuals and families in crisis on the North Shore by meeting urgent needs for food, clothing, and housing support.
– Empowered clients through regular coaching and personalized resources to overcome barriers and move toward independence, including education and employment goals.
– Strengthened mental, physical, and financial wellness through individualized care and community referrals.
– Prevented homelessness through our Rent Bank by offering no-interest loans that helped clients avoid eviction, maintain housing stability, and keep essential utilities connected.
– Fostered dignity, resilience, and social connection through holistic, client-centred care.
Use of Grant Funding:
Funding from the West Vancouver Foundation directly supported our Client Care Program, the cornerstone of Harvest Project’s mission to help North Shore residents facing challenging circumstances. This program provides one-on-one coaching and tangible supports that remove immediate barriers and empower clients to pursue long-term goals such as education and employment.
Each client meets monthly with a Client Care Partner to develop personalized plans, receive encouragement and accountability, and access integrated supports, including grocery and clothing assistance, financial coaching, art therapy, Rent Bank stabilization, and connections to community resources such as dental and vision care.
Through this holistic model, clients gain not only relief from basic needs but also renewed hope, stability, and a path toward self-sufficiency. The impact of this grant continues to ripple through families and the broader community as clients rebuild their lives with dignity and resilience.
DONATE TO THE HARVEST PROJECT FUND, at the West Vancouver Foundation.
The 5 R’s Program (for Vulnerable Youth)
Raised: $46,350
Matching Funder: Ian and Rosemary Mottershead Fund and the Nancy Farran Compelling Opportunities Fund
About: For 20 years, Hollyburn Community Services Society has been providing a continuum of holistic and unique services to youth, individuals, and families who face social vulnerabilities across the North Shore. The 5 R’s Program offers supports for highly marginalized youth.
Results: The 5 R’s continued to support youth at risk where they are and what they need. Youth were able to access our 5 Rs, that has allowed them to secure shelter and housing, support in employment and access to school. Recreation continued through a friendly hockey program and ongoing outdoor recreational activities and new relationships were developed, closing the door on social isolation.
Through the funding period over 200 youth were supported across the 5 R’s, albeit a little less than our estimated. Approximately 50 from West Vancouver.
DONATE TO HOLLYBURN COMMUNITY SERVICES FUND, at the West Vancouver Foundation.
M came to us from Ukraine—just 15 years old and completely alone. We met her when she arrived at our youth safe house. Thanks to the 5 Rs, she graduated high school and has just been accepted into UBC.
This is what the 5 Rs make possible: one door, one story told once, and a team that encourages, mentors, and supports—because everything they need is already in place. The result? Resiliency.
Restorative Response Program
Raised: $21,153
Matching Funder: Howard Martin Memorial Fund
About: Building capacity & connectivity with the North Shore community to prevent & respond to conflict & harm. The Restorative Response Program (RRP) is a relationship-based approach to addressing harm from crime or conflict. Centering on the needs of those harmed, it invites accountability from those responsible, fostering repair and healing to prevent future harm. The RRP meets the TRC’s Call to Action requiring the governments to “provide realistic alternatives to imprisonment for Aboriginal offenders and respond to the underlying causes of offending”.
Results: Reach targets for this year are close to target so far, but may be slightly less because of turnover within the RRP Manager role in the early new year, and new facilitators joining the program, requiring training. During the Transition, the Director of Programs stepped in to keep momentum, but total case load was slightly reduced because of temporary vacancies and training time. The program is running at full capacity now and expected to continue through the remainder of this year with increased momentum.
On the North Shore, NSRJ worked with 240 community members. This was slightly less than expected.
DONATE TO NORTH SHORE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, through this year’s Give Where You Live campaign.
Active Play & Youth Leadership Project
Raised: $12,146
Matching Funder: Howard Martin Memorial Fund
About: Red Fox Healthy Living Society transforms the lives of children and youth who face barriers through the power of recreation and mentorship. We do this by providing free physical literacy programs – Active Play – at local schools and parks and training and mentoring local youth to lead the programs.
Results:
• We delivered a total of 84 Active Play sessions:
o 81 Active Play sessions at schools and parks – Xwemélch’stn Norgate Elementary -18, Queen Mary Elementary – 20, Ridgeway Elementary – 18, Chartwell Elementary – 20, Ray Perrault 5 (spring break & summer) between January 14 and July 31, 2025. (63 North Vancouver, 21 West Vancouver).
o 3 Active Play sessions at community special events – Queen Mary Elementary Fun Day, West Vancouver Cultural Fest and Festivibe. (2 NV, 1 WV)
• 17 North Vancouver youth volunteered at Active Play sessions as Junior Leaders (NV 5, WV 7) Youth Leaders (NV 4) or Interns (NV 1)
• 593 individuals served at Special events – Queen Mary Elementary Fun Day – 80, West Vancouver Cultural Festival – 283 (June 7), Festivibe 250 (July 13)
Seed Generation:
• 18 North Shore youth (16 from North Vancouver and 1 from West Vancouver) participated in our Seed Generation program, a Canada Service Corps project funded by ESDC.
• 2 cohorts February to July and July to December.
Between January 14 and July 31st, we engaged 882 individuals. Which was slightly less than projected. However, the ‘points of service’ was higher than anticipated.
Watch this video from Chartwell Elementary.
DONATE TO RED FOX HEALTHY LIVING, as part of this year’s Give Where You Live campaign.
Expanding North Shore Food Recovery
Raised: $14,450
Matching Funder: Ian and Rosemary Mottershead Fund
About: At Vancouver Food Runners (VFR), we respond to the unfortunate disconnect between the fact that 58% of all the food produced in Canada is wasted or lost each year, while 1 in 5 households in BC are food insecure. Through our technology, logistics, and volunteer model, we aim to fight hunger and promote sustainability by preventing good food from entering the waste stream; and instead redirect it to organizations supporting community members experiencing food insecurity. In addition, it is estimated that 6-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are the result of wasted food, and VFR directly addresses this urgent challenge.
Results: Since expanding our operations on the North Shore, with the support of the West Vancouver Foundation, we have significantly improved access to nutritious food for nonprofit organizations that provide essential food programs and wraparound social services to residents experiencing food insecurity.
To date in 2025, our North Shore (NS) volunteers have completed 198 food rescues, resulting in the delivery of 33,804 pounds of surplus food to North Shore charities. This equates to 28,170 equivalent meals and represents an in-kind value of $121,018. Additionally, these efforts have mitigated an estimated 53,748 pounds of CO₂ equivalent emissions, contributing to our environmental sustainability goals.
We are on track to meet our 2025 targets for the North Shore and are committed to maintaining this momentum throughout the remainder of the year. Our mission is to increase the availability of fresh, perishable food to North Shore residents, with over 90% of the food distributed being fresh and more than 50% consisting of fresh produce.
Furthermore, through our North Shore Food Delivery Support Program, we have partnered with several community organizations, including charities and schools, to provide direct food delivery assistance. So far this year, 66 deliveries have been completed by NS volunteers, totaling 12,319 pounds of food delivered to charities and schools.
DONATE TO VANCOUVER FOOD RUNNERS, through this year’s Give Where You Live campaign.
