YLSBC has adapted its programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022
Good Food Access Fund Emergency Food Grant
YLSBC along with Steps Together Foundation(STF) utilized the $100,000 grant from GFAF to deliver critical food supplies to low income families across BC and Yukon. We were able to serve approximately 13,200 individuals in over 2640 families across 26 municipalities in BC and Yukon. With the help of our supply chain and food supplier partners, we were able to deliver much needed food supplies to many indigenous communities.
2021
Food Security Program
Community Meal Plan (Schools and Local Community Organizations and Indigenous Communities):
The YLSBC community, along with our sister organization Steps Together Foundation (STF), are continuing to donate food supplies to low income families/students belonging to local School Districts, Community Centers and Indigenous Communities. From January to June, we delivered emergency food to around 66 organizations and community centers all over BC (Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Okanagan, and Northern BC); helping around 12,000 people with food security so far.
Please have look at the geographical locations of all the Communities/Cities we have collaborated with.
We would like to thank our partners - Safeway (Chilliwack) for providing food hampers, IGA (Fort Nelson) and No Frills (Port Coquitlam, Abbotsford, Smithers, Kitimat, Port Alberni, Dawson Creek and Prince Rupert, Coquitlam, Langley); Loblaw organization and its affiliated stores all across BC for supplying food and groceries at affordable prices.
Please have a look at the Food Security Summary Report here.
Community Needs Program
Digital Connectivity:
We are continuing to provide refurbished computers and low cost internet connection to low income families and students across BC.
We have once again partnered with TELUS’s Internet for Good program through which we are able to supply low-cost internet and refurbished computers from B.C. Technology Services located in Burnaby, BC.
We appeal businesses to continue to donate computers to our organizations while upgrading their technology. Your support to this program is highly appreciated.
Please have a look at the Digital Connectivity Summary Report here.
Health and Wellness Program
Covid-19 Protection:
Preventing Disease Transmission Training & Equipment
This program targets frontline workers responding to COVID-19 in low to medium-risk environments in support of their direct service delivery to those most vulnerable to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19. This program will help equip our volunteers and staff with a supply of personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves, and train them on how to use this equipment properly to ensure their health and well-being. Our youth and parent volunteers completed the first Red Cross PDT training and remain confident when working in the field. We highly recommend our volunteers to take the second Red Cross PDT training made available to us.
Health and Wellness:
Clean Drinking Water
We understand that Canada, including BC, lags in providing clean drinking water to many indigenous communities. Many of these communities are still under boil-water advisories despite Canada’s progress in urban areas of the last few decades. We are pleased to introduce Acuva Technologies’ UV-LED water purifiers as a solution for safe drinking water for indigenous communities. If you are in a community still faced with boil-advisory challenges, please contact us to learn how Acuva’s UV-LED drinking water disinfection systems can meet your needs.
Wellness Kits:
Work Wear, Work Boots and Warm Winter Clothing
We have continued our partnership with Mark’s Abbotsford who have been providing work wear, winter wear as well as other miscellaneous items for families, children, youth, and community members at affordable prices. We are open to receiving inquires of wellness kits urgently needed by indigenous communities.
Educational Material and Resources
We have most recently partnered with Staples who have very generously provided almost 100 families with backpacks and school supplies. We are planning on sending many more in the upcoming months to other organizations and School Districts in remote locations of BC. We are fortunate to have support of Community Foundations of Canada and Rising Youth who are providing us with grants to complete these projects and help many communities.
We Are Thankful To Our Partners
Vancity Credit Union, in Maple Ridge, BC has so very kindly and generously provided us with a $10,000 grant for computers, internet this year.
We just completed our $100,000 grant provided by Good Food Access Fund which was used to provide food supplies, personal well and essential items, and food hampers their generous grant to support our Emergency Food supplies to needy BC communities.
We are grateful to The Sprott Foundation for their generous support of the Good Food Access Fund. Because of you, we can bring hope to the community members and assurance that someone is looking out for their well being in these difficult circumstances.
We are proud to be a Good Food Organization working towards a healthy and fair food system in alliance with Community Food Centres Canada. We are joining a growing network of like-minded organizations across Canada who share a commitment to offering healthy and dignified food programs in their communities.
Canadian Red Cross supports our Community Needs Program by the Preventing Disease Transmission Training and equipping our volunteers with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Community Foundations of Canada supports Steps Together Foundation for the procurement and delivery of educational materials, computers and internet to indigenous societies and low-income families in BC. The project is supported by the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund. They have provided $35,000 for computers and internet as well as $16,000 for educational supplies.
YLSBC as Rising Youth’s BC impact partner is mentoring youth and training them to be community leaders. They learn to identify the need and find ways of fulfilling those. Each youth can apply up to $1500 grant for each project. The entire program is youth-driven and community-oriented.
Enjoy a few of the greeting cards that were created by our YLSBC youth.
2020
Food Security Program
Community Meal Plan (Hospitals):
The YLSBC community, along with our sister organization Steps Together Foundation (STF), responded to COVID-19 by delivering ready to serve meals to frontline health care workers in local hospitals. We delivered over 2400 meals between April-July 2020 when the hospitals were accepting the donations.
We would like to thank our partners for supplying discounted meals/food/special items at affordable prices:
Quiznos – Coquitlam (Store #695) & Mission (Store #691)
Subway- Surrey (3278, King George) & Vancouver (683 Abbot St. & 1288 West Broadway)
Community Meal Plan (Schools and Local Communities):
YLSBC and STF began working with local School Districts, Community Centers and Indigenous Communities to donate and distribute much-needed food items to low-income families and students pre-identified by these organizations. From April to December, we delivered emergency food to over fifty organizations and communities all over BC (Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Okanagan, and Northern BC); helping over 25,000 people with food security.
Please have look at the geographical locations of all the Communities/Cities we have collaborated with.
With additional funding, donations, or grants, we plan to continue our food donations to remotely located low-income families and Indigenous Communities in BC where it is harder to obtain funds or food donations. We are working with the local school boards, Indigenous Friendship Centers, and Community Organizations to bring the required relief to various communities.
We traveled extensively, visiting these communities in order to understand their needs and challenges first hand. We built Bonds of Friendship and worked together with each community to bring relief, joy and comfort.
We would like to thank our partners for supplying food and groceries at affordable prices:
Local food stores such as Fruiticana (Port Coquitlam), No Frills (Port Coquitlam, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, Smithers, Kitimat, Port Alberni, Dawson Creek), and Loblaw organization and its affiliated stores all across BC
Community Needs Program
Digital Connectivity:
One of the significant needs we identified in these communities is the lack of affordable computers and internet connection. Students need access to online education in order to complete their homework whereas; elders and seniors need to stay connected with their Community to overcome social isolation. With meager resources allocated towards food, families often have to choose between food security or digital connectivity.
We are glad to have found support from TELUS’s Internet for Good program through which we are able to supply low-cost internet and refurbished computers from B.C. Technology Services located in Burnaby, BC. We are also encouraging families to work with school principals in their area to secure low-cost internet connections. We are striving for these families to have digital connectivity by seeking funds and grants from multiple sources.
We appeal to businesses to consider us for their computer donations while upgrading their technology. Your support to this program is highly appreciated.
Health and Wellness Program
Covid-19 Protection:
Surface Disinfection
We understand it is extremely important to create a safe work environment for volunteers, staff and clients. We are please to introduce the Solarix, a portable disinfection device manufactured by Acuva Technologies. It disinfects 99.9% of SARS-CoV-2 & Human Corona-virus 229E on non-porous surfaces in less than 10 seconds. In light of our 2021 goals, we recommend this product as an added layer of protection against microbial contaminants. We look forward to your inquires to enhance workplace safety protocols in your organization with the Solarix.
Preventing Disease Transmission Training & Equipment
This program targets frontline workers responding to COVID-19 in low to medium-risk environments in support of their direct service delivery to those most vulnerable to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19. This program will help equip our volunteers and staff with a supply of personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves, and train them on how to use this equipment properly to ensure their health and well-being. Our youth and parent volunteers completed the first Red Cross PDT training and remain confident when working in the field. More volunteers are being invited to undertake the second Red Cross PDT training made available to us.
Health and Wellness:
Clean Drinking Water
We understand that Canada, including BC, lags in providing clean drinking water to many indigenous communities. Many of these communities are still under boil-water advisories despite Canada’s progress in urban areas of the last few decades. We are pleased to introduce Acuva Technologies’ UV-LED water purifiers as a solution for safe drinking water for indigenous communities. If you are in a community still faced with boil-advisory challenges, please contact us to learn how Acuva’s UV-LED drinking water disinfection systems can meet your needs.
Wellness Kits:
Work Wear, Work Boots and Warm Winter Clothing
Many families, children, youth, and community members struggle to remain safe and healthy due to poverty. Many eligible youths cannot secure employment as they cannot afford work boots, clothing, or other pre-requisites required by law.
We found support from Mark’s Abbotsford, - they are willing to help these families and make goods available at affordable prices. We are open to receiving inquires of wellness kits urgently needed by indigenous communities.
Cheekbone Beauty
We are thankful to indigenous entrepreneur, Jennifer Harper of Cheekbone Beauty for supporting us with her product line and allowing us to market it within BC.
It is our honour to represent indigenous entrepreneurs and artists in BC.
Educational Material and Resources
In this Covid-19 environment, many families are unable to afford back to school educational material. We have launched many initiatives to procure and deliver backpacks and educational material. We are fortunate to have support of Community Foundations of Canada and Rising Youth who are providing us with grants to complete these projects and help many communities.
We Are Thankful To Our Partners
Vancity Credit Union, Maple Ridge, BC for providing us with a grant for computers, internet and Community Meal Program.
Rotary Club Of Coquitlam Sunrise for supporting us with funding for our Community Meal Program for schools and Youth Leadership Challenge.
Food Rescue for their generous grant towards the cost of our Community Meal program.
Good Food Access Fund for their generous grant to support our Emergency Food supplies to needy BC communities.
We are grateful to The Sprott Foundation for their generous support of the Good Food Access Fund. Because of you, we can bring hope to the community members and assurance that someone is looking out for their well being in these difficult circumstances.
We are proud to be a Good Food Organization working towards a healthy and fair food system in alliance with Community Food Centres Canada. We are joining a growing network of like-minded organizations across Canada who share a commitment to offering healthy and dignified food programs in their communities.
Canadian Red Cross supports our Community Needs Program with a grant from the Government of Canada's Emergency Community Support Fund led by Employment and Social Development Canada.
We are grateful to the Canadian Red Cross for their generous grant, which makes a difference in many families' lives and brings hope to them that help is around the corner. We are striving to continue serving our communities and working hard to secure additional grants from our grant partners.
We are also thankful for the Preventing Disease Transmission Training and equipping our volunteers with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Community Foundations of Canada supports Steps Together Foundation for the procurement and delivery of educational materials, computers and internet to indigenous societies and low-income families in BC. The project is supported by the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund.
ISKWEW AIR, an enterprise founded by indigenous entrepreneur Teara Fraser recently supported us to airdrop emergency food supplies serving remote indigenous communities in Port Hardy, BC. We are grateful to Teara for making this happen and we hope to have her continued support to reach out to other remote communities in the BC.
Grants in Progress:
YLSBC as Rising Youth’s BC impact partner is mentoring youth and training them to be community leaders. They learn to identify the need and find ways of fulfilling those. Each youth can apply up to $1500 grant for each project. The entire program is youth-driven and community-oriented.
Please enjoy our presentation and videos of completed Rising Youth projects:
If the above work is inspiring enough to support YLSBC’s endeavours, any donations will be most welcome.