Habitat for Humanity Victoria has raised more than $95,000 for its $200,000 in 100 Days fundraising campaign, with a good chance of reaching its goal before the Sept. 30 deadline.
The charity builds affordable, entry-level homes for qualifying families throughout the region.
The proceeds from the campaign will go toward construction costs for the group’s current builds.
This year’s build projects are the most ambitious undertaken by the organization, with 11 new, affordable homes — 10 townhome units, located at Bakerview Place and Lochside Drive in North Saanich, and a single home in Central Saanich.
The Bakerview project represents the most significant land donation in Habitat for Humanity Victoria’s history. It features a combination of duplexes and triplexes built to Built Green standards. Units will be approximately 1,200 square feet in size, and two are designed to be wheelchair-friendly.
Eligible families are expected to contribute 500 hours of volunteer service to purchase their homes at fair market value, and must qualify for a conventional mortgage for approximately a quarter of the value of the home. Habitat for Humanity holds an interest-free second mortgage on the rest. Mortgage payments are set at between 25 to 30 percent of a family’s gross household income. Families are expected to place a down payment if possible, but the requirement can be waived due to available finances.
For more information or to donate, go to habitatvictoria.com.
Unbuilders among 11 recipients of $280,000 in grants
The Victoria Foundation will be allocating $280,000 in grants to local community organizations.
Eleven local organizations will be better positioned to help solve pressing social, cultural and environmental challenges after receiving the grants, from the federal government’s Investment Readiness Program.
“We are proud to be a part of this program and to help our community tackle some of its biggest challenges as we move into pandemic recovery,” said Sandra Richardson, CEO of the Victoria Foundation. “The successful recipients of these funds are shining examples of organizations moving forward toward investment readiness and building capacity for the sector.”
All the funding requests focused on making improvements to local issues of concern, including affordable and supportive housing, natural habitat protection, Indigenous entrepreneurship, waste reduction and recycling.
Unbuilders, one of the grant recipients, will use the money to expand its service, scaling up its business of deconstructing and salvaging heritage lumber that is otherwise taken to the landfill.
“Unbuilders are thrilled to be expanding our service to Vancouver Island, the epicentre of the B.C. logging industry and the old growth lumber we recover,” said founder Adam Corneil. “We want to ensure building owners on the Island a better way to remove an old building and divert that waste. It’s not waste, it’s just wasted. We don’t destroy an old building, we unbuild it.”
Applications for the next round of funding for the program will be accepted between Sept. 8 and Oct. 9. A full list of the 11 funded organizations can be found on the Victoria Foundation website at victoriafoundation.bc.ca/investment-readiness-program. For more information regarding eligibility, go to irp-ppi.ca/en.
Young to set sail on learning journeys with Ocean Bridge
Groups of young adults will set to sail in the Strait of Georgia to learn about local wildlife and gain Indigenous and marine knowledge as part of Ocean Wise’s Ocean Bridge initiative.
Groups of up to eight young participants between the ages of 18 and 30 will embark on 10-day, physically distanced learning journeys in Howe Sound, the Gulf Islands and the Salish Sea.
The local group are among 160 youth from across the country. Referred to as as Ocean Bridge Ambassadors, they form four national cohorts — Pacific, Great Lakes, St. Lawrence and Atlantic. They learn from experts in marine conservation and education through an online platform and in-person learning journeys to develop service projects related to ocean health and ocean literacy in communities across the country.
Locally the group will be immersed in cultural teachings from the Squamish Nations, learning traditional fishing practices, cedar weaving and ethnobotany alongside stewardship projects including iNaturalist biodiversity surveys, shoreline cleanups, and trail maintenance.
Participants will spend three nights sailing through a proposed marine conservation area in Southern Gulf Islands on board Providence, a tall ship launched in 1904.
Ocean Bridge is an Ocean Wise initiative funded by the Canada Service Corps through the Government of Canada.
For more information, go to bridge.ocean.org.
Tops in mac and cheese help the Island’s vulnerable
The search is on for the best macaroni and cheese dish as Our Place turns a postponed fundraiser into a fun culinary contest, now until Sept. 8 at participating local restaurants.
The COVID-9 pandemic forced the cancellation of Hungry Hearts, the charity’s foodie fundraiser, but organizers have come up with a cheesy replacement.
“Hungry Hearts has always been about great food,” said Julian Daly, Our Place’s new chief executive officer. “And we love the idea of partnering with our region’s amazing chefs to allow even more people to join in the fun with a unique culinary contest.”
From Aug. 8 to Sept. 8, participating restaurants will add a specialty mac and cheesedish to their menu. Patrons can sample the creations and vote for their top picks.
“The hotel and restaurant industry has been so supportive of the work we do, and they’ve been hit hard by this health crisis, too,” Daly said. “This contest will allow us to give back to them, while also raising much-needed funds to support our most vulnerable citizens.”
The top macs will be announced during a virtual gala on Sept. 12. It will be live-streamed on Facebook with performances by Darcy Phillips, Jann Arden’s touring keyboardist; a culinary demonstration from last year’s Hungry Hearts champion, Nicolas Hipperson, executive chef of the Union Club; auctions and a question-and-answer session with Daly.
Money raised will go toward helping the Island’s most vulnerable residents — boosting health and wellness initiatives, including funding for outreach paramedics, medical supplies and extended hours for Our Place.
To learn more or cast your vote, go to ourplacesociety.com/get-involved/hungry-hearts-2020.
