Non-profit organizations – and the people who support them – help make life better for everyone.
For the past 20 years, the Record has presented the Guide to Giving as a way of letting readers know about some of the non-profit organizations in town that are helping to improve the lives of children, seniors, people in need, animals and others.
We continue the giving tradition in today’s paper.
Here are some of the organizations operating in New West that could use a helping hand at Christmas and throughout the year to continue their good works.
Arts Council of New Westminster
What it does: The Arts Council of New Westminster is the collective voice of artists in New Westminster. It believes the arts are an imperative component in community building and facilitating cross cultural understanding. The arts council offers a wide variety of barrier-free access to arts activities, and advocates for the arts in an effort to fulfill its mission of bringing the community together through the arts.
Christmas wishlist: The ACNW is accepting cash donations for a facility-improvement fund in order to renew The Gallery in Queen’s Park as a cultural asset. A registered charity, the arts council will issue tax receipts for donations over $20.
Contact: Stephen Carl O’Shea, 604-525-3244, [email protected] or www.acnw.ca
Blind Beginnings
What it does: Founded in 2008, Blind Beginnings is a New Westminster-based, charitable organization serving B.C. children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their families. Play groups, clubs, workshops, and leadership programs for blind children from birth to 19 years of age, support groups, workshops for parents, family community discovery outings and family summer adventure camps are just some of its offerings.
Christmas wish list: Blind Beginnings’ Christmas wish is for new businesses and individuals to supports its vision of a world where seeing things differently inspires limitless possibilities. It needs volunteers, donations, sponsorships and participation in fundraising events, including its annual gala which is scheduled for April 8, 2017.
Contact: Shawn Marsolais at 604-434-7243 or [email protected]. For more information go to www.blindbeginnings.ca.
Camp Kerry Society
What it does: The society provides grief and loss support and counselling services. It offers family, adult and youth bereavement retreats, grief counselling and grief support groups for people of all ages.
The Sapperton-based charity operates a charity thrift store, Kerry’s Thrift Boutique, at 480 East Columbia St.
Christmas wish list: Year-round needs include high-quality art supplies, stuffed animals, snacks and refreshments for its ongoing programs.
Every holiday season, it hands out warm clothing, socks, Christmas goodies and new toys to children, families and individuals in need (donations can be dropped off at the boutique Tuesday through Sunday.) The society also needs volunteers in the area of marketing, advertising, graphic design, fundraising, special event planning and retail support.
Contact: Office – 604-553-4663; Dr. Heather Mohan, executive director, at [email protected]; Leah Hamer, director of administration, at [email protected].
Food Bank
What it does: The Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society’s mission is to create empowering environments that provide and promote access to healthy food, education and training. It provides assistance to more than 26,500 people in New Westminster, Burnaby, Vancouver and North Vancouver each week and distributes 4.1 million pounds of food each year. Twenty per cent of its members are children and 19 per cent are seniors.
Christmas wish list: The Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society appreciates donations of food, fund and time. For every dollar donated, it’s able to buy at least $3 worth of food. If you’d prefer to donate food, the food bank appreciates high-protein, whole grain, lower sodium (salt), lower sugar items such as: canned fish or meats; canned beans, kidney beans, black beans and chickpeas; 100 per cent nut butters; pasta and rice; canned vegetables; pasta sauces; canned fruit, packed in its own juice or water; whole grain breakfast cereals; and hearty soups, stews and chili.
Contact: Greater Vancouver Food Bank, 1150 Raymur Ave., Vancouver, BC V6A 3T2 or 604-876-3601 or www.foodbank.bc.ca.
Honour House
What it does: Provides a free-of-charge, temporary home, in New Westminster, for members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans and emergency services personnel and their families as they travel to receive medical care and treatment in the Metro Vancouver area.
Christmas wish list: Gardening tools; maintenance tools; cleaning products; kitchen supplies; bathroom supplies; new pillows; video games; games consoles; LED soft-light lightbulbs; office supplies; financial donations; and volunteers.
Contact: Craig Longstaff, general manager, at 778-397-4399. Donations can be mailed to Honour House Society, 509 St. George St., New Westminster, B.C., V3L 1L1. More info at www.honourhouse.ca.
KidSport New Westminster
What it does: KidSport New West is part of a national organization that reduces financial barriers facing families by providing funding for registration fees for organized sports. Fees are climbing higher each year, but KidSport believes in the positive benefits the gift of sport can provide local kids.
Christmas wish list: Cash donations.
Contact: You can donate directly to New Westminster kids through www.KidSport.ca. For info on the New West chapter, a volunteer-run committee, email [email protected].
Lookout Emergency Aid Society
What it does: Lookout provides a continuum of low-barrier housing for homeless and under-housed individuals from the North Shore to Abbotsford, including a number of services in New West. Its services include outreach workers out on the street, drop-in centres for food and connection to services, homeless shelters, transition housing and supportive housing.
Christmas wish list: At Christmas, Lookout gives out about 1,500 gifts to clients in its various housing programs. It welcomes new clothing items, such as medium-sized jackets and sweaters, new socks and underwear and gently-used pants in sizes 30 to 34. Year-round, Lookout appreciates donations such as: cold and wet weather items (coats, blankets, socks, scarves etc.); toiletries, such as toothbrushes and travel-sized toiletries; items for the shelter, such as men’s sweat pants and gently used clothing for men and women; work-related items such as work boots, jeans, heavy-duty gloves and bus tickets; and items to help folks get set up in a new home, such as bedding, cleaning supplies and bath and kitchen items.
Contact: [email protected] or visit www.lookoutsociety.ca.
Lower Mainland Purpose Society for Youth and Families
What it does: A non-profit agency incorporated under the Society Act in 1983, Purpose provides a variety of social, health and educational programs to about 2,000 children, youth and families each year, including an independent high school, family and youth services, a number of licensed child-care facilities and HIV/HepC programs. For the past 25 years, the society has offered a hamper program for individuals and families involved in its programs – including about 100 this year. It also provides gift bags for people in its HIV/HepC programs.
Christmas wish list: Cash, non-perishable food (particularly things that can be eaten right away and require no cooking), gift cards to grocery stores, personal hygiene products, chocolates, men’s gloves, toques, mittens, socks, scarves and underwear are appreciated.
Contact: 604-526-2522 or [email protected].
Massey Theatre
What it does: About 100,000 people attend more than 200 performances and events at Massey Theatre annually. The theatre also contributes to many programs and services that assist in the sustainability of local organizations and community activities.
Christmas wish list: Donations are welcome for the society’s campaign to Build the Massey into the Theatre of the Future campaign. People can also support the theatre by purchasing gift certificates to future Massey Theatre events.
Contact: Jessica Schneider at 604-517-5900 or visit www.masseytheatre.com. Online donations can be made at tinyurl.com/Massey. Donations and tax receipts will be issued.
Monarch Place
What it does: Women In Need Gaining Strength – WINGS – offers Monarch Place, an emergency first-stage shelter for women and children, Chrysalis Place second-stage house, outreach support services and other community programs.
Christmas wish list: Monarch Place welcomes gift items for women, children and teenagers, including toys, gift cards and chocolates or Christmas candy. Year round, Monarch Place needs items such as diapers, towels and face cloths, dish towels and dish cloths, pantry goods, coffee, office supplies, deodorant, makeup, nail polish, tampons and umbrellas.
Contact: 604-521-1888 or visit www.monarchplace.org.
New Westminster Family Place
What it does: Family Place aims to support parents and kids five and under through parent education programs, support groups, volunteer programs and free drop-ins (including playtime, crafts and snack time) for children and their parents. It offers drop-in programs Monday to Friday at its main location at 93 Sixth St., a drop-in at Lord Kelvin Elementary School on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. (while school is in session) and at the Hospitality Project on food bank days.
Christmas wish list: Apple juice, toilet paper and volunteers for the playroom.
Contact: 604-520-3666.
New Westminster Firefighters’ Charitable Society
What it does: The society’s members work to improve life in New Westminster by raising awareness and/or funds for various groups in the community through fundraisers such as a charity hockey game and the Christmas tree chipping. Firefighters volunteer to help those in need in a variety of ways, including this year’s tree chipping, which is taking place on Saturday, Jan. 7 and Sunday, Jan. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Canada Games Pool parking lot.
Christmas wish list: The New Westminster Firefighters’ Charitable Society is collecting new, unwrapped toys, non-perishable food items and donations that will be distributed within New Westminster.
Contact: Glenbrook Fire Hall at 1 East Sixth Ave., 604-519-1000 or [email protected].
Queen’s Park Healthcare Foundation
What it does: Established in 1983, the Queen’s Park Healthcare Foundation raises funds for Queen’s Park Care Centre and William Rudd House, which aim to provide residents and patients with excellence in health care and to offer supportive care within a living environment for people who are unable to reside in the community.
Christmas wish list: Adults socks and gardening gloves (used by people who are learning to use a wheelchair) – these items must be new because of health regulations. The foundation also welcomes donations of portable air conditioners (new or gently used), white boards (any size) and a new or gently used microwave oven (it can’t be more than 15 inches tall, 22 inches wide and 15 inches deep.)
Contact: Donations can be dropped off at the foundation office, 315 McBride Blvd. Call 604-517-8661, email [email protected] or visit www.qphf.org for more information.
Royal City Humane Society:
What it does: The Royal City Humane Society is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization that operates a shelter where volunteers provide care for injured, stray and abandoned cats; other animals are housed in foster homes. All animals are tested for disease, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and tattooed or microchipped. The society provides feeding stations at various locations for feral cats as part of a trap/neuter/release program, promotes public awareness of animal welfare problems designed to further and ensure the fair and proper treatment of animals and provides financial assistance to low-income pet owners for veterinary and other costs, when funds are available.
Christmas wish list: The society asks all cat lovers to ensure their pets are spayed/neutered and contact the group if they need financial assistance with this cost. Other items on the wish list include: cat food and treats; bleach; eco-friendly laundry soap (not tested on animals); eco-friendly dish soap (not tested on animals); paper towels; AA batteries; computer paper; postage stamps.
Contact: Gail Beau, president, at [email protected]. You can reach the humane society at 604-524-6447 or rchs-inquir
[email protected], find more information at rchs.bc.ca or on Facebook. Donations can be mailed to Royal City Humane Society at PO Box 47243, Royal City PO, New Westminster, B.C. V3L 0A5.
St. Barnabas Church
What it does: Provides a variety of outreach programs including a community lunch and an emergency food cupboard. St. Barnabas also holds community events such as its annual Christmas Day dinner and its annual Posada, which includes a candlelit parade around the neighbourhood, a Mexican meal and piñatas for the kids.
Christmas wish list: St. Barnabas welcomes donations such as socks, underwear and goodies for men, ladies and children, toiletries and toys for kids – items that can be stuffed into the small gift bags that will be handed out at the church’s Christmas Day dinner, which expects a crowd of 70 men, 40 to 50 women and 30 to 40 kids. Year-round, St. Barnabas welcomes donations of cash or non-perishable food items for its emergency food cupboard on Fridays and its community meal on Thursdays. Having developed some leaks in the roof of the church hall, St. Barnabas is also in need of a roofer to help patch the roof.
Contact: Call the church office at 604-526-6646 or drop by 1010 Fifth Ave., Tuesday to Friday between 10 a.m. and noon.
Senior Peer Counselling
What it does: Senior Peer Counselling (Century House Association) provides free emotional supports to seniors who are experiencing difficulties, such as grief, isolation, loneliness, etc.
Christmas wish list: The group consists of trained volunteers and relies on donations to fund its program.
Contact: Donations can be made to the Century House Association, specifying ‘donation for Senior Peer Counselling’ and mailed to 620 Eighth St., New Westminster, B.C., V3M 3S6. Credit card donations can be made through the Canada Helps website (www.canadahelps.org) and enter Senior Peer Counselling in the comments space. Official tax receipts are issued.
Seniors Services Society
What it does: The New Westminster-based society provides local and provincial programs and services to support vulnerable older adults and to help them live as independently as possible. Its programs include Meals on Wheels, grocery shopping, support calls, dining clubs, outings and medical transportation.
Christmas wish list: Financial donations help support the society’s various programs. Volunteers are also needed for services such as the shop by phone and medical transport driver programs. The society supports seniors, including those who move into suites after being homeless or in temporary housing, so donations of small household items (such as toasters and coffee makers), toiletries and gift cards are appreciated year-round.
Contact: Seniors Services Society at 604-520-6621.
Union Gospel Mission
What it does: The Union Gospel Mission in New Westminster offers a full breakfast from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., followed by soup and other food from 11 a.m. to noon. Along with meals, the UGM offers resources and referrals to help move people toward life skills, recovery meetings, counselling and other programs.
Christmas wish list: With the cold weather upon us, the mission welcomes donations of winter clothing such as coats, toques, scarves, gloves and socks for men and women. Year round, the UGM appreciates cash donations and donations of toiletries for men and women (shampoo, conditioners, deodorant and razors) and non-perishables for its emergency food hampers. Volunteers are always welcome.
Contact: 604-525-8989 or 658 Clarkson St.
