Welcome to the fall season at SOS Children’s Village BC! I am here to update you on some of the recent activities at SOS BC. There’s a real buzz this season and we want to be sure you are a part of it!

The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation was Friday September 30th. Our organization participated in the day through a number of activities and events within the local community. During the week leading up to the day, the kids contributed to the Village mural they designed with artist James Harry of Squamish Nation and Lauren Brevner, local Vancouver artist. Next year, after we reveal the mural to our supporters, we hope to make our own orange shirts with the mural design!

Lytton Community Visit

On Truth and Reconciliation day, I visited Lytton to observe the impact of the tragic and devastating wildfires that took place over the last two years, and to start a new chapter for our organization. We are pleased to let you know that our new outreach program SOS BC Pacifica – in partnership with Vancouver Outdoor School and the Lytton Community – is almost a go! We will be providing much-needed services and programming to over 100 kids within the community to help engage and support youth, children, and families. So look out for the official launch of the program in January 2023.

Education News

Shaniah Hillis, our new teacher, has been busy with the Village supporting education needs and activities to help keep our kids on track with their academic goals and achievements. She has been an incredible support to the team. Here’s the link to her bio. We celebrate Shaniah in the position as our first Indigenous teacher running educational support activities for our kids!

She made a quick transition into our team as she supported the Village kids when they got back from Feather 21 day camp (out on the land with Fireside Adventures), so they were ready and prepped for school!

Some of our donors and supporters provided funds to hold a back-to-school celebration BBQ! The kids and youth were all fitted with new backpacks and school supplies donated from our community. Indeed, the backpack campaign was a huge success!

Fall Campaign

We just sent out our fall campaign to our donors! This year, for the fall season and on the theme of back to school and academics, we are reaching out to our community to see if they can donate to help us raise funds for a bigger van, so that we can continue to support our kids and youth with transportation and activities. Look out for the email in your inbox and for posts on our social media! Our winter campaign is also quickly approaching.

That’s it for now for recent activities at SOS BC. Lastly, thank you for supporting our organization and the work we do to support kids in our own backyard. I am looking forward to the coming months with it being the biggest time of the year for our fundraising activities. We are also bracing ourselves and preparing program side because we know that this season will be tough on vulnerable children, youth, and families. Certainly, we want to be there to provide food security, safe housing, and support. Beyond this, we want to continue our commitment to being there for kids!

By Kistie Singh, Executive Director
Edited by William Brennan