The First West Foundation to Give Over $325,000 in Community Grants in 2012
25 charities in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Kitimat, and Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys benefit from the annual grant program
(firmenpresse) - LANGLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 05/03/12 -- The First West Foundation, the private, charitable arm of First West Credit Union, today announced that it will donate over $325,000 in 2012 to charitable organizations in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Kitimat, and the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys.
The First West Foundation helps improve the quality of life for British Columbians in the communities served by First West Credit Union and its regional divisions-Envision Financial and Valley First-proudly contributing more than $2 million to charities over the last sixteen years. Endowments held by the Foundation include the:
Envision Financial Community Endowment-improving lives in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Kitimat
In 2012, grants in the Envision region from the Envision Financial Community Endowment will be used to support numerous causes in the area of "children, families and youth at risk" such as development of social and recreational programs for youth. Additionally, recognizing the opportunity to strengthen the amazing work being done in the social services sector, grants will be provided to support organizational development initiatives such as leadership training and workshops to help improve the skills and abilities of staff or volunteers.
"We are so thankful for the funding we received from the Envision Financial Community Endowment this past year," says Gerry Dyble, executive director of The Hope & Area Transition Society and recipient of a 2011 grant. "Their support has enabled us to deliver our Violence Prevention program to all school-aged children in the Fraser-Cascade School District and help us in our quest to instill a sense of social responsibility, tolerance and respect for others to children and youth in our community."
Valley First Community Endowment-improving lives in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys
This year in the Valley First region the Valley First Community Endowment will provide grants to organizations that run food-related programs for at-risk children, youth, seniors and families in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys. These grants complement the work being done through Valley First's signature cause: Feed the Valley, a unique community partnership focused on tackling hunger in the region.
"We were thrilled to receive this funding," says Gay Jewitt, executive director of the Whitevalley Community Resource Centre and recipient of a grant in 2011. "This money has allowed us to expand and enhance some of our programs. This simply wouldn't have been possible without the Valley First Endowment grant. Some of our seniors were attending programs and then just leaving straight afterwards. With the addition of food and the creation of our breakfast program, we are seeing more people staying, socializing and making connections with others in the community."
According to Hunger Count, a 2011 report by Food Banks Canada, food banks assisted more than 90,000 individuals in B.C. last year with children under the age of 18 representing 31.8% of food bank clients.
Building a lasting legacy
"The First West Foundation strives to support life-changing projects in the communities where our members and employees live and work," said Seline Kutan, executive director of the First West Foundation. "Our ability to help our communities over the last 16 years has been a tremendous source of pride for the First West team and we will continue to build on this legacy of giving."
For information on applying for funding, visit .
About The First West Foundation
The First West Foundation cares about the well-being of the communities served by Envision Financial and Valley First. The Foundation uses income generated from its endowments to help improve the quality of life for British Columbians in these communities. Since its inception in 1996, the First West Foundation has donated over $2 million in grants to local community groups and projects. The Foundation grows its endowments through charitable gifts and bequests. For more information, visit .
About First West Credit Union
First West Credit Union offers members the financial strength, comprehensive product selection and extended branch network of a large financial institution while maintaining local brand identities and a unique grassroots approach to service. Led by Launi Skinner, First West is British Columbia's third-largest credit union with $6.6 billion in assets under administration, more than 169,000 members and close to 1,400 employees. It operates 37 branches throughout the province under the Envision Financial and Valley First brands. For more information on First West Credit Union, visit firstwestcu.ca.
Follow us on twitter: (at)firstwestcu
Contacts:
First West Credit Union
Cheryl Shaw
Media Contact
604.539.7360
Themen in dieser Pressemitteilung:
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 03.05.2012 - 14:00 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 142422
Anzahl Zeichen: 0
contact information:
Town:
LANGLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Kategorie:
Retail Banking
Diese Pressemitteilung wurde bisher 248 mal aufgerufen.
Die Pressemitteilung mit dem Titel:
"The First West Foundation to Give Over $325,000 in Community Grants in 2012"
steht unter der journalistisch-redaktionellen Verantwortung von
First West Credit Union (Nachricht senden)
Beachten Sie bitte die weiteren Informationen zum Haftungsauschluß (gemäß TMG - TeleMedianGesetz) und dem Datenschutz (gemäß der DSGVO).
