The Rotary Club of Tsawwassen has made another round of community grants totalling $29,000 which is their largest financial contribution to the local community to date.
With a focus on youth and seniors, the Club’s efforts are supporting a range of causes from food insecurity, positive outcomes for youth and health and wellness for older adults.
Club president Joan Hansen emphasized the thoughtful approach behind their grants.
“Our club consulted extensively with stakeholders and service providers to pinpoint where the needs are most acute,” said Hansen. “Our goal was to ensure that our efforts and resources make a meaningful impact. Thanks to our dedicated fundraising team, generous donors, and supportive community, we are delighted to be able to make substantial contributions again this year.”
A grant in the amount of $5,000 has been awarded to the Starfish Pack program run by South Delta Baptist Church. Currently, Starfish Pack is providing weekend meals to 55 students at nine local schools, combating food insecurity among children - a cause already supported by Rotarians who volunteer their time for distribution.
Recognizing the rising costs of higher education, the Club doubled its scholarship offerings from two to four, totaling $8,000, benefiting four hardworking Grade 12 students pursuing post-secondary studies.
Additionally, the Club allocated $2,000 to KinVillage Community Centre for the development of a Seniors’ Resource Centre and, to the “It Takes a Village” capital campaign a further $5,000 for inclusive and accessible audio-visual equipment to be used in the Day Program for Older Adults. These efforts complement the Club’s ongoing commitment of $20,000 annually over a decade towards constructing the Day Program space.
Acknowledging the invaluable service provided by Eldercollege to seniors through lifelong learning, the Club contributed $2,000 towards reducing membership fees and another $2,000 to support transportation costs for their field trips.
Finally, Heron Hospice Society of Delta is growing quickly to meet the community’s needs for grief and bereavement support at the Harold and Veronica Savage Centre for Supportive Care and they have recently extended their support to KinVillage in Tsawwassen and at Kennedy Seniors Centre in North Delta. Heron Hospice has added programming including restorative yoga and art therapy and will be receiving a grant of $5,000 for supplies and equipment to meet the growing demand for their services in Delta.
“We take pride in our ability to target local needs and to provide a responsive grant process for our community service partners who are improving the quality of life for people in our community,” added Hansen.
