Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
Small neighbourhoods in Oliver are missing out on grants they can use to bring people and their ideas together.
That was evident recently during Kim English’s presentation to council on the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan/Similkameen.
The coordinator outlined a program that gives neighbourhoods $500 in grant money to plan block parties, beautification days, birdhouse building or meet and greets. The money can be used for food, rentals, door prizes, decorations and even liability insurance.
The deadline for online applications is March 29. Visit www.cfso.net/neighbourhood-small-grants/
“I really need the help of the mayor, council staff and residents to promote this,” English said.
She said communities are growing with families coming and going, so a party is a great way to get to know everyone. It also addresses the factors of loneliness and belonging, she pointed out.
“We just don’t know what kind of assets our neighbours might have if we don’t communicate with them.”
In terms of floods, fires and rock slides in our community, people are always looking elsewhere for solutions and for people to help out.
“But we can really manage a lot of our problems with our neighbours,” English said.
And with that comes a sense of ownership and pride, she added.
She noted the foundation awarded 77 neighbourhood grants over three years. Last year they awarded grants for 30 projects, one of which was in Oliver (a beautification project), while six were carried out in Osoyoos. One neighbourhood had problems with break-ins so the residents got together to talk about it and ended up creating a Facebook page. Another group planned a gathering with local paramedics to learn how to use an automated external defibrillator (used for heart attacks).
English said a neighbourhood in Summerland came together to address a rat problem by organizing a rat-catching party.
English will never forget a fellow in Olalla who expressed concern about an interface fire hazard in his back alley. She told him this would be a great neighbourhood grant project, but he needed to ask his neighbours to help him apply for it. But the man explained that people don’t really like him very much.
A month later he showed English his back alley and it was all cleaned up. Apparently he went to Penticton one day for a medical appointment and came back to find that his neighbours cleaned up the alley.
“He was so happy and so thrilled; it showed that people care about him.”
English said the first community foundation was established in Winnipeg more than 100 years ago. Today, the foundation with the largest endowment fund in Canada is the Vancouver group with $1.5 billion. They give $45 million to charities every year, English pointed out.
She said the South Okanagan-Similkameen group has been in service for 27 years, growing its endowment to nearly $14 million. In total, they’ve given more than $4 million in grants, she stated.
“We inspire people to give locally; our motto is ‘give where you live’”
English said the foundation hosts various events and workshops throughout the year.
Locally, the foundation has granted Oliver charities more than $50,000 since 2013. Some include Okanagan Gleaners, the heritage society, search and rescue group, the owl rehabilitation centre, Desert Valley Hospice and Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary School.
English said as people get to know more about the foundation, they have specific dreams they want to accomplish with their donations.
She noted the Oliver community fund disbursed just over $800 in 2019, which she acknowledged is not meeting the needs of the community. She pointed out the fund, established in 1994, has grown very slowly over the years. So her goal is to raise the fund’s profile.
English said local schools apply for funds every year for their breakfast, lunch and after-school programs, but the foundation can’t support all of these requests.
She noted that one anonymous donor stepped up with $30,000 as a matching challenge for local communities. So she’s hoping to see Oliver’ fund grow significantly this year.
English said people like the idea of their donations staying local. “They want to give back, they want to see their dreams of their children continue and flourish.”
