This year we had the opportunity to participate in the Vital Youth Program, hosted annually by the Victoria Foundation and this is our story.
It all began at the beginning of the year. Mr. Daly, our Grade Meeting Organizer, invited the students who were involved in this program last year, Chelsea Lee and Deristhi Govender, to introduce an opportunity to a group of keen Grade 10 students, interested in making a difference.
After the Grade Meeting, a group of grade 10s consisting of Sophie DeLauniere, Dominic Ely, Gautam Jay, Samantha Hann, Fung-Ei Chew, and us two (Ethan and Caitlyn), came together and expressed our interest and curiosity in the Vital Youth Program. Each one of us was instantly hooked on the chance to make a tangible impact to our community, with the Victoria Foundation providing $3,000 for us to allocate to a charitable organization of our choice.
At first, the task of allocating such a large sum was daunting. The Victoria Foundation’s Vital Sign Magazine Report served as a foundation for our research. This report introduced the many pressing issues affecting our community such as homelessness, housing affordability, and hunger.
Narrowing down such a dense list of issues was difficult, but after many meetings, we finally landed on housing and youth and children. Youth housing in Victoria, faces significant challenges, with many young people experiencing homelessness or precarious living situations due to high rental costs and a shortage of affordable housing options.
The next step was to find charities on the lower Island that align and whose mission is to help with those issues. Initially, we found seven great organizations and, after many group presentations and a rigorous voting process, we decided that our values aligned most strongly with the Victoria Cool Aid Society.
Cool Aid Society has been providing housing and emergency shelters for those impacted by poverty, colonization and stigma of any kind. They help people, particularly youth, who are struggling to find housing and provide healthcare for those experiencing homelessness.
After receiving a $3000 cheque, Cool Aid Society sent a video to us outlining how grateful they were for our decision and the profound impact our donation would have on their organization and the broader community as a whole.
“I am incredibly proud of our group for participating in the Vital Youth program this year," said Reagan Daly, Vital Youth Sponsor Teacher. "This has been a particularly special group, with each student showing an amazing level of dedication. Every member should be proud of the positive impact they have made”."
We would like to give a special thank you to Mr. Daly, Ms. Gardiner, as well as the Victoria Foundation team for making this entire experience possible. We can summarize what we learned from this experience in the single famous quote by Margaret Mead: 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.'
Vital Youth has been an amazing opportunity, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this opportunity to next year’s Grade 10 students!
About the Victoria Youth Program: Each year, dozens of students in school leadership classes, youth advisory committees, clubs and more participate in the Vital Youth Program. Centered on engaging local youth in the world of philanthropy, the Victoria Foundation partners with local schools to deliver the program. Established in 2003, the Victoria Foundation celebrated the 20th year of this program.
