VANCOUVER CANADA HOG® CHAPTER SPREADS THE LOVE!
At the last monthly meeting of 2019, Vancouver HOG® Chapter members voted to donate $1,500 to two charities from chapter fundraising efforts in 2019.
Once the holiday festivities came to a close, Vancouver HOG® Road Captain & Historian, Doug Miller & I met with representatives of the two chosen charities, Covenant House and KidSafe.
Our first stop was to Covenant House’s newly-opened, custom-designed building at 1302 Seymour Street where Mark Savard, Development Officer for Community Giving, graciously gave us a tour of their new facilities and thanked our members for their generous contribution!
Covenant House was established in 1997 and assists homeless and at-risk youth living on the streets of Vancouver. Some of the services provided are shelter and crisis care, outreach and community support services, and skills training that helps young people become productive and independent. This new building is part their capital expansion project and is the new home to their female-identified Crisis Program. A male-identified residential space is located on Pender Street. To donate, volunteer, or find out more about Covenant House, visit www.covenanthousebc.org.
Next stop was The KidSafe Project Society, located on 201-211 E Georgia St. in Vancouver’s Chinatown, where Doug and I met with Janelle Zwarych, Manager of Donor Engagement. Janelle recognized Vancouver HOG® Chapter’s ongoing support for the KidSafe program and warmly remembered Ralph McKnight for his tireless devotion to the program. Ralph, a long-time Vancouver HOG® member, passed away in 2018.
Janelle thanked our members for their kindness and generosity, and informed us that since Ralph's passing, $11,817 has been donated to KidSafe in his name, thanks in part to the Vancouver Harley Owner's Group!
The KidSafe Project Society keeps schools open during winter, spring and summer breaks, providing a nurturing safe haven for nearly 400 inner-city elementary students in Vancouver. KidSafe children benefit from healthy meals, learning programs (literacy, science, gardening), leadership development and recreational opportunities in their own schools, without charge to the families. Children who participate in KidSafe are referred by their principals, teachers, and social workers. To donate, volunteer, or find out more about KidSafe, visit www.kidsafe.ca/get-involved.
Vancouver HOG® Chapter #9022