A fundraising initiative that sees 50 women come together for a united cause, has a goal to raise $1.5 million for Sunshine Coast Community Services Society (SCCSS).
Popular blogger/writer Rebecca Bollwitt is doing her part by designing and selling a collection of Coast-inspired T-shirts, mugs and tote bags in collaboration with artist Rob Zylstra and Make Vancouver, with 25 per cent of proceeds going towards the project.
The society, which is celebrating 50 years of delivering critical community services, says it has secured 90 per cent of the estimated $34 million needed for the 35-unit affordable housing project for women and children experiencing violence or who are vulnerable to experiencing violence.
A community hub in downtown Sechelt is also part of the project, which was originally estimated to cost $23 million a few years ago. SCCSS’s longstanding focus on food sustainability and emergency support for those experiencing trauma, particularly women and children, will be enhanced by this critical investment into housing and support services. The project is currently set to break ground in the fall.
According to the society, 59 per cent of the children residing with a single parent on the Coast are living below the poverty line. As well, significantly more children per capita live in low-income households on the Sunshine Coast than in B.C. overall.
With the 50 Women for SCCSS campaign, 50 community members are endeavouring to raise $1.5 million to help close the project’s $3.4 million funding gap. The group includes realtors, business owners, artists, philanthropists, long-time residents and other community members. The campaign is set to run to November.
At a luncheon held this spring at the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden, some of the women involved explained why they are participating in the campaign, and the stories ranged from wishing to give back to community, to being mothers, to being survivors of domestic violence, to memories of relatives murdered by partners, to wishing to uplift women, to decades of involvement with SCCSS. Several of the women have been involved with the organization, which has services that run the gamut from transition housing, to food security to counselling, for decades.
SCCSS executive director Catherine Leach says the society is committed to making health, well-being, and economic security accessible to everyone on the Coast.
“This development brings us one step closer to achieving that goal by offering pathways out of homelessness for woman and children and providing a safe and inclusive space to access support and prevention services,” Leach said in a news release.
Visit the 50 Women for Success website for more information on how to get involved with the campaign or to donate.
With files from Bronwyn Beairsto.
