Outreach Opportunities Fund

The Outreach Opportunities Fund Committee selects outside organizations to receive a portion of the Sunday offering.

Outreach Opportunities Fund (OOF)

Statement of Purpose:

To distribute 25% of funds collected during the Sunday service to community charities, both those that are independent of the church and those that have some connection to the work of church committees. Priority is given to organizations undertaking social justice, refugee support and settlement and environmental sustainability work with a focus on vulnerable or other marginalized communities. Preference for funding is given to groups working primarily in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.

Members:

Rev. Lara Cowtan, Carolyn Grant, Elizabeth Geller and Bruce McIvor

Currently Collecting for:

Our OOF recipient (July 2021-September 2021), is the Indian Residential School Survivors Society. Paul Plater, the Director of the Society describes the work as follows:

For about twenty-five years, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society has been quietly operating and doing the necessary work for the cultural, spiritual and physical well-being of not just former student of residential school, but to the multitude of those adversely impacted intergenerationally. We have been transitioning slowly and growing the services we offer and have several new and existing programs, such as:

Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Missing Murdered Indigenous Men and Boys
Indian Day School Survivors
Indian Day Scholars
60’s scoop survivors
and many others, for more details please see the webpage here

Sacred Fire Exercise Video: https://youtu.be/SWtoUo2zbrM

Future Plans

Three organisations will be selected to receive funds from OOF during the next year. In the past, the committee has chosen the recipients but we now ask members of the congregation to nominate local charities for consideration by the committee.

To nominate an organisation please click on this link: OOF Nomination form or take a paper form from the bulletin board at the main entrance to Hewett Hall and leave it in the OOF mailbox in the UCV office or email it to Melody Mason.

OOF Nomination Form

Current Year

2021

The Treehouse $3000

Mood Disorders Association of BC $2500

Indian Residential School Survivors Society (currently collecting)

Previous Recipients

Here are some of the organizations we have supported in the past.

2011

Kinbrace

Elizabeth Fry Society $2500

2012

ACORN $2500
BC Coalition of People with Disabilities now the Disability Alliance $2500
Elizabeth Fry Society $1000
Rhizome Movement Building Centre $1500
VAST $1500