My Time at Coastal Community My names is Aleah Zado and I'm the Assistant Manager Lending and Member Services at the Relationship Centre. I have been with Coastal Community for 10 years. Please tell us about the organization you volunteer with and what you do and why this organization is important to you. I volunteer for the Vancouver Island Exhibition Association. I am Treasurer and Director of Finance. This organization is important to me because of the work they do on educating the community on the importance of agriculture while also creating an annual event that provides a fun event for all ages where the community can congregate and connect. Why is volunteering important to you? Volunteering is important to me for many reasons, the most important being that helping others and contributing to the community i grew up in gives me a great sense of accomplishment. An added bonus is that it has allowed me to meet new people and grow my network. Which organization are you directing your winning funds to and why? Nanaimo Child Development Centre

Seeking Board Members – Be the Change! Are you passionate about reproductive justice and making real, tangible change? Birthing Families Foundation (BFF) is seeking new board members to help us grow!Partnership CoordinatorCreate Partnership Agreements as per direction of Canadian Charities Act and CRA.Serve as a consistent point of contact for all potential and confirmed partnerships.Work with the entire Board and Directors team to establish potential partnerships in the community.Schedule meetings with current and potential community partners, at the direction of the Foundation Directors, and participate in partner meetings.Coordinate with the Administrative director to maintain partnership data, monies and grant tracking, statistics and partnership needs.Support the foundation and its members in the resolution of any requests and issues from Community Partners.We’re looking for radical thinkers, activists, and community builders—especially women and gender-diverse folks—to join our working board. Bring your skills, passion, and energy to BFF!Interested? Get in touch: info@birthingfamiliesfoundation.org

My Time at Coastal Community My name is Kylene, I work as a home insurance agent out of our Duncan and Chemainus branches. I have worked for Coastal for the past 4.5 years Please tell us about the organization you volunteer with and what you do and why this organization is important to you. I volunteer for Foster Kritters Feral Cat Rescue society on bottle drives when I can. I have homed 4 rescue cats myself and I am a huge sucker for all things feline. Why is volunteering important to you? It gets you in the community, you meet new people with common interests and make new friends! Plus, you learn new things about the organization you are volunteering for and all of the behind-the-scenes things that you don't see on a regular basis. Which organization are you directing your winning funds to and why? Foster Kritters Feral Cat Rescue; they love and care for the lost and forgotten. Through fundraising efforts and donations alone they pay for massive vet bills to help the kitties lead a better pain free lives. They place feral kittens in foster homes to help ease them into life and learn how to trust humans plus so much more. I 100% believe this organization is making a difference in our community!

Thank you Coastal Community Credit Union and the amazing folks at the Victoria branch for believing in our project and helping us launch our free, anonymous online chat to keep supporting young people in BC! If you need help or want to access mental health resources, visit our website: http://www.communityismedicine.ca

Project Impact Update March 10-14, 2025 A big tip-o-the-hat to the Parks Staff at CVRD for the superb landscaping job of the park surrounding the Museum. Next step is hydroseeding - coming soon....Interior prep continues with many displays now taking shape.Although the exhibits are not available for viewing yet, our gift shop is open, Mon-Fri, 9:30-2:30. There may be a "Closed" sign on the door, but this is for exhibits only.Have you signed up for any of the Story Telling Events coming up soon? Check the Museum Website for details: http://ShawniganLakeMuseum.com