June 2022 Vital People Roundup

Posted on July 7, 2022 in General

June was National Indigenous History Month and saw both National Indigenous People’s Day and the beginning of Pride Week in Greater Victoria. See stories from the month highlighting Vital People working to make their community a better place.

 

Sandra RichardsonSandra Richardson: A little listening can go a long way

“Big change can sometimes start with small actions. There are many small, kind gestures we make part of our daily lives to make our communities a better place” says Victoria Foundation CEO, Sandra Richardson.

Click here to read her full June column.

 

 

 

Literacy program tailored for Indigenous learners

Adults and children with the Pacheedaht First Nation who have difficulty learning to read using traditional methods can turn to Frontier College’s Community Literacy Catalyst, a literacy project tailored for Indigenous learners.

Frontier College is a national non-profit literacy organization that has been working to improve literacy for 123 years. A member of the Greater Victoria Alliance for Literacy, the organization works with volunteers and local partners to enhance literacy skills of readers of all ages.

Click here to read the full story.

Young children sit in a field reading a book.

From left: Lettie, Helena and Angel, members of the Pacheedaht First Nation community, are enrolled in the Community Literacy Catalyst, a literacy project tailored for Indigenous learners developed by Frontier College. FRONTIER COLLEGE

Queer at Sea exhibit anchors at Maritime Museum of B.C.

Love on the high seas for members of the queer and trans communities is explored in an insightful and respectful way at the Maritime Museum of B.C’s Queer at Sea: Tales from the 2SLGBTQ+ Community exhibit, now until Nov. 5.

Queer and trans communities have long contributed to, and been a part of B.C’s seafaring history and culture. The exhibit showcases local mariners — from recreational boaters to decades-long mariners — who have recounted stories of love, triumph and discrimination in their own words.

Click here to read the full story.

Brittany Vis shows off Maritime Museum t-shirt promoting Queer at Sea exhibit.

Brittany Vis shows off T-shirts at the Maritime Museum of B.C.’s Queer at Sea exhibit. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST

 

June Vital People Videos

  • Victoria Gutsy Walk: The Victoria Gutsy Walk for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada aims to raise money and awareness of these chronic and incurable inflammatory bowel diseases. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians suffer from these diseases which prevent the body from digesting and absorbing food.  Watch video
  • Tailgate Toolkit Initiative: Rory Kulmala, Chief Executive Officer of Vancouver Island Construction Association, spearheaded the Tailgate Toolkit Initiative to support harm reduction and mental health in the construction industry.  Watch video
  • Fateh Care Charity: Imagine immigrating to Canada on the last flight from India just before the first COVID-19 shutdown? Then entering the job market as businesses are closing down and having nowhere to turn for support. That’s what happened to one family that now calls Saanich home. And their lived experience is what prompted them to start the Fateh Care Charity.  Watch video
  • Queer at Sea: Filled with stories, photographs, artifacts and more, the Maritime Museum of British Columbia‘s new exhibit Queer at Sea: Tales from the 2SLGBTQ+ Community shares experiences of sea-faring queer and trans people in their own words. Watch video