Tag Archives: Cortes Island Family Support

Finances, Politics

Cortes Island matters at EASC’s Inaugural Meeting

A number of Cortes Island matters were discussed at the new Electoral Areas Service Committee’s (EASC) Inaugural meeting. This is a special committee made up of the four Strathcona Regional District rural directors and the first stop before their concerns are brought before the full board. The initial discussion of Cortes Island’s proposed Grants in Aid; a Whaletown Community Club request for funding to install a wheelchair ramp at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery; and a proposed staff report about liveaboards: were all on the agenda today. As expected Gerald Whalley, the only director to have previously served on the Board, was elected Chair. The big news is that Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch has been elected Vice Chair.

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Community, Women

3 Cortes Island Projects receiving $40,000 to advance gender equality

Three Cortes Island projects are about to receive a $40,000 grant to advance gender equality. This is part of a $3.4 million collaboration between the Community Foundations of Canada and the Equality Fund supported by the Government of Canada. 

Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Director of the  Cortes Island Community Foundation, explained, “We were able to partially fund three different projects. Those include our Women’s Centre, which everybody knows, runs with very little funding and a real bootstrap mentality, like ‘we’re gonna get it done.’ So it’s going to be a little bit of funding for supporting their work. The other really exciting project that I hope is going to make a major difference in many families’ lives is the Playschool expansion, so that there’ll actually be almost full-time childcare available on Cortes for the first time ever. The third one is basically an intergenerational helping hands project being put forward by the Family Support Services of the CCHA (Cortes Community Health Association).”

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Finances, Food

The Risk Of People Going Hungry

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Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The risk of people going hungry in small island communities on B.C.’s West Coast is likely to go from bad to worse in the fall as the pandemic and its economic symptoms linger on and COVID-19 relief benefits end, service providers and experts say.

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Community

this year’s participatory Grant-in-Aid process

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The invitations were emailed on April 23, 2020 and an announcement was made at www.cortesisland.com for anyone who may have been missed. Cortes Island’s entire non profit sector, “especially those not applying for funds,” were invited to a participatory Grant-in-Aid process. Fourteen organizations were at the first ZOOM meeting; eight subsequently posted final applications. Each organization was instructed to choose a designated rep to vote on how the funding should be allocated. Cortes Island’s Alternate Director, Corry Dow, will present the results to the Electoral Areas Services Committee on Wednesday, June 19th. 

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Community, Finances

May 19 Virtual Community Meeting: Family Support & Folk U

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After hearing a number of concerns about the effects that COVID related isolation is having on youth, Desta Beattie contacted between 80% and 90% of the Cortes Island families with teenagers to see how they are coping. Her quiet, unassuming manner is almost the opposite of Maunda Aufochs Gillespie, whose bubbling enthusiasm is displayed in constant movement and ever changing facial expressions. Gillespie has also reached out into the community, giving it a platform to express itself and planting seed money where it is most needed. Their ministries, Cortes Island Family Support & Folk U, were the focus of the eighth Cortes Virtual Community Conference on May 19, 2020. 

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