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Victoria Foundation Vital Youth project puts donation dollars into students’ hands

Students across Greater Victoria chose initiatives for housing and wellness
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Greater Victoria students receive their donation funding from Victoria Foundation. (Courtesy of Victoria Foundation)

The Vital Youth project has set out to prove its name by providing Greater Victoria students with thousands of dollars for charities of their choice.

Spurred by the Victoria Foundation, the project has provided students in 10 schools across three Greater Victoria school districts with $3,000 for each group. Students researched critical issues in their community by referring to the Victoria Foundation’s 2021 Vital Signs report – a community survey which found housing and getting established in the community to be key issues in Greater Victoria. According to the 2021 report, standard of living, safety, and health and wellness also decreased marginally since 2020.

Six organizations supported through the Vital Youth project included the Victoria Child Abuse Prevention Centre, Victoria Youth Empowerment Society, the Rainbow Kitchen, 1UP Single Parent Resource Centre and the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre, chosen by Belmont Secondary, Claremont Secondary, Esquimalt High, Oak Bay High and Parkland Secondary.

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“The example students set for their peers sets a foundation for what’s possible in Vital Youth,” said Hayleigh Chafe, strategic initiatives coordinator at the Victoria Foundation.

“It allows us and our partners to truly listen and act on what is important to the community from the youth perspective.”

The Vital Youth project has operated since 2003, during which time $360,000 has been donated to charity. The Victoria Foundation also provides an annual grant of $500 to an endowment fund for each participating school.


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