BGC South Vancouver Island has responded to the needs of children and youth across South Vancouver Island since December 1960. Read about some of our recent achievements and hear stories from people whose lives have been impacted by our work.
- Provide services to children and youth in South Vancouver Island
- Serve on average 17,863 healthy meals & 21,933 healthy snacks to children for supporting educational achievement
- Create memorable (yet affordable!) summers for kids at our summer camps, with a large percentage of them receiving ‘camperships’ or subsidized places through our fundraising efforts
- Give teens safe, supportive housing through our network of care home families
- Provide support for parents through Parenting Programs
Hear how our services have touched people’s lives
“This first month has been an amazing shelter for my mental growth. Each of the staff members are beautifully kind people, and have been the best support I could possibly receive in this time. The guidelines put in place with the program are very smart and the staff have helped me get to where I need to be.”
“I have more strategies on how to family members, but with everyone.”
“This program really helped me understand my teens better and has improved our communications. I really appreciate the support and understanding that you and the group have provided on the bumpy journey of parenting teens! I feel like my husband and I are more united and able to parent more effectively. Mostly though, I feel relieved that this process is natural and necessary even though it can be terrifying to let go. This program is so important!”
This course has changed my life. I’m so happy it’s on a continuing basis. It helps me have strength to move forward. It gives me the hope and support I need.”
“This program can be the gateway for a young person to change their life around. We feel blessed to be a part of it.”
“As a BGCSVI staff member it has been humbling and gratifying to support at-risk youth and witness them make the changes necessary to transform the trajectory of their life. It has been profoundly rewarding to experience their genuine gratitude for helping them develop new levels of trust while navigating their challenging transition from adolescence to positive and healthy adulthood.”
“As I sat down to think about my experiences at camp, I realized how much camp has affected me. Everything I have done, every great experience I’ve had are all connected to camp… Something I did, someone I met, something I learned, everything that I have done today, camp was the center of it all. Everything else was just a ripple that camp had created.”
“BGC means safety and inclusion for my children. As the mother of two special needs children, I have the same concerns as other parents regarding after school care…I know they are receiving healthy snacks, getting lots of physical exercise, lots of arts and craft time and of time to just have fun! In addition, my children have the opportunity to learn how to socialize and practice their social skills in a supported way, and I know that they are truly loved by the caregivers who work at BGC.”
“BGC Summer Camp is a great place where I can go and have so much fun, meet new people, and learn so many new things everyday… There aren’t only leaders to help everybody, but there is youth leaders also that come from great training programs that teach them to become leaders… Summer Camp has had a big impact on my life.”
“My son… has been attending the drop-in after school during the school year. The outcome was that, during that first summer, [his] confidence soared! There isn’t a better gift that the staff could have given him.”
Collaboration In Action 2
THE MISSING MIDDLE: THE GAP “IN BETWEEN” CHILD & YOUTH
Local health area 62 is a rapidly growing community with families that often have one or both parents with a lengthy commute to work each day. The projected growth of children and youth is approximately 400 each year for the next 10 years. The time is now to engage all community stakeholders in deepening existing collaborative relationships and prioritizing the allocation of space for the development of an age-appropriate programming and service hub that would meet an identified gap to ensure middle years children are receiving transition specific services where they live and go to school.
The Missing Middle Executive Summary