Magic happens when neighbours connect—even if we must be physically apart. It forms friendships and makes our communities safer and more vibrant.

That’s where a unique small grants program comes in, available to B.C. residents including those in the Kootenays.

The Vancouver Foundation and Association of Neighbourhood Houses BC would like to invite residents of the Kootenay region to apply to their Responsive Neighbourhood Small Grants stream. Applications are currently open, with an extended deadline to November 9.

To apply, go to this website.

Responsive Neighbourhood Small Grants is a program that aims to helps community members by awarding them from $50 to $500 for a project with the purpose of making connections and sharing skills or talents among community members.

Because of the current situation, it’s more important than ever to stay connected within our neighbourhoods.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the Neighbourhood Small Grants program continues to encourage new ways to connect. By providing a Responsive NSG grant stream the Vancouver Foundation offer grants of up to $500 available to anyone from across the province to carry out small community building projects that adhere to the public health requirements of social/physical distancing.

“In 2020 we awarded 17 responsive grants  in the Kootenay region and we’re hoping this year we’ll grant even more,” said NSG coo-ordinator Yunuen Perez Vertti.

With a Neighbourhood Small Grant, residents can join our network of thousands of project leaders who have taken steps to better their neighbourhoods, she says.

The NSG program has helped make communities in British Columbia stronger, safer and more welcoming since 1999. The following gives some idea of what type of projects community members can apply for:

• Projects that can ease social isolation of vulnerable people with physical distancing in mind.
• Projects that use, share and exchange local assets/gifts using online platforms such as ZOOM, FaceTime and Skype.
• Projects about health and wellness information and workshops.
• Projects that take place at public parks or spaces with social distancing in mind
• Community garden projects that have a social distancing element.

You can also visit the website where you can find out more about the program. If you have any questions or queries, contact [email protected] or phone 604.875.9111 ext. 118. Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) is guided by the following principles:

Everyone has gifts: Anyone can offer their ideas, talents, skills, experiences and contacts to build a strong community.

Small is powerful: Small amounts of money have a potential to bring powerful changes in community in forms of new relationships, increased self-confidence, leadership development, stronger sense of place and create local traditions.

Local decisions are best: Community members from diverse backgrounds and experiences get an opportunity to make decisions on who should get the grants in their community.

Where we live matters: the grants enable anyone to team up with their neighbour and come up with a project that they can carry out within an area of where they live and based on what they think works best in their community.

We learn together: There is no single right way to build community so anyone involved in the program will have many opportunities to learn, share, reflect, exchange and capture knowledge, skills and information that they can use within and beyond the program.

Everyone is invited: The program is accessible and inclusive to anyone living in an NSG area no matter their age, ethnicity, income, cultural background, gender, ability and sexual orientation.

Vancouver Foundation 

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