Capital Daily readers help raise more than $170,000 for Victoria’s neediest families

James MacDonald / Capital Daily

Capital Daily readers showed up in a big way for their neighbours this holiday season.

Earlier this month, Capital Daily asked our readers to give what they could for local families in need, as part of our collaboration with the United Way to benefit Neighbourhood Houses in Greater Victoria.

The community answered and stepped up more than we could have imagined, contributing approximately $85,000 in donations that were matched by Victoria-based organizations The Tiny Foundation,  Lake Family’s All One Fund, Heart Pharmacy, Jawl Properties, and Lochside Software, Inc.

The result?

“An amazing amount of donations from our caring South Island community—at a time when many of them are facing financial uncertainty themselves,” says United Way Southern Vancouver Island CEO Mark Breslauer. “This will do so much to help the CRD’s neighbourhood houses and their vital programs.”

Neighbourhood houses are committed to healthy children, youth, families, and individuals and offer a range of programs and services including counselling and outreach, pre-natal and post-natal support, preschool and childcare programs, parenting courses, food security programs, fitness classes, clothing and toy exchanges, and much more.

The recipients of the donation drive are local neighbourhood houses in the Greater Victoria area including: Beacon Community Association, Burnside Gorge Community Centre, Esquimalt Neighbourhood House Society, Fairfield Gonzales Community Association, Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group, James Bay Community Project, Oakland Community Association, Quadra Village Community Centre, Saanich Neighbourhood Place, and Sooke Family Resource Society.

“It has been a joy to partner with Capital Daily, your generous readers, the Tiny Foundation, Lochside Software, Inc. and many others in this wonderful holiday drive for The United Way of Southern Vancouver Island,” says All One Fund's Jess and Scott Lake. “We know the critically important work that Neighbourhood Houses do in the CRD and it is our privilege to help support their work. Thank you, Capital Daily, for bringing us together to raise these funds!”

Capital Daily readers and locals actually exceeded the campaign’s original goal of $150,000, two days ahead of schedule. An additional $10,000 was added by Lochside Software, Inc. in matching funds and Greater Victoria residents did the rest, hitting the revised, audacious goal of $170,000 before New Year’s Eve when the funding drive closed.

“Holly and I are so grateful for all of the generous donors who participated, this money is going to do a lot of good locally,” says Andrew Wilkinson, co-founder of Tiny, a tech-focused holding group based in Victoria and a benefactor to The Tiny Foundation.

Editor’s note: Andrew Wilkinson is also the co-founder of Capital Daily’s parent company, Overstory Media Group.