Vancity supports not-for-profit groups with $60,000 in grants

Members give token of their support to housing providers in their communities

Vancouver, BC, September 21, 2010: Thanks to the generosity and participation of Vancity members, 18 different not-for-profit groups dedicated to providing safe housing for residents in their communities are receiving grants totaling $60,360.

This past spring, members who signed up for any new Vancity product received a token they could use to vote for one of three not-for-profit organizations to receive funding from Vancity . All of the  organizations profiled in Vancity’s 59 branches across  Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island focused solely on providing housing to marginalized groups in their local community. 

“The success of this initiative clearly demonstrates the co-operative power of being a member of Vancity,”  says Richard Seres, Vice-President of Marketing, Vancity. “By choosing to do business with us, our members have had a direct impact on  supporting organizations dedicated to providing important housing options to those that need it.”

Each recipient organization is receiving a minimum of $1,000, with five groups receiving more than $5,000 each. Of the total amount, more than 10 per cent is going towards housing providers for the Aboriginal community. The grant recipients include:

• Atira Women’s Resource Society
• Coast Foundation
• Community Living Society
• Cool Aid Society
• Entre Nous Femmes
• Fraserside
• Howe Sound Women’s Centre
• John Howard Society
• Lookout Emergency Services
• Lu’ma Native Housing
• Ma’kola
• Mission Association for City Living
• Mission Native Housing
• More Than A Roof
• PLEA
• Sea to Sky Community Services
• Urban Native Youth Association
• Vancouver Native Housing Society

About Vancouver City Savings Credit Union
Vancity is Canada’s largest credit union, with $14.4 billion in assets, more than 414,000 members, and 59 branches throughout Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Victoria and Squamish. Vancity is guided by a commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities where we live and work.

Media Contact:
Vancity Media Relations
Stephanie Vicic
mediarelations@vancity.com
778-837-0394