Dec 10: SSFS Receives $40,000 from Vancity

Surrey, December 10, 2003 - Surrey Social Futures has received a $40,000 Community Partnership grant from Vancity Credit Union to revise the Community Impact Profile for Surrey/White Rock and initiate a community economic development dialogue in Surrey.

Surrey Social Futures, a Community and Social Planning Council, was created in 1991 and provides a voice for the creation of a healthy and sustainable community. It aims to bring people together for positive social change through the promotion and development of community-based social, economic and physical planning for Surrey.

The Community Impact Profile, first released in 2000, spurred the development of many community services including the Whalley Family Place and initiated community-wide task forces to look at homelessness, poverty, affordable housing, access to information by residents, community cohesion and the development of a number of locally based associations.

"Vancity is committed to helping communities thrive and prosper. The update of the Community Impact Profile in Surrey is a key part of understanding the strengths and challenges of this community and working towards social and economic well-being here," says Bruce Ralston, Chair of the Board of Directors at Vancity Credit Union, which has six branches in the Surrey area.

This grant adds to the $20,000 provided by the Vancity Community Foundation, which funded Surrey Social Future's initial report on community economic development opportunities in Surrey.

Surrey Social Future provides opportunities for Surrey residents to participate in community planning. Programs include Surrey Community Solutions, which assesses the community's quality of life, and the Whalley Community Initiative Project, which identifies issues and addresses them by sponsoring projects.

Annie McKitrick
Executive Director
Surrey Social Futures
604-594-7644

Vancity is Canada’s largest credit union, with $9.3 billion in assets, 305,000 members, and 41 branches throughout Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Victoria. Vancity was chosen as the best place to work in Canada for 2005 by Maclean’s Magazine as part of its annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers issue. Vancity owns Citizens Bank of Canada, serving members across the country by telephone, ATM, and the Internet. Both Vancity and Citizens Bank are guided by a commitment to corporate social responsibility, and to improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work.