Building impact together

30% of all traumatic brain injuries are sustained by children and youth. At BrainTrust Canada they have created programs that focus on preventing brain injuries in our young people. Their Helmet Safety Program, School Presentations, participation in the P.A.R.T.Y. (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth) Program held at Kelowna General Hospital, Concussion Management Information Cards, and award-winning Protect Your Head program all serve to create positive changes in youth that will help safeguard their future.

NSRH is a United States based member community whose mission is to build programs that provide students, nurses, midwives, and sexual and reproductive health allies with education and resources to become skilled care providers and social change agents in sexual reproductive health and justice.

Sage Haven Society has been an important provider of services to women and families in the
Alberni Valley for over 40 years. Through a variety of programs and services Sage Haven’s mission is
to promote the integrity and safety of women, children, youth and families and the development of
a respectful and healthy community.

SLNC is a not-for-profit society, in operation since 1938. A capital campaign for this new main
lodge will be wide reaching as the building will serve club members, the general public, and
visiting sport teams, estimated at 25,000 skier and snowshoe user days per year. SLNC offers a
variety of programs, and benefits from wide ranging support at multiple levels locally across the
North Okanagan, and through regional/national tourism and sport communities.

COYA Productions (as in Consequences Of Your Actions) helps social impact creators, Indigenous entrepreneurs and unheard youth voices to articulate their theory of change, build educational programs, courses and events to effect that change, and measure the impact of their work.

The Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society is a feminist organization that is dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence, providing support services, and seeking justice for all survivors in the Central Okanagan Valley. In 2021 alone, we provided support to over 12,000 survivors.

Their mission is to support and empower survivors of intimate partner and sexual abuse, exploitation, or violence.

COEFS achieves this purpose through prevention and intervention services in collaboration with community partners.

Their public walk ways and multi-home developments are tailored to be fully accessible. They aim to make living up here in the north more practical and accessible for everyone.

Flavours of Hope is a non-profit social enterprise that envisions newcomer women flourishing and experiencing belonging through cooking, storytelling, community-building, and entrepreneurship. When you support newcomer refugee and immigrant women through Flavours of Hope, you help to build strong relationships, connections, and economic opportunity.

Seeds of Leadership are dreamers. They dream of a future where:
…leaders are driven by the passion to serve.
…people trust the character and competence of their leaders.
… and real issues are being addressed.

Their mission is to contribute to making this dream a reality by developing the next generations of positive disruptors and changemakers. Youth are full of energy, creativity, and potential and we want to help fast-track their development to be our leaders of the future.

Colouring It Forward collaborates with Indigenous Artists and Elders to produce stunning colouring books, cards, journals and other artful products that showcase the beauty, hope and wisdom of Indigenous culture. Colouring It Forward has become a gathering place for creators and Knowledge Holders to share their own stories and their art — and to build community.

Black Creek Community Farm increases access to healthy food in our community through their programming and food distribution projects.

Their work is rooted locally towards long-term transformational change for community residents, who are primarily working class racialized folks. The neighbourhood has the lowest equity scores in the City of Toronto, 58. 74% residents identify as visible minorities, and 29% are low-income. Black Creek Community Farm is cultivating relationships with local Indigenous organizations to create employment for Indigenous people at the farm, advance their food justice goals with Indigenous communities, and centre Indigenous knowledge/teaching at public events and in the development of their Medicine Wheel and Three Sisters gardens.

DEVA Training & Staffing Solutions is a full-service Staffing Agency providing temporary recruitment, as well as digital literacy and administrative training for Indigenous women.

Earthware’s team is dedicated to the community we live in, the planet we live on… and yummy food.  That’s why they are offering people the opportunity to affect real change by using a return-for-reuse zero waste takeout container program.

OCCA promote mutual understanding, respect, acceptance, and harmony among diverse communities in the Okanagan, build partnerships with all levels of government, and encourage and facilitate the full participation of immigrants from different origins in the social, cultural, and economic life of Canada. OCCA envisions an equitable society where immigrants and visible minorities are fully engaged and valued and reach our goal via the purposes of society:

1. To develop, promote and increase the public appreciation of Canadian multi-cultures and history by providing seminars and celebrations.
2. To provide services to new immigrants in need, such as language training, job placement, and translation services for medical, legal, and other appointments.
3. To provide educational programs to youth to teach them about Canadians and immigrants’ traditions and ethnic heritage.

The Salmon Arm Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization comprised of businesses, professionals, residents, and other community groups that work together to achieve a healthy economic and socio-economic environment that benefits the entire community. They work in partnership with the community, and the BC Chamber of Commerce.

As the Voice of Business, they represent their membership with professionalism and accountability in all aspects of our endeavours. They continue to work with an ever-growing number of public stakeholder organizations, including the BC Chamber, to advocate for accessible business support for today, and equally important, business support as they continue to re-purpose and rebuild.

Located in Gibsons BC, Coastal Recovery Community’s mission is to support each person they treat in experiencing a FULL recovery from addiction. They are focussed on providing a full spectrum of holistic care to their clients. They walk alongside their clients for every step of the journey so they can return to a clean, connected, and meaningful life.

This idyllic west coast home is a place where connection happens: where the deep inner and outer work results in a firm grounding of sobriety, supported with lots of ongoing mentoring and support.

The Canadian Mental Health Association is one of Canada’s oldest voluntary, non-profit organizations with over 170 branches in every province and territory. Nationwide, the CMHA’s mission is to promote the mental health of all people and to support the resilience and recovery of people with mental illness through advocacy, education, research, and service.

CMHA was established in the South Okanagan Similkameen in 1991. The organization has been on the leading edge of providing innovative services and support to assist people with mental illness to develop the personal tools to lead meaningful, productive lives. They believe in a recovery vision of service with the idea that people can recover from mental illness when they play an active and empowered role in their recovery.

Rad Jamz and Rad Relish are BC-made companies creating radical products from jams and jellies to relish, pickles, pies, and more. They are a social purpose business with the goal of positive impact on the environment, local community, & economic prosperity for priority local populations.

They work with and support many local Okanagan businesses. Sourcing as much as they can locally ensures only the highest quality fruit gets used in their jam.

The Kamloops Society for Community Inclusion (KSCI); formerly know as Kamloops Society for Community Living and then Inclusion Kamloops Society, was formed in 1956 by a group of concerned parents who wanted an alternative for their children at a time when children who were born with developmental disabilities were excluded from the regular school system. Since then, the Society has served the needs of people with disabilities and their families through a wide range of community activities, projects and services.

They are a non-profit society dedicated to enriching the lives of adults with developmental disabilities and promoting community inclusion in every form.

Improve the world we live in by connecting the social sector to everyday people on a platform focused on impact. Trellis enables people to invest their money for social return in a modern, transparent and engaging way. Trellis empowers people to do good and will lead the social sector into a more sustainable and impact focused future by reframing how our society thinks about charity, giving and measuring success.

Loving Spoonful connects people with good food across Kingston & Area. Working toward a healthier, more connected community, they provide programs and champion policies affecting food security, poverty, social inclusion, and community health.

Kelowna & District S.H.A.R.E. Society has been proudly serving the community with various programs, equal employment opportunities, and affordable home essentials and clothing since 1977.

The Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society was established in 1974. The Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society will provide for the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of all peoples through the development of community-based services, while encouraging the community to preserve, share and promote Aboriginal cultural distinctiveness.

PEOPLE Employment Services imagines a future where people seeking help are supported by people who have experienced similar challenges. They imagine a future where people with lived experience have opportunities to meaningfully contribute to increased inclusion in both community and business settings.

Glohaven is a socially impactful eCommerce platform that offers a greater sense of community and connection to ‘local’ in the online world. Their marketplace features uniquely-local experiences, gifts, arts, crafts, apparel, and so much more.

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) is a not-for-profit society governed by the BC Societies Act. TOTA is an industry-led organization, governed by an elected Board of Directors, who represent and support business and community tourism interests throughout the Thompson Okanagan region.

They are committed to creating a strong and healthy tourism economy whilst minimizing the impact on our natural and cultural resources by promoting sustainable business practices and responsible travel.

The Thorncliffe Park Women’s Committee is a grassroots organization dedicated to creating and implementing public space enhancement projects in the community of Thorncliffe Park. Our group came together in 2008 with the vision of transforming the space of the neighbourhood into an inclusive place that develops, fosters, and enriches the strengths of the community.

The Community Living Society (CLS) believes that all people have the ability and the right to fully participate in, and contribute to, their communities.

To that end, CLS has committed itself to working with individuals with disability and their families to design the type and amount of support needed to help them increase their independence and realize their dreams.

The CLS supports are intended to complement – not replace – the natural supports provided by family, friends and the community. Our CLS support team acts as a bridge for people with disability to make new friends, learn the skills needed to get meaningful work, live more independently and achieve personal goals.

We are a charitable non-profit intergenerational collective of diverse master practitioners – facilitators, social process designers, community organizers, artists, mindfulness guides, coaches and storytellers – from all over the world. We have, for decades, been designing and facilitating spaces and programs that move from conversation to action.

Harbourside Youth Foundation was born with the intention to create opportunities for teens and youth to build a foundation of health and fitness into their daily lives. Our organization provides support and mentorship from multiple fitness facilities throughout British Columbia. We are here to pave the path towards positive personal and physical development for kids who would otherwise not have the means to participate in these activities and to nourish their minds and bodies through health education.

At the heart of Wood Shop you will find people who want to make a difference by creating good furniture. They focus on using reclaimed, locally sourced materials and only environmentally-approved finishes, while providing meaningful employment to people with barriers to employment. When you choose Wood Shop you are choosing to support local community partnerships which prevent waste, create meaningful and inclusive employment, and host training opportunities for folx living with barriers. What’s not to love?

Hollyhock creates meaningful experiences that inspire personal growth and social transformation. They offer about 100 programs and conferences each year to help you connect to yourself, nature, and community. Their vision is to achieve a future where people live in right relations with ourselves, each other, and nature – understanding that these are intricately connected.

DreamRider are creators of the Planet Protector Academy and are youth engagement experts, using the power of art, media, gamification and scalable tech to train kids to be superheroes of environmental protection! Our vision is to shift the culture of Canada and the world to one of kindness, interconnectedness, inclusion and be planet protecting, by inspiring kids to be Planet Protectors for life.

Since 1980, Kelowna Women’s Shelter has offered a safe place to stay, and essentials such as food, clothing, and toiletries for women who have to flee quickly and don’t have time to prepare. They offer ongoing counselling, support and preventive education programs, all at no cost. The Kelowna Women’s Shelter Thrift Store carries a selection of clothes and household items with profits going back into the Shelter to support their many services. They also offer vouchers so their clients and others in need in the community can shop at the Store for free.

Purppl worked alongside the External Relations team at FortisBC to explore social enterprise partnerships as an additional component of their community engagement and investment initiatives. The primary goal was to critically evaluate which major project activities might be best suited for social enterprise integration. Some key questions addressed were the ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘why’ major projects was the right area of the business for social enterprise integration. The group also discussed how any success would be measured as part of this short-term, workshop-based engagement.

kinSHIFT is an Indigenous-led initiative supporting settlers who are committed to building respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples and places. Our experiential, arts-based workshops and programs allow participants to learn, practice, ask questions, and make mistakes in a safer environment, all while building a foundation for engaging meaningfully with Indigenous peoples.

The Tetra Society of North America is a non-profit organization that builds innovative solutions for people with physical disabilities to overcome environmental barriers, providing greater independence, quality of life, and inclusion.

Tetra recruits volunteers who work with clients to design and build assistive devices that are custom-made for the individual – these are devices that are either not available commercially or cost-prohibitive.

British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society (BCMOS) was formed in Vancouver, BC in 1988. BCMOS makes outdoor recreation accessible to empower and inspire people with physical disabilities to re-imagine what is possible. Being in nature is highly valuable to quality of life and challenges perceptions of our capabilities.

The Kamloops and District Elizabeth Fry Society is a non-profit society providing services to people who are or, or could be, criminalized, with an emphasis on the needs of women and youth.  The Society provides education, advocacy, capacity building and safe, secure affordable housing within an environment of respect for each person’s right to self-determination and freedom from discrimination.

OneSky contributes to stronger, more resilient communities, families and individuals by providing exceptional services that are accessible and welcoming to all. Every day, they assist hundreds of people in dozens of communities – helping them to achieve dignity, resilience and well-being at every stage of life. Their skilled and caring professionals, educators, care workers, service personnel, counsellors, and volunteers provide a broad span of life-changing programs and services. They also connect people to the many other vital resources in the area. Guided by their core belief that we’re all in this together, living under a single sky, their goal is to create a way forward for everyone.

The Grist Mill and Gardens is a provincial heritage property operated by Grist Mill CCC with the close support of the Grist Mill Foundation, a volunteer-led charitable organization. The site plays an important role in the community: supporting the development of a strong and integrated local economy, supporting other socially-minded organizations in their own community purposes and providing arts, culture and educational opportunities. The Grist Mill and Gardens has much to offer visitors: explore a working 1877 waterwheel powered flour mill, participate in one of our regular workshops, performances and other special events, enjoy lunch in the kitchen, browse in our unique gift shop, or stay overnight at our creek side RV campground.

FoodShare’s Supportive Partnership Program is where community-led food initiatives leverage FoodShare’s existing assets to realize the change they seek.

Systemic inequities affect access to basic needs like food. While FoodShare’s scope isn’t limitless, we can offer resources to groups who have already identified the change they’d like to see in their communities. It’s all about developing community-led and self-determined solutions to address racism and exclusion in the food system.

Ashcroft HUB is an enterprising non-profit society with a mission to reduce the rural population decline by providing more opportunities for wellness, recreation and the arts.

Their facility includes a commercial quality work-out gym, full-sized gymnasium, theatre stage, fitness studios & meeting/training rooms. The HUB offers a wide variety of recreational, wellness & arts programs, events & services. They also have rental spaces available for meetings, parties or events.

Kamloops Therapeutic Riding Association (KTRA) formed in 1988, is a non-profit charitable organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding to individuals with disabilities. In addition to their programs for people with physical and psychological disabilities, KTRA has been offering Equine assisted therapeutic lessons to youth at risk in our community.

Since 1996, Allan Brooks Nature Centre has grown from a discontinued weather station into an interpretive centre with activity rooms, display space, indoor and outdoor classrooms, picnic and play areas, a pond, native plant gardens, viewpoint sitting areas, and a wheelchair friendly grasslands trail around the grounds. ABNC displays and features a variety of nature-associated learning opportunities, information, activities and experiences.

Friendly Composting has two main services: weekly compost pick up for residential and commercial food waste producers, and local food delivery. Friendly Composters subscribe to the compost pick up program which gets them access to the food delivery program as well.

Their intended impact is to combat climate change through proper waste management, nutrient-rich soil creation, and strengthening sustainable local food systems.

The Penticton Recovery Resource Society operates Discovery House, 3 men’s addiction recovery homes in Penticton, BC. offering long term, live in addiction recovery support & life skills training for those experiencing substance use issues often coupled with mental health challenges and housing issues.

The Canadian Mental Health Association (Vernon & District Branch) is a voluntary association that exists to promote Mental Wellness in the community of Vernon, and surrounding areas in the North Okanagan.  It is part of a provincial and national organization.  They believe in enabling individuals, groups, and communities to increase  control over and to enhance their mental health.

They are committed to providing an environment that is free from prejudice, discrimination and harassment. They strive to reflect the entire community in our volunteers and staff, and promote equal access to the services we provide.

St’át’imc Eco-Resources (SER) represents a collaborative partnership of 9 St’át’imc communities, providing Environmental Consulting support for capacity development for our Peoples and a sustainable wealth for our Nation.

SER is a strengths-based organization that is guided by sustainable, net gain strategies and Nxekmenlhkálha lti Tmícwa. SER is uniquely positioned to maximize economic opportunities and create economies of scale due to its knowledge of sustainable land and resource use and relationships with strategic partners who recognize St’át’imc territorial authority.

The Islamic Family & Social Services Association (IFSSA) was created to serve our community. We serve those going through difficulties. We serve those in need of a shoulder to lean on. We serve those new to our city and our country. We serve elders, families, youth, children.

n 1977, a few students from Okanagan Bible School visited Kelowna City Park weekly, offering coffee and conversation to park visitors. As winter approached there was an apparent need to shield vulnerable community members from the cold. The students opened a drop-in centre that grew to be Kelowna’s Gospel Mission Society in 1978.

By 1985, we had a soup kitchen, a new emergency shelter, and the thrift store. With this foundation, we are able to advance in our mission to lead our community from homelessness into wholeness.

Kelowna’s Gospel Mission will feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and help the hurting. We will provide assistance to all.

Kelowna’s Gospel Mission runs several social enterprise initiatives including a thrift store and dental clinic.

Through Easter Seals programs and services, we aspire to make a difference in the lives of persons with diverse abilities. Over the years, we have helped improve access and mobility, housed families in need when they are required to travel for specialized medical care, and inspired generations of children and teens with disabilities at summer camp.

Since 1977, Childhood Connections – Okanagan Family & Childcare Society (formerly Kelowna Child Care Society) has been providing services and resources to help children in our community grow and thrive in safe, secure and healthy environments. We help families find the right care environment for their children, and we support those who provide care with valuable training and resources.

PACE is a social enterprise; a for-profit business with a social and environmental mandate. We provide employment for people with barriers through a variety of recycling-focused projects. PACE partners with like-minded businesses and social organization throughout the South Okanagan.

Taproot help communities understand themselves better.

We see a future in which communities are served by sustainably funded acts of journalism facilitated by technology. We equip individuals and organizations with the information they need to contribute to their community, make good decisions, and stay engaged with others

Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association (KASA) was formed in 2018, after a decade of event hosting as Kootenay Sufferfest. Seeing the need to be more inclusive, the process of change started in 2016. After a successful year stepping into adaptive mountain biking, we have been on an exciting journey as a non profit. Getting people to experience the outdoors in a new and exciting way and advocating for aMTB across the world.

We seek to use our platform to promote greater inclusion and diversity outdoors, specifically within Mountain Biking. Join us on a rental experience, retreat, camp, online session or any of our public events.

BIG Little Science Centre is dedicated to developing a passion for science in our community.

The Big Little Science Centre inspires our community’s children, their families and our teachers to explore and experience science in an entertaining and stimulating environment. The format allows visitors to experiment on their own at any of 140 plus hands-on stations located in three rooms or check out the special demonstrations and light show set up in three other rooms.

Shift is a zero-emissions cooperative delivery company that puts trikes instead of trucks on Vancouver’s streets, reduces carbon emissions, and challenges people’s assumptions about the way things get done.

The Xchange – Community Collaboration Centre

Thompson Rivers University and United Way Thompson Nicola Cariboo have embarked on a new, innovative partnership designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between community agencies and researchers at the University. The vision of this space is to encourage collaboration, build capacity, conduct research, and create lasting impact.

The primary purpose of the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra (KSO) is to engage and enrich the citizens of Kamloops and Interior British Columbia through music.

Since 2002, the Kamloops Symphony Music School, a division under the Kamloops Symphony, has provided opportunities for music education to citizens of the region, and given further employment opportunities to local musicians.

Driven by people, not profits. Modo is your only local member-owned carshare service. Modo transforms communities by connecting people with places in a way that’s affordable, convenient, inclusive and sustainable.

Vernon and District Association for Community Living (VDACL), otherwise known as Venture Training, is Greater Vernon’s ‘pioneer agency’; proudly supporting adults with developmental disabilities with social, educational and vocational skill building since 1955.

Volunteers grow and harvest fruits, vegetables and nuts through their farming and gleaning projects. The harvest is then shared among volunteers and community organizations that support people who experience household food insecurity. Community organizations use the donated produce in their programming. They also use some of the produce harvested to make and sell products for their charity.

Recope provides medically designed and supervised therapeutic exercise programs for adults with medical challenges to help them get moving, feel stronger, experience less pain and reclaim an active and independent  life. This reduces their reliance on other, more expensive, facets of the health system and empowers them to maintain their health through fitness activities.

HOPE (Helping Out People Exploited) exists to support women in the recovery journey to realizing their own dreams of living a safe and healthy life. They provide nighttime outreach 7 days a week for the women of Kelowna & Vernon who are homeless, living in addiction, exploited, and working in sex work.

The Community Dental Access Centre (CDAC) is a reduced-cost non-profit charity dental centre located in Vernon, British Columbia.

Young entrepreneurs from across the country create innovative solutions to some of B.C.’s leading water issues.

Happipad is a social enterprise that believes home sharing is an important part of the solution for problems related to housing affordability and social isolation. They make it safe and simple to find a compatible person to live with through home sharing.

Connect Counselling & Therapy Society provides affordable and professional counselling services to adults, seniors, children and families. They offer counselling to groups, individuals and couples to meet community needs.

Victory Gardens is a Vancouver based worker cooperative founded in 2012 that is motivated to transform landscapes to become productive, beneficial and beautiful.

Their model removes the barriers to all types of production, such as: Annual vegetable, perennial fruit and berry, pollinator, native and xeriscaped gardens and ensures the gardens thrive through education and maintenance. All garden activities are organic and are intentionally focused on ensuring continuity with existing landscapes and adding to local biodiversity.

Farm Bound – Organic produce delivery. Not everyone in our province has access to quality organic food year round. Farm Bound can help by doing the work for you. We visit farms and develop partnerships to deliver only the best and most sustainably produced food. Doing whatever it takes to get you local and organic food efficiently is our priority!

Kamloops Makerspace is a non-profit society dedicated to serving the creative community in the Thompson Nicola region. Our goal is to establish and operate a space in Kamloops where hobbyists, investors, artists, and innovative people from all walks of life, can come together and share their enthusiasm and knowledge.

The Kamloops Makerspace is a volunteer driven community workspace collective. We have an active community forum where members share information, projects, and ideas. We at the Kamloops Makerspace hope to provide an open and inclusive community workspace.

The vision of ASK Wellness Society is to work towards a society that recognizes the value and potential of each individual and our mission is to provide outreach, housing, health, education, employment and emotional support services for the marginalized and persons at risk.

ASK Enterprises, a program within ASK Wellness Society, works with the City of Kamloops and Thompson/Nicola Regional District by recovering mattresses from landfill sites across the region and recycling all but one by-product of the manufacturing process. The program provides transitional employment opportunities for individuals who have experienced barriers to employment and engagement in community and who would otherwise not likely return to the workforce. This effort fits within our Strategic Plan that supports individuals to have access to safe and affordable housing, mechanisms to improve their health, and finally, to gain economic independence through employment.

Arion Therapeutic Farm was established in 2009 as a therapeutic riding facility, over time, we realized that visiting the farm itself was a therapeutic experience that all visitors benefit from. Since that realization, the farm has evolved into a sanctuary that is open to the public, allowing all individuals to experience our serene, restorative farm setting.

The Arion Therapeutic Farm Community Contribution Company Ltd is a hybrid business model. We offer people uniquely positive and heart warming experiences by way of therapeutic programs and services. There is something for everyone at Arion.

Operation Take Two (OTT) is a youth-led social enterprise based at Rutland Senior Secondary
in Kelowna that seeks to tackle this global issue by empowering communities to turn their
trash into treasure. We do this by packing all the machinery and tools needed to recycle plastic
waste into a forty-foot shipping container-turned-workspace. Not only does this workspace
give communities responsibility for their waste, but it creates a self-sustaining community hub
for youth-led education, innovation, and empowerment.

IndigenEYEZ is an Indigenous-led project and our workshops help develop resilient people and healthy communities with connections across generations. We train and contract a network of Indigenous facilitators who use best practices in community building, the arts, and land-based methodologies to share skills that help participants make positive changes as
individuals and as communities. Since our first workshops in 2014, we have reached 5,000 participants through more than 100 workshops and 25 youth camps.

Elevation Outdoors was founded in 2007 by Tori Hanson and a small group of dedicated individuals that saw a need in our community. From our very first ever Learn to Shred program with 6 participants our focus has always been on breaking down barriers and helping young people find a passion to help them lead a healthy happier life. Since our inception, we have expanded our program offering to include snowboarding, mountain biking, rock climbing and sailing programs. All of our programs have full scholarship seats for any eligible youth or families to assist in providing them with an opportunity to develop a healthy passion.

In early 2016, Start Fresh took root with founder Michael Buffett in the central Okanagan. A chef on a simple mission, he and his team began facilitating culinary education programming to inspire people about food. Recognizing a greater need within local social service organizations, the non-profit program has now expanded to include teaching of employment and necessary life skills, while creating access to long-term meaningful employment. This is how their team was formed, and the talented chefs involved now bring the same knowledge and skills into the spotlight of a Collaborative Kitchen, creating a truly community-based kitchen that cater events, and facilitate boutique cooking classes.

The Clubhouse Farm was started in 2012 and brings daycare, preschool and school age groups to get outside and see where food comes from. In this 12-acre nature play space, children can explore, get creative, garden, build, play or just relax under the trees. Through outdoor play, creativity and happiness bloom, stress and anxiety are reduced, and skills for better academic performance are enhanced.

Healthy Together is an innovative and unique family education program that brings families together to learn to make healthy choices and build healthy relationships. Healthy Together aims to promote and influence policies that will enhance the health of all Canadian children, youth and their families.

Habitat for Humanity’s model empowers families to invest in home ownership. Through donated labour, efficient management and tax-deductible donations of money and materials, Habitat for Humanity builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses. ReStore is a home decor and building supply store with 3 locations in Kelowna, West Kelowna and Penticton that sell new and gently-used items for your home and garden. From lighting to flooring, furniture to major appliances, one of a kinds and antiques. ReStores help keep material out of the landfill and the proceeds from the sales help support Habitat for Humanity Okanagan’s building program.

A multi-disciplinary, multi-modality, family-centred program for mild to moderate needs which brings timely, main-street access to mental health Treatment.

Kamloops Music Collective is a non-profit organization that offers and manages music programs for youth. They also connect government, corporate and individual sponsors towards music initiatives in Kamloops. KMC provides music lessons and instruments to Kamloops children and youth regardless of their economic situation; and enriches the music culture in the City of Kamloops.

The Lived Experience Community (LEC) is a collective of individuals in Kamloops with diverse Lived Experiences around issues of homelessness, addiction, abuse, disabilities and mental and physical health challenges. The LEC launched The Big Edition, which is a street newspaper that shares a different voice to community events, news, and issues while providing much needed skills training and income for people with lived experience. It’s also an alternative to panhandling. The Big Edition is a local version of a global social enterprise model that’s working in about 100 cities in 34 countries and published in 24 languages.

A taxi company that only drives Teslas. They are proving to the taxi industry that you can build companies that are radically better for our environment and customers love them. 180 tonnes of carbon eliminated and growing.

One Big Table has built a cooperative-owned grocery store dedicated to providing seasonal fruits and vegetables, free-range meats and eggs, artisan cheeses and breads to its members on a daily basis. They offer the small, the unique, the traditionally made; heritage varieties that have been part of the land in the past but are now disappearing – in balance with the seasons and the natural rhythm they provide – all in one stop.

The John Howard Society Okanagan has operated for more than 60 years and offers a wide range of innovative services within the fields of community justice, social services, health, and public interest issues. Their mission is to understand and respond to underlying issues of crime and to work with people who have come into conflict with the law or are at-risk of being criminalized. Guided by evidence informed practices, a harm reduction lens, and a person-centered approach, they support people from assorted circumstances and needs including, but not limited to, homelessness, mental illness, addiction and developmental disabilities.

Silver Lake Camp offers children (K-9) the chance to enjoy nature in every season. Each camp session has programs to adapt to the weather from archery, snowshoeing, fishing and everything in between. Silver Lake’s passion is to provide outdoor, environmental and forest based educational opportunities for youth and community groups.

Open to people of all ages, Naramata Centre is an inclusive, welcoming place to connect and deepen in mind, body and spirit. Situated on 23 acres of land on the east shore of Lake Okanagan, the Centre provides a peaceful oasis for children, teens, adults, families and elders to play, relax, grow and be authentically themselves, supported in community. Naramata Centre draws and inspires people from many paths and walks of life, as a place for learning, sharing, contemplation, personal growth and spiritual renewal.

In July 2014, Jim Belshaw partnered with the Kelowna Community Food Bank to house a “Shoe Bank” to give people in need better access to footwear. A month later, set up just like a shoe store and with the help of the Food Bank, Shoe Bank Canada was born and opening its doors on Ellis Street. Since then, and with the help of nearly 20 local service agencies guiding the qualifying process and handing out shoe vouchers, the Shoe Bank has provided over 4,000 pairs of shoes to those in need in Kelowna.

The Kamloops Food Policy Council (KFPC) has been pollinating projects, developing partnerships, and contributing to public policy since 1995. Their Gleaning Abundance Program brings people together to help harvest our local abundance of fruit and vegetables and share it with the greater community. Produce that might have gone to waste becomes a welcome source of fresh food for many who might otherwise go without. About 105,000 lbs of fruit and vegetables have been gleaned since 2013.

A creativity centre and home of the Okanagan School of the Arts, the Shatford Centre has a history of almost 100 years with a wealth of history, legacies and visionaries. Okanagan School of the Arts offers a wide variety of performing and visual arts courses for students of all ages and stages are offered year round in many disciplines and houses periodic visual art exhibitions.

The Shelley Gautier Para-Sport Foundation breaks down barriers for people living with disabilities, enabling them to participate in sports activities. An awareness of adaptive sport is created and the foundation develops resources that encourages inclusive para-sport programs.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central and Southern Interior (BBBSCSI) our mission is to enable life changing Mentoring relationships to ignite the power and potential of young people, and our vision is for all young people to realize their full potential.

Our Mentoring agency’s existence goes back over 50 years and was created in direct response to community needs. The Programs and Strategies we offer are research and evidence-based, accessible to all students, and delivered in partnership with local schools during school hours. Healthy development of children and youth is critical to the continued well-being of our communities. Children and youth are our future. The quality of their early lives and their healthy integration into civil society is important, not only to the on-going process of social health and renewal but also to our safety and security.

BBBSCSI is powered by a social enterprise partnership with Value Village.