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Abbotsford foundation provides almost $100,000 in grants

Several local charities benefit from the Smart and Caring Community Initiative

The Abbotsford Community Foundation (ACF) has recently provided grants totalling about $100,000 to local charities for projects and programs helping children living in poverty in Abbotsford.

The grants were provided through the Smart and Caring Community Initiative to help children in poverty.

“We chose this area based on the results of our 2013 Vital Signs report that revealed that of the 5,000 people using Abbotsford’s food bank each month, 40 per cent are children,” said ACF executive director Susan McAlevy.

Earlier this spring, ACF granted $10,500 for Blessings in a Backpack, a food bank program that provides children at several local elementary schools with food for themselves and their families on weekends during the school year.

This amount funds backpacks for 20 children for one year.

The foundation also gave the food bank a grant of $6,250 to support 50 children enrolled in their soccer camp this summer that they run in partnership with Northview Church and University of the Fraser Valley’s athletics department.

This grant, along with a $6,750 grant to support Harry Sayers Elementary’s Power Hours After School program for children who need extra support were funded through the foundation’s True Sport Grants program, a partnership between ACF and the True Sport Foundation.

The purpose of this program is to fund projects that use sport to achieve a social good.

ACF also provided Smart and Caring Community Grants for: Abbotsford Community Services’ Best for Babies program; counselling for at-risk children through Abbotsford Restorative Justice; nutrition and cooking classes through the Abbotsford Youth Commission; Bakerview Music Academy to expand from 33 to 50 students; a summer camp through the Salvation Army; counselling for children in crisis through the Women’s Resource Society; and buying produce in bulk through Vibrant Abbotsford.

For more information or to support the Smart and Caring Community Initiative, call 604-850-3755.