We have a new Thrift Shop Donation Drop-Off schedule to serve you better! We are open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm. Thank you for your support!
As a charitable organization that has been of service to our community since 1968, we take your trust in us seriously. After all, there would be no SOS without community support.
You trust us to deliver programs and services that help children and youth grow into successful adults through play, mentoring and academic tutoring.
You trust us to provide programs and resources to assist families to form meaningful connections with other parents and caregivers of all generations.
You trust us to deliver emergency assistance like vouchers for food, utilities and medications for residents experiencing hardship.
And you trust us to ensure that local seniors are not forgotten and that they have the services and support they require to age in place.
Overall, you trust SOS to invest your donations in programs and services that make an impact in your community.
In the next week, we will launch our annual campaign focused on how we can all make a bigger impact on the lives of vulnerable seniors in our community. And over the next few months, you’ll read about the issues and hear from our front-line staff, who every day witness the seriousness of the moment. We’ll also share stories of what many seniors are coping with just in order to stay housed and with food in their cupboards. You’ll also learn about the power of your actions to influence their outcomes.
And now for something very special. We are extremely excited to open up ticket sales on April 8 for our first annual Impact Makers Gala to be held June 7 at Tigh-Na-Mara. We are thrilled that Tom Jackson, one of Canada’s most beloved Impact Makers will return to help SOS raise funds to support this important campaign.
Once again, thank you for your trust. Let’s commit to making an even bigger impact this year together!
With the cost of everything going up, it can be challenging for couples, families and seniors to stay on a budget. So when charities come calling, as they must do in order to keep their doors open, it’s sometimes hard to turn them away. That’s why joining the SOS community of monthly supporters can be just the solution for staying on budget.
When we talk to some of our monthly donors, they tell us that they appreciate the convenience of donating smaller amounts every month through either automatic bank withdrawal or their credit card, rather than giving bigger donations once or twice a year. And some actually do both at special times of the year, like Christmas.
Our monthly supporters also tell us they feel better knowing they are providing SOS with reliable cash flow every month so that when times are tough, SOS will still have funding to keep programs and services running.
If you are already an esteemed member of the SOS Grateful Hearts Circle, please know how much you are appreciated. And if you are not a member yet, we would be pleased to welcome you as a new member. Your ongoing support each month will make an even bigger impact in the lives of local residents, ensuring we have the resources we need each month to help all those who reach out to us for support.
You can either sign-up online with your credit card, or join by mail here. Remember, it’s easy for you and means the world to your community!
This year has been a special year of looking back on the past 55 years of serving the needs of our community. And we couldn’t have sustained the social safety net that SOS represents to our community all these years without our volunteers, Thrift Shop donors, and the financial support from individuals, businesses and groups. It is because of community that we are able to move forward as a community.
And one of the most remarkable examples of community was this past June when we were honoured to have Tom Jackson perform at our 55th Legacy Concert held at the Berwick Theatre in Parksville. Jackson, who has been honoured with several achievements, including the 2007 Juno and Gemini Humanitarian Awards and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, to name a few, is extraordinarily passionate about creating change, especially for those who are disenfranchised. And he certainly left his mark on this community. You’ll learn more about what I mean when you read on.
With permission, we are sharing this article written by Paul Ruffell, SOS Board Chair which encapsulates so perfectly the gift that Tom’s presence left behind – a message for us to always look out for one another.
Paul Ruffell & Tom Jackson
“I’ll admit that I didn’t know who Tom Jackson was. Perhaps I haven’t watched my quota of CBC television, but he had somehow missed my attention over my forty years living in Canada.
Anyway, why this lapse is important to this tale is that one of my jobs last summer was to be his road manager during his trip to Oceanside for our Legacy Concert. To be fair to those who made this assignment, they didn’t know that I was likely the only person in Canada who didn’t know who Tom was.
However, they didn’t have to worry because by the time I got to the airport there was already a throng of people surrounding a tall handsome guy with a guitar case. What they were saying was remarkable – several told him that he had “changed their lives” or that he was a “hero” from their childhood. Everyone was lining up for selfies with him and, ever the gracious star, Tom was patiently obliging. Turns out that this was a pretty common occurrence throughout his visit and his wife Alison and I simply waited while he hugged pretty well everyone in the Terminal.
Another thing that I learned about Tom is that he quite often goes walking on his own in strange cities to meet the people who live on the streets. Turns out Tom spent many years living rough on the streets of Winnipeg himself and he feels an affinity with those who he meets there. Alison alerted me that he may disappear for hours at a time, so any schedule that I may have had for him would be subject to amendment dependent on who he met on his walkabout. She called it “Tom being Tom”.
Tom told me that the worst indignity of living rough (among so many) was that many people choose to ignore those who are there, preferring to avert their attention elsewhere. In Biblical terms he said, they ”pass by on the other side”. He preferred to give them the dignity of engagement.
This experience with Tom caused me to think about what you are doing by supporting SOS – you too are refusing to pass by those in need. Your contributions large and small make a real difference in the lives of so many of your neighbours who need your help. Like Tom, you are engaging with their problems and doing something about them.
I got to spend three days with Tom and watched him captivate the many people around him. I won’t say that he “changed my life”, but he surely caused me to reflect on my impact on others. Turns out “Tom being Tom” is contagious.”
With sincere gratitude,
Susanna Newton
SOS Executive Director
P.S. Communities are not the buildings or structures that house the people. Communities are the people – those who are unified in their belief that for a community to be truly great, it needs to be great for everyone.
Created in 2012, its the world’s largest generosity movement. It’s like a special giving holiday — one day of the year that encourages people to do good.
It could be as simple as making someone smile, helping an elderly neighbour with their groceries, or giving what you have to help those in need in your own community. It’s generosity of spirit intensified!
Next Tuesday, November 28, your SOS will join other charities across the country and throughout the world in a celebration of giving and gratitude — for one cannot exist without the other.
As Giving Tuesday occurs at the same time of year when SOS is busy raising funds to purchase grocery gift cards and collecting toys for our Caring for Community at Christmas program, we thought this would be a great day to offer a challenge to our community.
We are asking you to help us raise $50,000 next Tuesday to go towards our $300,000 Caring for Community at Christmas goal. Your contribution of $75, $100, $150, or whatever amount is manageable for you, will enable us to purchase grocery gift cards and emergency food vouchers for local residents. That will give families and individuals the dignity of selecting their own special holiday foods that are meaningful to them.
For individual donors who would like to donate $1,000 or more, as a way of saying thanks for your generosity, we will give you a limited edition SOS Legacy Globe to keep for yourself or gift to a loved one this Christmas.
This one-of-a-kind handmade art piece was created exclusively for SOS by Robert Held Art Glass to commemorate our 55th Anniversary of serving the needs of District 69 residents. A treasured piece of history that honours the commitment of community members like you who ensure our social safety net is protected for everyone.
“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless,
but because they’re priceless.”
~ Sherry Anderson
55 years ago SOS humbly began around a kitchen table by three passionate volunteers in response to the needs of individuals and families in District 69 that were going unmet. That is our proud origin story and one that continues to be our mission to this day.
Envisioned by volunteers and still fueled by volunteers, SOS could not exist without them. Volunteers contribute their knowledge and expertise to SOS Programs and the Thrift Shop’s growing success. It is for that reason that we are able to offer so many important community programs and services that sustain our community’s social safety net. Yes indeed, our volunteers are priceless!
SOS volunteer coordinator Heather Jones says that before the pandemic, SOS had approximately 350 volunteers, but because of the disruption over the past three years, today that number sits at just over 200.
“We’ve had a great response this year to our call for Christmas volunteers, which is wonderful,” says Jones. “However, our Thrift Shop has not been able to run at full capacity recently due to a shortage of volunteers and staff.”
Jones listed the top three areas where SOS is currently in need of volunteers.
Thrift Shop Volunteers – We are in need of more hands to help our Thrift Shop run smoothly. It is the main funder of all our programs and services and critical to our operations.
Grocery Bus Volunteers – Help our local seniors shop for their groceries! This service picks them up, supports them with shopping, and returns them to their homes.
Volunteer Drivers – Support residents’ health and independence by driving for Meals On Wheels or Medical Appointment Transportation Service.
Why not start your new year’s resolutions early by making an impact today.
We invite you to join our amazing team of caring volunteers. Volunteers like Dawn Berry who worked at SOS for 10 years assisting senior residents in accessing supports. When she retired last year, she immediately signed up as a volunteer at SOS Thrift Shop.
Volunteering keeps her connected to the community, she explained, it keeps her brain active, and she enjoys interesting conversations with other Thrift Shop volunteers over coffee and cookies on her break. By supporting SOS Thrift Shop, she and the other volunteers are part of a “lovely loop,” where they contribute to the organization, which in turn takes care of residents of all ages. Plus, it’s food for the soul and very rewarding, she said.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Dawn said. “That I’m able to volunteer there and there’s a place for me and others. On my own I can’t do too much, as part of a larger whole, I really can.”
For more information about how to make a difference in our community, please email the Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@sosd69.com, call 250-248-2093 ext. 230, or fill out an inquiry form here.
With Sincere gratitude,
Susanna Newton
SOS Executive Director
P.S. Volunteerism is one of the most selfless acts that a person can be involved in. It is truly a gift from the heart.
We wanted to let you know about our next free Learning Series seminar and how to save your seat before we fill up.
Last year, we announced that we were offering free quarterly Learning Series seminars as a way of saying thanks to our community for their support over the past 55 years. Seminars focus on a variety of topics that are relevant to different age groups and areas of interest.
Last October, we held our first seminar on the topic of Legacy Giving and the various options available for strategic charitable giving other than using today’s cash.
In February, we invited Cindy Thompson, a local Clinical Counsellor, to talk about cultivating a resilience practice for people of all ages.
In April, we had a panel of experts share insights and information about the importance of recreation and play for healthy child development.
This October 21, we are offering a comprehensive seminar called Aging with Purpose & Grace that will appeal to adults who are either already living in their senior years or are preparing for them. We have invited several experts to cover important topics related to both personal and financial care through the aging journey.
This seminar will run from 9 am until noon with lots of time for Q&A. Free refreshments will be available and we will take a short break mid-way through the morning. We will also have bags full of great information for you to take home and will be drawing for an amazing door prize at the end of the seminar.
Here are the topics you can expect:
Part 1 – Personal Care
Brain & Memory Health
Physical, Emotional, and Social Wellbeing
Aging in Place – Home care and other available community resources
Part 2 – Financial Care
Will Planning – what your will should contain
Choosing your Power of Attorney and Executor – things you may not have considered
Writing your Personal Directive (will also touch on MAID – Medical Assistance in Dying)
Planning Ahead for your End of Life Arrangements
Leaving a Legacy – tax advantages of including a charity in your estate planning
