SOS Halloween Costume Competition 2021

SOS Halloween Costume Competition 2021

It’s that time of year when we ask for your help voting for our People’s Choice Award in our Annual Halloween Costume Competition. As many of you know, this is a big deal, as the winner gets huge bragging rights all year. Most of our costumes are curated from our own SOS Thrift Shop! Please comment below to vote, and only vote once. Share this with your Halloween-loving friends! We hope you have a happy, healthy and safe Halloween!

  1. Admin Team – Tacky Tourists
  2. Child, Youth & Family Programs Team – Mario Bros.
  3. Thrift Shop Team – Enchanted Forest Creatures

Quality Foods helping SOS meet needs

Quality Foods helping SOS meet needs

A multi-year commitment from Quality Foods will help SOS strengthen our local community.

Quality Foods has joined the SOS Biz for Good Initiative, committing $10,000 a year in grocery store gift cards for the next three years. SOS Biz for Good is an important part of the $1 Million SOS Project Rebuild Campaign focused on reinforcing a safety-net for residents of District 69.

“Project Rebuild is exactly what Quality Foods invests in, we are all about taking care of our community,” said Executive Assistant Dianne Rivard. “So, it was a win-win for us, it was just exactly in our wheelhouse.”

SOS Project Rebuild is focused on reducing poverty, helping kids thrive and supporting seniors. SOS Executive Director Susanna Newton said this donation will help vulnerable residents of all ages.

“This is a wonderful investment from Quality Foods, we are so pleased to have their support,” said Newton. “The gift cards will ensure families and individuals in need will be able to choose food that is meaningful to them this holiday season, and it will help meet needs through the winter.”

SOS also provides food to children and youth in after school programs and SOS Child, Youth and Family Programs Manager Alice Tulia said it’s important to have an ample amount of food available.

“We’ve had youth hoard food because they are worried they won’t get enough. We’ve had youth ask if they can take food home to their siblings so they can eat. So, we always make sure there is more than enough,” she said.

SOS Child, Youth and Family programs are free, something Rivard really appreciates.

“Children are our future, and it is great to have programs that allow our children to participate despite financial restrictions,” she said.

Businesses can visit the SOS Project Rebuild website to learn more about the initiative and the variety of ways to give. www.sosprojectrebuild.com.

 

Windsor Plywood helping SOS build a stronger community

Windsor Plywood helping SOS build a stronger community

The Windsor Plywood Foundation is helping SOS rebuild capacity and meet needs in the community.

“We’ve been very fortunate over the years,” said Windsor Plywood Foundation Director Cathy Brown. “Windsor is celebrating 50 years, so 50 years later this is a way for us to give back to the community that we operate in.”

Cathy is the daughter of Randle Jones, founder of Windsor Plywood. It all began when Randle purchased Windsor Building Supplies in Surrey in 1969. Over the past 52 years, he has continued to expand the Windsor Plywood name — both corporate and franchise locations — across Canada and into the United States.

About 40 years ago, Randle and his wife “retired” to the Parksville Qualicum Beach area and soon after, they opened the French Creek Store. Cathy says Randle, who is now 87, is still active in the business and continues to come into the three local stores regularly.

Randle and his late wife started the Windsor Plywood Foundation in 2008, working with the Vancouver Foundation to help them support meaningful charities and projects in the areas they operate. Cathy and her father continue to discuss all of the Foundation’s areas of giving.

“He and I talk about every single donation we’re going to give,” she said.

The Windsor Plywood Foundation has joined the SOS Biz for Good initiative — with a $10,000 donation to the Project Rebuild Campaign — because they value the work SOS has been doing for the past 53 years in the area, Cathy explained.

Gene Siegel, manager at the Windsor Plywood store in French Creek, said at a time like this, SOS services are very important to the community.

“We want SOS to be able to continue doing that good work,” he said.

SOS Biz for Good is an important part of the $1 Million SOS Project Rebuild Campaign focused on reinforcing a safety-net for residents of District 69. Businesses can visit the SOS Project Rebuild website to learn more about the initiative and the variety of ways to give. www.sosprojectrebuild.com.

Friendly Colouring Contest for Ages 0-5!

Friendly Colouring Contest for Ages 0-5!


Colour our Thrift Shop, get a swag bag and more!

SOS is encouraging all local children ages 0-5 to use their creativity and imagination to colour our Thrift Shop! Have fun wth colours or shapes, and then have a parent/caregiver help you write what you love about SOS Thrift Shop! All entries will be hung on the wall upstairs in the Thrift Shop and artists will receive an SOS swag bag with goodies. Plus one lucky winner will get $25 in Thrift Shop Gift Certificates! (decided by a draw).

Click here to open and download the colouring sheet, or pick one up at the SOS Thrift Shop (Monday – Saturday 9 am – 4 pm) or the SOS Community Services Centre in Parksville (8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday, closed between noon and 1 pm).

Please hand in your colouring sheet by Thursday, August 19. The winner will be announced on August 23. The contest is open to all local children ages 0-5 living in District 69 (Nanoose Bay to Bowser). Good luck and have fun!