PLEA wins Vancity $1M
This year's $1-million Vancity Award goes to PLEA Community Services Society of BC for the expansion of its KidStart Mentoring Program, which works to mentor young people vulnerable to crime, addiction and exploitation.
The organization's South Fraser KidStart program is based in Surrey on 160th Street.
Through the program, kids are matched wit adult volunteers who build a relationship with them, act as positive role models, and help them build self-esteem and get on the path to success.
Some of the funds will be used to purchase a site for a KidStart Mentoring Centre, which will bring all of the program's Lower Mainland services under one roof.
This year marks the fifth year and a total of $5-million investment in the community through the Vancity Award, available to non-profit groups in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Victoria.
PLEA was chosen from four finalists by Vancity members who voted by ballot, online and over the phone.
Last year, the Phoenix Drug and Alcohol Recovery and Education Society won for its Phoenix Centre project, an integrated recovery centre in Surrey now under construction and due for completion next summer.
Application letters for the next Vancity Award will be accepted from non-profit organizations in the communities Vancity serves until Jan.11. For details, go to: VanCity Award
