Fifty Women Commit to Raise $25,000 each for Local Youth in Need
Brava to these Women of Options, including Rebecca Bolwitt Miss 604! Options Community Services strives to raise $1.5 million for youth falling through the cracks.
As one of BC’s largest, and most respected non-profit community organizations, Options Community Services is seeing a variety of unique and critical needs amongst local youth in the South Fraser area.
In order to support youth, they are launching Women of Options 2022: Gamechangers, where fifty local women are coming together and committing to raise $25,000 each for a youth discretionary fund. These amazing women are a mix of senior executives, impressive volunteers, celebrities, and leaders in their communities.
Options Community Services is primarily funded by various levels of government yet is constrained in using funds to support these needs due to the number of youth who require unique support, and the variety of situations that cannot be met within a program or designated funding’s parameters.
Urgent youth needs that Options team members are seeing include paying for clothing or dental work so youth can attend a job interview with pride, covering daycare or tuition costs for a young mother to complete an educational program, getting endangered youth to a safe place, and addressing urgent issues faced by youth who have aged out of the child welfare system and lost their supports.
“We see youth needing our help to purchase clothing for a mother’s funeral or a young person who needs immediate re-location and support to escape the threat of a gang,” says Christine Mohr, CEO of Options Community Services. “Our government funding is vital but youth needs are increasing and require immediate action and financial resources. This new fund will help to support at-risk youth with what they need when they need it.”
The Women of Options 2022: Gamechangers fund will remove barriers by providing critical funding to work with youth from a wide range of backgrounds, including newcomers, unemployed, street entrenched, pregnant and parenting, those affiliated with gangs, those seeking their high school diplomas, and others.
Surrey has the largest youth population in BC. Options Community Services supported approximately 3500 youth in their last fiscal year, although this number does not include all of the youth as some fall under programs not included in this data collection.
The fifty women fundraising for youth are a mix of local leaders, including property management and land development professional Jen Temple.
“Our youth need support and I am passionate about being part of the solution,” says Jen Temple, CFO for Trademark Group of Companies. “I could not imagine my daughter without basic needs and supports and I’m honoured to use my network and skills to help to raise funds.”
In addition to these impressive women, and as Options strives to reach the $1.5 million goal, three Langley Tim Hortons restaurants will also be supporting the cause as part of the Tim Horton’s annual Smile Cookie campaign. Local corporate partners Fifth Avenue Marketing and Bullets an’ Beads will also be donating to the cause.
This is the second year that Options Community Services has led a Women of Options fundraising initiative. The Options team is impressed and honoured by the commitment and passion that fifty local women bring to the cause to create vital change and opportunity for youth-at-risk.
Visit http://www.womenofoptions2022.ca/ to learn more about the program and engage online via social media handle @OptionsBC and hashtag #WOOGamechangers
About Options Community Services
We envision a healthy, caring community where everyone thrives. We imagine a place where everyone experiences a sense of common humanity through acts of understanding, kindness and encouragement, offered by their neighbours and community service organizations like Options.
Today, as always, we’re guided by our consistent promise: Building community. Inspiring hope.
