Our Projects

Solving real problems takes real effort, commitment, and vision. Rotarians work to protect communities from preventable disease, keep women and children healthy, improve education and economic outcomes, create safe water and sanitation. infrastructure, and make our community and the world a more peaceful place.

PROJECTS WE HAVE ON THE GO

Support 1000×5 Early Literacy programs – the goal is for all children to have books in the home and to have heard 1000 books by age 5

Support the rebuild of the Jack Wallace Memorial Track at Oak Bay High School
The club is financially supporting this project, along with the municipality and Oak Bay High Alumni. Funds are raised through our club monthly bottle and refundables drive (see Volunteer opportunities).

Support Threshold Housing Rotary Educational Fund
This educational fund was started by our club to assist youth (receiving services from Threshold Housing) to access funds for post-secondary education which should help provide them with a positive future.

Support Oak Bay YES Awards
We provide one of the awards for this event. These awards recognize the accomplishments of youth from grades 6-10 in the Oak Bay area. The goal of the awards is to emphasize the positive achievements of Oak Bay’s young people by recognizing those who have distinguished themselves in such areas as volunteerism, arts, citizenship, academics, athletics and/or who have overcome obstacles to achieve their goals.

Fund Oak Bay High Post-Secondary Scholarships
Through our Club Foundation* we annually fund two $2500 scholarships – the Oak Bay Rotary Scholarship and the Sno’uytth Scholarship.*the Club Foundation is a society, separate and distinct from the Club, with its own Board of Directors, its own agenda and its own funds. However, it has the same membership as the Club. This allows the Club Foundation to work closely with the Club, but within restrictions it must meet as a registered charity. This designation means that the Foundation can provide tax receipts but it also means that its activities must be charitable as described by the Canada Revenue Agency. Within that limited and specific scope, the Club Foundation has the ability to receive funds and to provide charitable receipts in support of the club and in support of Rotary.

Butchart Gardens Magic of Christmas Contest
We complete templates every year for free admission to the Garden for an adult. For the past 2 years, these templates have been given to the Intercultural. Association to distribute to community members who normally cannot afford to visit Butchart Gardens.

Shoes for Youth – provided athletic shoes for youth who otherwise would not be
able to participate in sports.

Oak Bay Rotary also funds/sponsors/supports the following youth programs:

• RYLA (15 – 17 years) – Rotary Youth Leadership Award
• Adventures in Citizenship (16-18 years)
• Rotaract Club at UVIC
• Youth Exceptional Student Awards
• Peace/Ambassadorial Scholars
• Sponsor Exchange Students

• Polio Eradication
• Malawi Girls School
• India-Water and Sanitation
• Rwanda – Work with Grandmothers
• Rwanda Rising Scholarship Program
• Guatemala – Dental and Nutrition
• Casa E Laz in Bucerias Mexico; Yocoya Community Centre in Lo De Marcos

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Monthly Bottle and Refundable Drive
The first Saturday of each month in the Oak Bay High School parking lot we accept and sort empties from the community in support of Threshold Housing (Rotary Educational Fund) and the Jack Wallace Track rebuild project.

Salvation Army Kettles
Every December we ring the bells on Oak Bay Ave to support the good work of the Salvation Army. Shifts are one hour and are sure to get you in the Holiday spirit.

Lansdowne Middle School
Assist with daily breakfast food program for students.

Mustard Seed Christmas Hampers
Each December club members volunteer to hand out Christmas Hampers at the Mustard Seed or act as personal shoppers for those in need.

SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS PROJECTS
SUPPORTED BY OAK BAY ROTARY
COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Soap for Hope
The Soap for Hope program provides Hygiene Kits to local shelters, transitional homes, food banks & low-income seniors in many communities on Vancouver Island. Our volunteers reprocessed useable products to create Hygiene Kits. Each Kit contains a bar of soap, an individual sized bottle of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body lotion.

School District 61
The club has funded the purchase of musical instruments for Tillicum Elementary School , Vic West Elementary School, George Jay Elementary School and Rock Heights Middle School Music Program.
Learning equipment (SMART Boards) purchased for Ecole Macaulay Elementary School.
Dictionaries for George Jay Elementary.
Science equipment for Victoria High School.
Oak Bay High School – help plan and fund furnishings for the Teen Area of the new Oak Bay High School, including financially supporting the Teen program in the early ‘90’s.
Sno’uyutth Pole Project – financially supported the Welcoming Pole at the newly renovated Oak Bay High School
Purchased two seats in the Dave Dunnett Community Theatre at Oak Bay High School.
Funded training and equipment for therapy dog Tilly at Tillicum Elementary School.

Victoria Hospitals Foundation – Financially supported the Victoria Hospitals
Foundation’s “You Are Vital” Campaign, as well as the Echocardiogram Ultrasound Equipment for the Royal Jubilee Hospital.
The Cridge Centre for the Family – Funded the Physical Literacy program for Children.
Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association – funded equipment to pay for riding program for children with diverse abilities.

Oak Bay Municipality
Purchased the Kersplash Climbing Wall for the Oak Bay Recreation Centre Pool.
Funded the Aquatic Stair Ladder for Oak Bay Recreation Centre Pool.
Contributed funds towards the rebuild of the Windsor Park Pavilion.
Contributed funds towards the renovation of the Oak Bay Recreation Centre.
Oak Bay Rotary members, along with the municipality, built the Rotary Waterpark at Carnarvon in 1990. Since that time the club has financially supported park upgrades and participated in the annual clean up.
Provided funding to the Friends of Uplands Park to pay for a new bike rack
Provided funding towards the Marine Kiosk at Cattle Point.
Provided funds for tree planting in the community.

Victoria Native Friendship Centre Purchased 16 bikes for a summer youth program.
School of Nursing, University of Victoria Provided funding for the Feet First Program. in conjunction with Our Place. Student nurses work with Our Place to provide footcare to those in need.

Disaster Aid Canada We financially supported the delivering of humanitarian aid,shelter, sustainable water systems and hygiene products to people affected by natural and other disasters.

Food Rescue Project
Our club, along with other Rotary clubs in Greater Victoria, Thrifty Foods, the Victoria Foundation and Mustard Seed Street Church were instrumental in raising funds, planning, and opening the Food Security Distribution Centre. The centre is where fresh foods are recovered from local grocery retailers and taken to the Food Security Distribution Centre to be gleaned, cleaned, and distributed – this food is being diverted from the waste stream (in 2021 2.1 million pounds was diverted from the waste stream). 10,000 to 12,000 pounds of fresh food is recovered and redistributed six days a week to over 40,000 people in the Capital Region who are food insecure.

Provided volunteers for the Thrifty Foods Golf Tournament, with funds earmarked for the Food Rescue Program.

Christmas Shoe Boxes for Anawim House from the fall of 2023

Provided volunteers for the Craigflower School Food Distributions. Food is picked up from the Food Rescue Distribution Centre and taken to Craigflower School for redistribution to families.

International Service Projects
Canada/USA –Refurbish and outfit a new Learning Centre for the Victoria Native Friendship Center; Partnership with Downtown Rotary Club, Buckhead Rotary Club, Rotaract Club of Victoria and a Global Grant from Rotary International. The total funding with Global Grant was $74,000.
Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund – Niltepec Earthquake Reconstruction
Malawi – Ongoing financial support to APU – A girl’s school, with outstanding students and teachers, which is now self-sustaining.
Rwanda – Youth Entrepreneurship and Health Education
Guatemala – CARE (Medical Team)
Guinea – Matoto School Expansion in Guinea
Guatemala Dental Project – Club Member Dr. John Snively reports that the project has been able to provide dental education and dental care to a number of villages.
East Timor – Project involved buying medical equipment and teaching mid- wives in a poor area of East Timor. Several clubs from US, Canada and Australia collaborated. Initial funding from our club was $3,500 USD. Total Global Grant was for ~$50,000 USD
India – Sanitation Project – Club Member Mark Bedford championed this project to install eco-toilets
Guatemala Women’s Project – Club Member Jacqueline Mealing and her team offered various courses on topics ranging from internet and computer basic skills, to gardening, marketing, sex education, nutrition health care and weaving.
Mexico – La Penita project
Lesotho – Nutrition and Food Security – Establishing a piggery and improving livelihood.
Cambodia – A project that provided Vocational school supplies for street kids.