2023 Christmas Cheer recipients

The Christmas Cheer Fund is back — this time helping four local non-profits.

Money raised via the Cheer Fund will be distributed equally to the Y Women’s Emergency Shelter, BGC Kamloops’ (formerly Boys and Girls Club of Kamloops) Journey Fund, Kamloops Royal Canadian Legion and Auxiliary to Overlander Extended Care Hospital.

The BC Interior Community Foundation is running the campaign following the demise of Kamloops This Week, and Castanet Kamloops has stepped up to serve as media partner. Cheer stories will be published each Monday between now and Christmas, and you can donate or view the list of donors anytime by clicking here.

The BCICF helps fund local charities, community projects and programs, along with scholarships and bursaries.

There are dozens of funds listed on the BCICF website, many of which are endowments that help finance a cause in perpetuity.

The Christmas Cheer Fund can be found on the front page of the BCICF website.

Here is a synopsis of each non-profit being helped:

Royal Canadian Legion Kamloops

Like many non-profit organizations, since re-opening after COVID, the Legion has struggled to bring people back into its downtown premises.

Recently, its monthly rent increased dramatically.

The Legion would like to expand its reach in the community by offering new programs, especially for vulnerable seniors and veterans in the area.

With the loss of the Brock Seniors Information Centre, the Legion wants to fill the gap.

BGCK Journey Fund

The agency manages a non-profit initiative created by Thrive Clinical Counselling and Consulting, CorDiscovery and Lighthouse Therapies.

Money donated to the Journey Fund is used to help parents in Kamloops access timely and skilled therapy to help address adverse experiences or trauma. The aim is to make healing from trauma not be a luxury for those who can afford it.

Once a parent is approved, they are able to pick any qualified therapist in Kamloops who is a good fit for them.

On Oct. 14, the second annual A Toast to You gala will be held to raise money for the cause. More information on the gala can be found on page A21 of today’s paper.

Auxiliary to Overlander Residential Care

The purpose of the auxiliary is to support the Overlander Residential Care Hospital by providing supplementary patient services, equipment and financial support as requested by the manager and which has not been provided for by Interior Health. The auxiliary also seeks to give Overlander residents a better quality of life.

Overlander is a 183-bed extended care residence in Brocklehurst. It is also home to Trinity Hospice, a four-bed palliative care facility.

Overlander is a home for the residents and it is often their last home. The auxiliary believes all residents have a past, have been important members of the community and should be able to experience a home-like environment.

Kamloops Y Women’s Emergency Shelter

The Y Women’s Emergency Shelter is the longest-standing recipient of the proceeds.

Services offered to those in need are more akin to that of a transition house.

Typically, the staff help survivors with their finances, income assistance or finding employment. Sometimes, individuals may require legal support and childcare agreements.

Those who visit the Y’s program stay between 30 and 120 days while they are transitioning away from gender-based violence.