Autism Speaks Canada (ASC) is dedicated to supporting all individuals and families impacted by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Advocacy and awareness initiatives include supporting individuals regardless of age, including children, youth and adults, as well as those not directly involved in the autism community to promote the importance of building more inclusive practices and communities.

Founded in 1918, the CNIB Foundation is a non-profit organization driven to change what it is to be blind today. We deliver innovative programs and powerful advocacy that empower people impacted by blindness to live their dreams and tear down barriers to inclusion. Our work as a blind foundation is powered by a network of volunteers, donors and partners from coast to coast to coast.

The Central Okanagan Food Bank (COFB) is a vital force in the fight against food insecurity, proudly serving as one of the largest food aid organization in British Columbia with two locations (Kelowna and West Kelowna). For over 40 years, we have been providing innovative solutions to hunger, providing nutritional food assistance to over 120,000 people each year, 44% of whom are children and youth, while another 19% are seniors living on a fixed income.

We serve all individuals regardless of age, race, sex, marital status, ethnicity, language, disability, or health issue and are the only organization providing this level of nutritional support to households facing financial and food insecurity within the surrounding region.

Our purpose extends beyond providing meals. COFB’s "More Than Food" program empowers people by offering resources and education to break the cycle of poverty, helping new clients, including immigrant families, find stability. Additionally, through the Food For Thought Program, we partner with School District #23 to provide essential meal support to over 1,200 children weekly.
Examples of Volunteer Tasks:

1. Market shopping: where you will build hampers and shop for our clients as well as help stock the area.
2. Dry sorting: Where you will go through donations for quality control and date checks.
3. General cleaning: All can lend a helping hand with general cleaning in all areas of the food bank.
4. Food Rescue: Sustainability initiative for client access to fresh produce. Includes quality control and hamper building. As well as restocking.
5. Restocking: Restocking areas in the market to ensure quick accessibility to client products.

To volunteer please follow the link attached to our volunteer application form. Once submitted, the volunteer coordinator will reach out with further instruction. Thank you.
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We rescue consumable food waste from local businesses throughout the Okanagan. We then redistribute back into the community through partners, community fridge and public pickup locations.

We have a 1/4acre garden that has been donated to us and we are growing food to be able to hand back into the community.

Heartfulness Institute is a nonprofit organization, with several million practitioners in 160 countries. Heartfulness relaxation and meditation techniques are studied and proven to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep, enhancing emotional intelligence, and exploring the heights and depths of human consciousness.

Heartfulness is a set of experiential practices including relaxation, meditation and rejuvenation designed to regulate the mind, build inner strength and develop habits to create a lasting sense of fulfillment and overall well-being.

Note: All the practices are free of cost.

For More Info

www.heartfulness.ca

 

The John Howard Society of Okanagan & Kootenay is a registered charity and social service agency operating in the Okanagan community for more than 60 years. Our organization has a strong history of assisting individuals experiencing a variety of challenges and social issues such as poverty, homelessness, mental health concerns, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and involvement in the criminal justice system.

<b></b>Our goal is to contribute to community wellness by offering services that support clients in a number of areas, including providing and assisting with housing, community reintegration, advocacy, support with mental health and addictions, while learning how to be accountable to others and responsible for themselves. It is important to have compassion balanced with strength so that we may provide the best in care for all of our program participants.

The work of JHSOK is possible because of the combined drive and effort of staff and volunteers, interagency collaboration, partnerships with funders, support by the community, and by the amazing and resilient people we serve.

KCR is a multi-service agency offering programs and projects in four overarching areas:

<strong><a title="KCR - Community Services" href="https://kcr.ca/community-services">Community Services</a></strong>
Promotes community information, supporting volunteer management and hosting learning opportunities.

<strong><a title="KCR - Employment Services" href="https://kcr.ca/employment-services/">Employment Services</a></strong>
Helping unemployed and under-employed individuals identify career and educational goals, navigate the job search and develop essential job skills. Collaborating with employers in the Central Okanagan to more easily recruit quality applicants.

<strong><a title="Family & Adoption Services" href="https://kcr.ca/family-services">Family & Adoption Services</a></strong>
Providing family-centred, preventative supports and program referrals to parents with young children to increase knowledge, skills and community connections. Facilitating the legal and emotional process for adoptive parents building their family through intercountry and domestic adoption, for birthparents who want to make adoption plans and children in need of permanent homes.

<strong><a title="KCR - Immigrant Services" href="https://kcr.ca/immigrant-services">Immigrant Services</a></strong>
Assisting Immigrants to Canada to feel welcome by providing information and connecting them to the community. Promoting the benefits of cultural diversity in our community by coordinating cultural awareness activities.

The Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society was established in 1974, and since then has served the Kelowna community with a wide range of services for people in all stages of life: infant, youth, adult, and Elder. Our programming and services include: English language classes for new Canadians, family & parenting programs, counselling, legal advocacy, employment support services, and outreach services. We currently operate an 86-unit affordable rental housing project near downtown Kelowna, and will soon break ground on a new subsidized rental housing project in the Black Mountain neighbourhood.

We are a local Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), a charitable, grassroots organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime.

MADD Canada strives to offer support services to victims/survivors, heighten awareness about the dangers of alcohol and/or drug-impaired driving, and to save lives and prevent injuries on our roads.

Our Chapter is focused on promoting MADD’s objectives in the Central Okanagan. Among other things, we:
organize and attend local events to raise awareness of the dangers of impaired driving.
conduct local campaigns to reduce impaired driving, including the Campaign 911 signs featured on roads throughout our community.
support local victims/survivors of impaired driving by providing emotional support, referrals to service providers, and information to help deal with the criminal justice process.

If you need help, or would like to join us in supporting MADD Canada’s mission, please call us at 250-317-9877.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada) is a Registered Canadian Charitable Organization (Reg. No. 13907 2060 RR0001) which is volunteer-driven

We are a local Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), a charitable, grassroots organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime.

MADD Canada strives to offer support services to victims/survivors, heighten awareness about the dangers of alcohol and/or drug-impaired driving, and to save lives and prevent injuries on our roads.

Our Chapter is focused on promoting MADD’s objectives in the Central Okanagan. Among other things, we:
<ul>
<li>organize and attend local events to raise awareness of the dangers of impaired driving.</li>
<li>conduct local campaigns to reduce impaired driving, including the <em>Campaign 911</em> signs featured on roads throughout our community.</li>
<li>support local victims/survivors of impaired driving by providing emotional support, referrals to service providers, and information to help deal with the criminal justice process.</li>
</ul>
If you need help, or would like to join us in supporting MADD Canada’s mission, please call us at 250-317-9877.

 

The Okanagan Fruit Tree Project is a non-profit organization that aims to reduce hunger by turning backyard fruit trees into a source of healthy food for the community. Fruit is harvested by a team of volunteers and shared among the tree owner, volunteers and local organizations like the Food Banks, Boys and Girls Club, women’s shelter, and many more. Volunteers are the heart and soul of the project and truly contribute to its success.

Summary

Parent Support Services Society of BC is a provincial non-profit that supports families and all those in a parenting role. Parent Support Services protects the safety and wellbeing of children and promotes the health of all families by partnering with those in a parenting role and their communities to build support, advocacy, education, research, and resources. Parent Support Services Society’s vision is a world where all children and their families are nurtured, valued, and safe.

Further Information (If there is room available – some directories have a word limit)

To realize this vision, Parent Support Services creates opportunities for parents and grandparents that foster independence and personal responsibility, and by creating cost-effective and comprehensive community based services in cooperation with public and private partners. The staff is dedicated to providing these services with respect, compassion, and accountability, and to championing the Canadian Charter of Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Parent Support Services supports families and their rights in this way because they value inclusion, social justice, and collaboration. They believe that, when we work together and learn from each other, these values can transform conflict into understanding; that understanding can transform hurt-filled households into healthy homes; and that healthy families can transform unjust societies into strong communities. That is why, at Parent Support Services, the goal is to build healthy communities, one family at a time.