We make grants to urban Indigenous organizations that provide short term assistance that enables urban Indigenous individuals and families to get back on track in times of need. Small investments in community-based projects and programs can make a significant impact in turning personal difficulty into a road to success. We support community organizations that would benefit from specific short term support at critical times.
Back to School Backpack Program (Goal: $20,000 per year)
Urban Spirit Foundation supports the Children's Back-to-School Backpack Program in partnership with the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre. This initiative is geared toward providing school supplies for Indigenous children in need in East Vancouver. Our further goal is to extend this program to Burnaby, New Westminster and Surrey.
Children's Christmas Program (Goal: $10,000 per year)
USF contributes towards gifting to the Children's Christmas Program that is held at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre which provides Christmas food hampers and children's gifts to Indigenous families in need. We would like to extend this program to include Indigenous organizations in New Westminster and Surrey areas.
Indigenous Adult Basic Education or College Preparation Completion Programs (Goal: $50,000 per year)
This is USF's newest short term assistance initiative. In partnership with local colleges and adult education centres, USF wants to help break the cycle of poverty by supporting urban Indigenous adult students in completing their high school so that they can enter post-secondary certificate, diploma and degree programs. If they can obtain any of these credentials, they are certain to find more meaningful and better paying jobs that will enable them to support their families. Just as importantly, they become positive role models for their families and the urban Indigenous community.
To support one student enrolled in an 8-10 month program takes anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000 per year. This covers living allowance top-ups of $100/month, transportation, breakfast/lunch supplementation, extra books/supplies, additional tuition costs, such as for program course prerequisites, and daycare supplementation. Many adult Indigenous people are single parents and going back to school requires a lot of financial, emotional, family, and community supports. Without these supports, many are not able to attend or to complete their educational programs once they have started. We would like to support at least 10 students a year.