We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the SWIS Byng Project 3B students at Lord Byng Secondary School for hosting eight events in 2021 that raised $13,000 for CHV!
Before we delve into how these students raised such funds, let’s breakdown a couple of acronyms.
SWIS — Settlement Workers in Schools
SWIS is a school-based outreach program aimed at helping immigrants, refugees, and other eligible clients settle into their communities and to assist students with integrating into their new schools.
SWIS workers perform a variety of services to help with the transition into a new community. These services include: conduct orientation workshops, assist in filling out forms, provide referrals, accompany clients to community resources, and help in the transition process. All of this is provided free of charge and these services can be provided in 12 languages.
Project 3B
Project 3B is a school-based immigrant youth integration initiative sponsored by the VSB’s SWIS program at Lord Byng Secondary School. Since its beginnings in 2008, the program has held over 50 activities and events to help new immigrant students adjust to their new environment.
Art Shines for Love & Hope Project
In 2021, with support from CLCE Non-profit Foundation, Art Shines for Love & Hope was a youth ambassador project that hoped to raise public awareness as well as funds to support those in need, during the trying times of the pandemic.
Over 50 immigrant students from Lord Byng Secondary School stepped up to take leadership as youth ambassadors and planned and organized the year-long event that consisted of eight exciting fundraisers:
- CHV Charity Chess
- CHV Walk for Hope
- CHV Charity Raffle
- Love in Action
- Love & Hope Exposé
- CHV Charity Concert
- Maskio Project
- Jewelryable for Hope
The result of this endeavour— $13,000 to support fellow youth.
A couple of the Lord Bing students were kind enough to share why they participated in such a fundraising initiative.
“After visiting Covenant House Vancouver yesterday, I was very touched, especially knowing that the people we were helping were my peers. Through yesterday’s visit, I learned that CHV is now constructing a second building to meet increasing needs. Through those bricks and mortars, I see hope — that more homeless youth will have a safe and clean place to live, sleep and to rebuild their lives! These feelings and realizations make me even more grateful that I participated in the CHV fundraising project last year!”
“I’m deeply thankful to have this opportunity to visit Covenant House in person. Knowing that they are constructing a second building across the street, I feel very encouraged that we could be a small part of a big project to provide help to support more homeless youth in our city. The CHV fundraising project is very meaningful to me as it rendered me the opportunity to connect and help my peers when they are most in need. In the future, I hope to participate in more events like this to share my love and show my compassion to the community.”
From all of us at CHV, we want to applaud and thank these inspirational students for supporting their peers in need. Bravo!