Overview Of All LVI Community Projects To Date

Note: does not include Leadership BC-Ladysmith, pre-2009 projects

1st Year – 2005/06 ~ Community Projects included:

• Nanaimo Child Development Centre – Public Awareness Campaign involving development of a video and on-going annual Gala event
• Crystal Meth Task Force (now disbanded I think) – Community Awareness Campaign
• Junior Achievement of BC – re-introducing this back into select high schools related to helping students understand and learn more about business, economics, becoming an entrepreneur, developing leadership skills etc

2nd year – 2006/07 ~ Community Projects included:

• Open Minds, Open Windows; related to – Mental Health in the Workplace awareness campaign and luncheon-Ron Pleacas
• Harewood Crisis Walk-In Clinic – Goal was to find a location and open a walk in crisis counseling Clinic in Harewood. The Leadership Team made the community more aware and formed a steering committee to continue on with the project.
• Nanaimo Airport, Airport Customer Service & Experience – Created and completed a Survey & produced a report
• City of Nanaimo – Emergency Preparedness , 12 week intensive media campaign & development of emergency disaster kits, done to coincide with National & provincial Emergency Preparedness Week May 7-13, 2007

3rd year – 2007/08 ~ Community Projects included:

4th year – 2008/09 ~ Community Projects included:

• Literacy Nanaimo – raising awareness of literacy issues in the region;
• Cinderella-Fella Nanaimo – increasing the viability of the Cinderella-Fella program through the development and implementation of a marketing plan to raise awareness, and obtain program supplies;
• Big Brothers/Big Sisters – acknowledging and celebrating the work of this organization through the coordination and implementation of a renovation of their office space.

5th year – 2009/10 ~ Community Projects included:

• Steps for Success – Team Vision partnered with Ladysmith Secondary School and Ladysmith Parks, Recreation & Culture to put on a half day conference for LSS Grade 12 students. The conference included a motivational speaker and workshops that provided participants with goal setting skills designed to help them develop a successful and healthy lifestyle.
• Team Tomorrow – In partnership with Stz’uminus First Nations’ Elders, community members and leaders, the team coordinated a one-day interactive workshop: Total Physical Response – Hul’qumi’num For Beginners. The workshop taught the basics of the Hul’qumi’num language by creating a fun atmosphere that uses simple commands and action responses.
• Pawsitive Impact: Building Positive and Responsible Relationships with Animals – In partnership with Nanaimo & District’s BC SPCA, Team Blue Sky developed the Pawsitive Impact program that empowers children aged 8-12 to create lasting, positive, responsible relationships with pets.
• Explore Nanaimo! Passport to Your City – Team Alliance joined Tourism Nanaimo to create a city Passport allowing citizens to explore the amazing attractions and businesses in Nanaimo.

6th year – 2010/11 ~ Community Projects included:

• Team Board Members – partnered with the Town of Ladysmith and the carpentry students of Ladysmith Secondary School to upgrade the Ladysmith Skate Park by building an amphitheatre-style seating area, add benches, install a new irrigation system, clean up the surrounding grass area, and install new skateboard apparatus.
• Live, Laugh, Learn Autism Expo – Team TrailBlazers worked with the Autism Society of Nanaimo to develop, plan and implement a community-based event in April to help increase awareness about Autism, and provide information and resources to families living with Autism. The event will brought together agencies, families, practitioners, resources and the community for a fun day of information sharing, support and celebration.
• Spring Fling – Team Synergy worked to increase awareness about the Farm at Cedar Woods through the development, planning and implementation of an open house in May.

7th year – 2011/12 ~ Community Projects included:

• Team Inspire – partnered with the Nanaimo Airport and the Nanaimo Motocross Wastelands to present the Happy Trails Motor Sports Awareness Day.
• Team Shift Happens – worked with the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce, the Ladysmith Downtown Business Association and the Town of Ladysmith to get the community engaged in the 10% Shift Campaign that puts local business first.
• Team Spirit – partnered with Providence Farms to put on a volunteer appreciation day and to develop a commemoration wall honouring the Farm’s history and street signs to honour the 4 founders of the Society that runs the Farm.

8th year – 2012/13 ~ Community Projects included:

• Team ALOT (Acknowledging Leaders of Tomorrow), “Supporting Youth Leadership”. In partnership with Volunteer Cowichan developed, planned and implemented the Leaders of Tomorrow Awards, a youth volunteer recognition program. *LEGACY PROJECT*
• Team Cura, “Spreading the News about Soup Share”. In partnership with Nanaimo Foodshare, completed a feasibility study for the community partner regarding their potential soup program.
• Team Hardy Buoys – unique situation, one participant relocated to Port Hardy and wanted to complete program, so he partnered with Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish and organized a group of Hardy Buoys employees to create fundraising ideas for them to take part in the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.
• Team LDI (Let’s Do It), “The Labyrinth of Leading”, project sponsors Coastal Community Credit Union and Nanaimo Rotary Daybreak enabled the team to build a Labyrinth at Fairview Community School in Nanaimo.
• Team Resolve, “Food Security for Our Children”, partnered with John Barsby Community School for the Food Matters Project in an effort to build a sustainable food program for their students.

9th year – 2013/14 ~ Community Projects included:

• Team Cohesion, “Bridging the Gap”, partnered with BC Children’s Hospital Community for Kids (a local volunteer committee in partnership with BC Children’s Hospital Foundation). They raised public awareness and funds through two community events to spotlight the many ways in which the Community for Kids helps sick children and their families in our community.
• Team I.M.P.A.C.T., Community Partners – Help Fill A Dream Foundation, Harbour City Football Club and the Nanaimo Child Development Centre, created and held an awareness event.
• RAK Squad, partnered with the Secret Santa Nanaimo to help create an expandable set of tools and a refined program design to enhance the “Secret Santa” project.
• Team WIP (Walk In Providence) – partnered with Providence Farm to create a historical, self-guided walking tour of Providence Farm. The project was completed to coincide with the 35th anniversary of Providence Farm.

10th year: 2014/15 ~ Community Projects

• Team B.E.A.R., “CDC Extreme Makeover”, partnered with the Nanaimo Child Development Centre to increase the organization’s visibility in the community and conduct external makeover of their building in central Nanaimo.
• Team Raise a Little Bed, working with Community Partner, Providence Farm, rebuilt and revitalized the St. Anne’s Garden Club program area.
• Team Volunteers ‘R’ Us, partnered with Volunteer Nanaimo to organize and deliver a Volunteer Fair in Nanaimo.

11th year: 2015/16 ~ Community Projects

• Team Empower Rangers, “The Empowerment Project”, partnered with Nanaimo Women’s Centre to construct a wheelchair accessible washroom and a kitchen space for their community partner, making the organization eligible to apply for specific grants and offer enhanced programming.
• Mid-Island Manifestors, “Toolbox for Change”, partnered with the Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre and commissioned a Coast Salish artist to create travelling toolboxes containing a variety of books on local Indigenous culture, to be shared with businesses in the community.
• Team Seed, renovation project for the Clay Tree Society, creating a new space for the community partner’s Bridges Program.

12th year: 2016/17 ~ Community Projects

• Team Bright Futures, “Bright Futures for All Children”, partnering with VIU’s University Relations department, to increase awareness and registration for the Canada Learning Bond.
• Team More Cow Bell, “Bee Aware. Bee Active.” Partnering with the Nanaimo Beekeepers Association to make their community more educated on the importance, preservation and reasons for the decline of honey bees.
• Team LaFFter, “Find it. Grow it. Cook it. Eat it.” Partnering with Ladysmith Family and Friends to connect underprivileged families to good, community-inspired nutrition.

13th year: 2017/18 ~ Community Projects

• Team Big Ideas partnered with Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Research Institute to complete several sections of the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation’s Garden of Spiritual Healing.
• Team Spread the Word helped enhance literacy in Nanaimo through providing examples of Little Library installations to the residents of Nanaimo.
• Team Starfish worked with Cowichan Neighourhood House to help produce a video campaign that would help bring more awareness to the CNH organization.

14th year: 2018/19 ~ Community Projects

• Team Community In My Backyard (CIMBY) assisted Social Planning Cowichan (SPC) with hosting a community event on May 23, 2019 to help bring awareness to how SPC is involved in the Cowichan Valley and beyond community.
• Team Connecting Communities’ project focused on food security and sustainability in the Nanaimo area. The project connected new-comers to Nanaimo through Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society with Nanaimo Foodshare, specifically the community garden in which Team Connecting Communities secured funding and donors to provide fencing for.
• Team Grow partnered with Campbell River Seniors’ Center to create a guide of local resources for eldery people and their caregivers in Campbell River. A Facebook page was also created to accommodate the printed material.

15th year: 2019/20 ~ Community Projects

• Team Beachwood partnered with Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region to bring awareness to plastics in the ocean. The team launched an awareness campaign that was accompanied by a physical lapel button created out of beachwood and also performed a marine survey that contributed to global scientific research on plastics pollution and the impacts.
• Team Smartscapes partnered with Beban Learning Gardens to create garden plots to showcase lawn alternatives that are visually appealing, chemical-free, and water conservative.
• Team Sole to Soul partnered with Take A Hike Foundation to increase awareness about the program on Vancouver Island. Due to the COVID19 pandemic the originally planned event was cancelled, though the team perservered and created an awareness campaign video in support of Take A Hike.

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