Fund Type: Open to all granting areas
Community: Prince George
I lived in Prince George for more than 70 years and, during that time, I watched it grow from a small community with dirt roads and wood sidewalks to what is now being referred to as the northern capital of B.C.
Although I no longer live in Prince George, I still believe the people who live there are a special group who appreciate the benefits of living close to the outdoors and how volunteering creates a strong community.
During all the years I lived there, together with my husband, Svend, and four children, I also volunteered for many community organizations including school associations, minor hockey, the Spruce Kings, soccer, many seniors’ organizations and, of course, the Prince George Community Foundation. Those years of volunteer commitment made me very aware of how difficult it was for volunteer organizations there to raise money, especially when we were competing with larger cities for whatever grants were available. I was also elected as a school trustee serving from 1994 to 2002 where, again, I saw how volunteers struggled to raise money to transport students to sports and cultural events in distant communities.
I was a reporter at the Prince George Citizen for 23 years where, again, I was made aware of the hard work being done by hundreds of volunteers who all struggled to obtain the financial help they needed to maintain or improve the programs that enhance the lives and health of residents of that area.
After I became associated with the Prince George Community Foundation, I also learned that some former residents of Prince George who’d prospered there were making donations to the Vancouver Foundation. Although the Vancouver Foundation has always been very generous when making grants to organizations outside the Lower Mainland, I really thought we should join the growing Canadian Community Foundation movement so local residents could decide who should receive grants raised through the investment of their donations.
Although I no longer live in Prince George, I still think of it as my ‘hometown’ and defend it mightily whenever it becomes necessary. I follow the activities there, especially the work of the Prince George Community Foundation, which will always be the recipient of my main annual charitable contribution. I am proud of my association with that organization and look forward to its continued success.
