By Hanne Fair

As we head into December, the staff and Board of James Bay Community Project thank our community members and friends for the many gifts of time, talent, and donations that they have given throughout the year..

Despite the anxieties of these difficult economic times, the spirit of participation and generosity remains alive and well in our community.

Every day volunteers contribute their time and energy to a myriad of tasks. To mention just a few, volunteers work in the library, sort donated food, prepare soups and snacks for programs, answer the telephone over the lunch hour, teach art and yoga classes, make crafts, assist with Blood Pressure Clinics, and help parents and children in our Family Centre. One of our Thrift Store volunteers takes a bus in from Sooke twice a week to prepare clothing for sale at the Community Closet. Another volunteer, age 96, comes every day to stamp our mail – and every day she brings a small gift of a flower or a cookie for Sandra, our receptionist. One of our Board Directors often appears unannounced with a box of donuts (despite our lectures on healthy diets!) as a gesture of appreciation to staff and volunteers working in the building.

We receive many much needed donations of food for our Food Cupboard and for program meals. Donations of good quality clothing keep our Community Closet Thrift Store running, providing an option for an inexpensive and fun way to shop as well as generating profits to help fund community programs. We rely on your donations of gently used clothing to keep our store stocked with interesting and varied clothing. In the New Year we will be gearing up for our annual March fundraiser, “Art and Treasures” and we will be needing silent auction items and art objects to help raise additional funds for programs.

At the end of October each year we send out a fundraising newsletter, which gives highlights of our programs and services. Just as many of our programs and services could not happen without the assistance of our 250 volunteers, we depend too on financial support from our community. This year in particular we know that funders such as Victoria Foundation and other foundations will be unable to provide community grants because of the impact of the markets on their funds. This will affect many community organizations, including JBCP, and so we are particularly grateful for each donation, large or small, that comes our way. In these times of economic anxiety it is wonderful that so many are still making room in their budgets for generosity to their community.

So, a big thank you to our community members, volunteers, and donors for the many ways you support us. The work of James Bay Community Project touches literally thousands of people, and we could not do it without the support and participation of so many of you. Please stop by our Open House on December 18 from 1:30 to 3:30 and join us in celebrating the generous community spirit that James Bay is known for!