The Synergy Foundation is a community-based foundation that blends art with social responsibility. Synergy builds integrated partnerships with local Vancouver charities to support cooperative programming and help sustain community programs. This is achieved by teaching collaborative partnership skills and by putting these skills to practice through monthly and annual events that showcase prominent West Coast artisans. Synergy integrates music, dance, film, spoken word, art, food, and comradeship to celebrate the spirit of culture while strengthening the fabric of community.
Charity Partners
2010 Partnerships
NSDRC North Shore Disability Resource Centre - www.nsdrc.org
The North Shore Disability Resource Centre (NSDRC) provides programs and services based on the belief that all people are important to their community. They work to ensure that people with disabilities, along with their families and friends, can participate actively as members of the community. They are committed to working toward a community which is free of physical, financial and attitudinal barriers.
VASS Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports - www.vass.ca
Incorporated in 1996, Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports (VASS) is a registered non-profit society offering skiing and snowboarding activities to persons with all disabilities across Lower Mainland. To meet the needs of its members, VASS offers nine different programs at the three North Shore ski areas; Cypress, Seymour Mountain Resorts and Grouse Mountain. VASS is operated by 100% volunteers, who are constantly improving its programs and services.
Developmental Disabilities Association - www.develop.bc.ca
The Developmental Disabilities Association has earned an excellent reputation of delivering services to people with Autism, Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities. For more than 50 years, the DDA has provided essential services and advocacy to exceptional people and their families throughout the Vancouver and Richmond communities. DDA provides lifelong support that is focused on our clients and their families, and encourages children and adults with developmental disabilities to reach their full potential. As a leadership organization, the DDA generates public awareness and understanding of developmental disabilities and reinforces the positive contributions people with developmental disabilities make to our community. We are a non-governmental organization that relies on public support, business partnerships and fundraising to supplement programs and develop new services.
West Coast Assistance Teams PAWS - www.westcoastteams.com
Assistance Dogs for Body, Mind & Soul
Providing:
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Service Dogs for people with Physical and Psychiatric Disabilities
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Certification for Therapy Dogs Teams
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Youth Development Program (PAWS) building self-esteem, self control, character, empathy & life skills
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Education and Information on the Service & Therapy Dog industry
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West Coast is 100% volunteer driven and believes in partnerships to attain our goals. We receive no government funding and rely on public donations, business partnerships and fundraising to provide our programs. Join us in Helping Change Lives!
Canadian Society for Mucopolysaccharide & Related Diseases (The Canadian MPS Society) - www.mpssociety.ca
Mucopolysaccharide (MPS) diseases are rare, progressive, devastating multi-systemic disorders caused by genetically inherited enzyme deficiencies. Because affected individuals lack particular enzymes necessary for normal cell degradation and recycling, substances store throughout their bodies, causing progressive damage to their hearts, bones, joints, respiratory systems and, sometimes, central nervous systems. While babies affected with MPS or related diseases often show no signs of disease, symptoms appear and intensify as storage increases, and many affected children never reach adulthood. Founded in 1984, The Canadian Society for Mucopolysaccharide and Related Diseases Inc. (The Canadian MPS Society) is committed to providing support to affected individuals and their families, educating medical professionals and the general public about MPS, and raising funds for research. For more information, please visit www.mpssociety.ca, email info@mpssociety.ca, or call 1-800-667-1846.
Living Through Loss Counselling Society of BC (LTLC) - www.ltlc.bc.ca
LTLC offers professional grief counselling and emotional support to anyone who is experiencing stress due to life change or loss. Founded in 1972, LTLC is a not-for-profit organization that provides professional grief counselling to adults and children who have experienced any type of loss. They receive partial funding from United Way and the rest comes from private donations, corporate sponsors, society members and fees. Staff are Registered Clinical Counsellors and Registered Social Workers who are certified grief counsellors and the model used by the agency is Reality Therapy. They provide individual counselling, groups, training, and neurofeedback therapy.
Starlight Children's Foundation - www.starlightcanada.org
Starlight Children’s Foundation is non-profit organization dedicated to brightening the lives of seriously ill children and their families. We offer an array of innovative, research-based programs that empower, educate, entertain and inspire. We serve children and youth suffering from chronic, serious or life-threatening illnesses and injuries including cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, kidney disease and severe burn and spinal cord injuries. We help families cope by creating opportunities for them to play, learn, and interact together as a family, allowing them to be distracted from the pain of illness for a while. Starlight’s program menu consists mainly of: Great Escapes (community based entertainment for families), Hospital Happenings (hospital based fun-filled events), Fun Centres (portable Nintendo units placed in hospitals throughout the province), Wishes and an array of educational materials in kid-friendly mediums provided free of charge to hospitals and agencies to help a newly-diagnosed child and their family learn about their illness and how to cope with it.
The Cascadia Society - www.cascadiasociety.org
The Cascadia Society is a life-sharing community of individuals founded on the principles of the international Camphill Movement. The central purpose is community building, by working and living with those individuals in need of special care. Cultural, artistic and therapeutic experiences are provided through residential home care and day activities within the urban setting of Vancouver's North Shore. By emphasizing the practical elements of life, skills are developed and matured. Beauty and order in the environment promote soul healing.
