About Us
Who We Are
The Vancouver Venture For Diversity Society is an Indigenous led community organization that is a registered charity and non-profit organization. The mandate is to provide culturally informed mental health and well-being supports; community gatherings and events to create greater awareness and reduce stigma and healing initiatives wherever possible. To also provide supports, educational opportunities, cultural activities and workshops to Indigenous foster children and youth with special needs. It is crucial that they are provided with an essential and inherent right and link to their cultural identity. The VVFDS also provides health care initiatives, food security and sovereignty (to all three main programs where possible), healing circles, workshops and gatherings for Elders & Seniors as well as outreach services where funding permits.
The organization also remains committed to providing support and healing initiatives wherever possible, to direct and intergenerational survivors of the residential school atrocities. We recognize the process is a very long one but whenever funding allows, we continue to host cultural gatherings and events, provide workshops and smaller healing circles to support the voices and journeys of survivors. And to create opportunities to the community at large for improved and greater awareness, understanding and education.
The preservation, celebration and maintaining our culture, heritage, language, traditional knowledge, practices, protocols, traditional foods and history is of paramount importance to the organization, committed volunteers, staff and Board of Directors of the VVFDS.
**PLEASE NOTE: this website is a temporary and incomplete/basic one as at a prior renewal the entire content was unfortunately lost due to a technical error that was beyond the control of the CEO and BOD. We greatly appreciate your patience while we attain funds & expertise to update and recreate another one which we anticipate to be complete by end of 2024. Our priority remains to attain and apply funds to support the urban Indigenous community we serve, some of the most vulnerable members in our society.
Indigenous Programs
Foster Children, Youth and Families Program
Programs include the Inner City Foster Families Program for foster children, youth and families. There exists a significant disproportionate number of Aboriginal foster children and youth in foster care, most in non-Aboriginal foster homes, so VVFDS has a serious commitment to ensure they have an essential link to their cultural identity. There are regular activities, cultural workshops & field trips, outreach & supports, educational & health opportunities , food security & mentorship training, seasonal activities, celebrations and gatherings wherever funding opportunities allow and more.
Elders/Seniors Program
The Elders/Seniors program strives to provide educational opportunities, workshops and awareness, while promoting the immense value of seniors/Elders in our community and reducing social isolation. Post pandemic food security and sovereignty remain of crucial importance for our Elders. The impacts and struggle to survive with adequate food security is an unfortunate reality and priority for this program. Additionally, funds are sought for our traditional foods security and sovereignty to harvest, process and provide food storage for distribution to our Peoples with valued community partners.
Mental Health Awareness Program
The Mental Health Awareness Program plans to host and coordinate community forums and events, which provide a greater understanding, reduce stigma and discrimination, as well as educate the communities and public at large. Additionally, we continue to seek funding for projects to reduce the stigma of mental illness and cultural activities support for our Indigenous community. The VVFDS continues to remain committed to advance mental health and well-being as well as expand access to care services for our clients.
Become Involved/Donate
The VVFDS is very much a community driven Indigenous organization with a considerable diverse volunteers base and valued long-term community partnerships. With no core funding the charity has continued to provide essential supports and services to urban Indigenous communities since 2006. Funding from grants applied to are essential to continue our valuable work, as well as through fundraising efforts and donations. A more detailed list will be provided in recognition once the website has been updated and expanded to what it was before. Again, thank you for your understanding and patience.
The many diverse and important ongoing cultural activities, initiatives, community events & gatherings, innovative special supports, food security & sovereignty as well as preservation of our culture, language and traditional knowledge are dependent on approved grants from a variety of sources, fundraising activities and donations. We have immense capacity with the combined supports and contributions of very long term committed community partnerships, extensive & valued volunteers, MLA support, local businesses and other agencies as well as an Indigenous led BOD & CEO.
“Fostering Links” package levels are available that offer significant advertising signage at a notable golf course for varying lengths of time, recognition of support for Indigenous Peoples & other website connections and promotion opportunities for your business, company organization or agency, a tax receipt for 100% of the amount and more. Contact the CEO, pdudoward@yahoo for more information as well as for donations for ongoing activities and seasonal events for the foster children & youth, Elders and mental health initiatives. Unlike large charities, donations go direct to community initiatives & activities. Interest and applications are accepted on an on-going basis as well. Thank you everyone again for your patience and understanding while our website is under construction and awaiting updates and expansion to restore it to its original content and further improvements. We genuinely appreciate this consideration and understanding to the funding agencies & stakeholders through the many years, potential additional new funders, our clients and the community at large.
Your support is always greatly appreciated, impactful and very much in need.
Contact Us
