Last week, Qqs staff learned that one of our key funders for Koeye Camp was withdrawing virtually all of their financial support for our 2016 youth programs.
After more than 15 years of regular contributions to our programs, this came as a huge surprise, and the news came too late for us to locate contingency funds.
Specifically, these funds target wages for the Heiltsuk student leaders who are the backbone of our programs. Each year, we hire 15-18 Heiltsuk secondary and post-secondary students across our programs to build capacity in our young people and create meaningful employment opportunities for the emerging generation of leaders in our community. Faced with the prospect of this unexpected funding cut, we are struggling to find a way forward.
Unless we can raise a minimum of $40,000 before June 27, we may have to cancel Koeye Camp for 2016.
We are hopeful that we can pull together the contingency funds we need to make 2016 happen for our young people. We take pride in our 17 years of history at Koeye Camp, the heart of our programs.
If Koeye Camp has touched your lives or your children’s lives –
if you’ve seen the joy and power of Heiltsuk children embracing their cultural identities and becoming more connected to their homeland –
if you believe, as we do, that programs like this are an essential part of building up our emerging generation of leaders –
then we ask you to help us make Koeye Camp happen.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
- Donate online right here! We’re registered with Canada Helps, and your online donation through this fundraiser is tax deductible.
- Donate in person (cash, credit, debit, or cheque). We’re open every day at Koeye Café!
- Host a fundraiser. Want to organize a bake sale? Garage sale? Silent auction? Let us know!
- Spread the word. Even if you can’t contribute financially, please help spread the story.
This is a tough time, but we are confident that the Koeye Family can make this happen.
To see everything that QQS Projects Society is up to, and to track the progress of this fundraiser, please ‘like’ our Facebook page.
