At Old Yale, we are SO PROUD to be a part of this amazing Fraser Valley community and we want to see it continue to thrive and grow. That just wouldn’t be possible without all the amazing non-profit organizations working as hard as they do.
Last December, we were fortunate enough to be able to spread some extra holiday cheer to 12 amazing organizations in our community by donation $1000 to each of them, AND we’re SO thrilled to be doing the same again this year…
Old Yale’s 12 Days of Giving wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for all your support you’ve shown us over the years, especially this year. So, thank you so much friends!
We hope that after reading through this and learning about each of these awesome community organizations, that you feel inspired to give back and spread some joy of your own!
Chilliwack Search & Rescue
Each year thousands of people from Chilliwack, the Fraser Valley, Greater Vancouver and beyond hike, mountaineer, bike, climb and more in our beautiful mountains, trails and rivers. The Chilliwack Search & Rescue team helps the people on those adventures in need who by misfortune, lack of experience or poor judgment find themselves in trouble. As lovers of the great outdoors and adventure, we know how important it is to be cautious, safe and well planned BUT we also know that mistakes can happen, so supporting an organization like the Chilliwack Search & Rescue is near and dear to our hearts at Old Yale…
Learn more about the awesome Chilliwack Search & Rescue team here: https://chilliwacksar.org/
Chilliwack Starfish Backpack Program
Approximately 600 children in Chilliwack go to school hungry on Monday mornings. Currently, most students in need are provided with breakfast, recess snacks and lunch each day at school, thanks to some great programs. But unfortunately, the lack of access to food does not end when the weekend arrives, so the Starfish Backpack Program was created by the Rotary Club in response to that need.
The program is simple. Backpacks are sent home each Friday, full of food for children and their families for the weekend during the school year. If that doesn’t pull on your heartstrings than we don’t know what will. We’re SO thrilled to be able to support this amazing organization this Holiday Season with a $1000 donation.
Learn more about how you can support the Chilliwack Starfish Backpack Program here: https://starfishpack.com/chilliwack/
Vedder River Cleanup Society
The Vedder River and Rotary Trail is one of our favourite adventure spots at Old Yale, and not just because it’s in our literal backyard, but because of the beautiful and serene views, the endless walking trail AND of course all the awesome fishing spots - these spots wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable if it weren’t for our friends at the Chilliwack Vedder River Cleanup Society. This awesome team works to keep the beautiful River Valley clean so we can enjoy it’s beauty today and for generations to come! We’re proud to support these folks in our 12 Days of Giving again this year!
Learn more about how the Chilliwack Vedder River Cleanup Society is taking such great care of our one of our favourite adventure spots, here: http://www.cleanrivers.ca/
Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation Covid-19 Fund
We know that physicians, nurses and all health care staff at our hospitals are doing their jobs with diligence, care and compassion and working DAMN hard! We are extremely grateful for their dedication and are proud to support them in our 12 Days of Giving through the Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation Covid-19 Fund, an awesome organization that works hard to support local health care services and workers within the Fraser Valley Regional Hospital District. PS. PS. The second photo was from our “Beers for Health Heroes” that we worked together on with you (our awesome customers) that helped us raise $1500 for this awesome initiative! The photo was taken earlier this year, pre-mask regulations…
Learn more about how the Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation is supporting our Health Heroes, here: https://www.fvhcf.ca/covid19/
Chilliwack & Abbotsford SPCA
Okay, look at these faces and tell us they aren’t deserving of being a part of our 12 Days of Giving!! Cuteness overload. Both the Chilliwack and Abbotsford branches of the SPCA work to protect and enhance the quality of life for domestic, farm and wild animals locally. The entire BC SPCA organization assist more than 41,800 animals each year and this is all funded by compassionate animal lovers like ourselves! We are so thrilled to be able to support these great teams with a $1000 donation in our 12 Days of Giving… we also cannot wait when we’re allowed to visit and support these organizations so that we can scratch all the ears, rub all the bellies and boop all the noses that we’re allowed to!
Learn more about the BC SPCA and all the work they do for our four legged friends, here: https://spca.bc.ca/
Chilliwack Park Society
The fine folks at the Chilliwack Park Society focus on advocating for existing and new parks and green spaces in Chilliwack that foster active, healthy lifestyles while protecting valuable flora and fauna. They work with our community to create sustainable parks in our ever-growing, dynamic and environmentally diverse area with trail building, helping with park plans, rejuvenating existing parks and working to support the creation of new community parks and forests. We LOVE the outdoors at Old Yale, so supporting this awesome society in our 12 Days of Giving, really gives us another appreciation for our breathtaking surroundings…
Learn more about the hard work that the Chilliwack Park Society is doing for our community, here: https://chilliwackparksociety.ca/
Archway Food Bank Toys for Tots
With our communities help, the Abbotsford Christmas Bureau has been helping families every Christmas for over 50 years! As past of that, they host their annual Toys for Tots breakfast at the Clarion Hotel and receive thousands of toys to spread Christmas cheer to over 1,5000 of Abbotsford’s children. Unfortunately, like many great events and initiatives, their Toys for Tots breakfast and drive thru has been cancelled this year due to Covid-19 restrictions so now more than ever they need our support! We are so excited to be able to support this awesome initiative with a $500 of toys and a $500 donation!
Learn more about the Archway Food Bank’s Toys for Tots Drive and find drop off locations here: https://www.abbotsfordfoodbank.com/toysfortots-2/
Chilliwack Firefighters Charitable Society
We’ve worked quite a bit with our good friends over at the Chilliwack Firefighters Charitable Society over the years, from donation BBQs to custom Growlers and more. These guys are awesome and are working hard to raise money for the BC Firefighters Burn Fund, to assist youth and youth programs, provide bursaries, support medical and health care research and assist community-minded programs! We are so excited to support them in all this amazing work as part of our 12 days of Christmas Giving! PS. The photo below was taken over a year ago, after one our fun Parking Lot Parties where the awesome team hosted our BBQ for us!
Learn more about the Chilliwack Firefighters Charitable Society and how you can help this awesome team, here: http://www.chwkfirecharity.ca/
Supporting Chilliwack Families
Last Christmas through our 12 Days of Giving, we did a little shopping to support some families in Chilliwack (swipe to see a photo) but this year, given all the Covid-19 restrictions, we’re still supporting these families, but the awesome Vedder Elementary School PAC is doing the shopping! We’re so proud to be donating a $1000 to this great initiative that’s working to help some Chilliwack families in need with as many Hampers as possible, putting food on the table and taking the pressure off this Holiday season. We’re so grateful for organizations like this that work hard to support our community in need and are thrilled to be including them in our 12 Days of Giving again.
Chilliwack Adopt-a-Senior
COVID-19 has sadly isolated SO many seniors in our community, and the amazing team at Chilliwack Adopt a Senior is working hard to put together some fantastic gifts for them. Many of these seniors will be spending the holidays alone and these awesome gifts put together by our Team and many members of our community will help bring some Christmas cheer and smiles to their homes! Through this program, we were able to put together some custom gift bags for 5 local seniors; Pat (age 83), Cliff (age 92), Leo (age 94), Nella (age 94) and Margaret (age 98). These presents include everything from books, blankets, tea, chocolates, slippers, gloves, cookies, handmade cards, photo albums and more.
Learn more about how you can Adopt a Senior in Chilliwack, here: https://www.facebook.com/Chilliwackadoptasenior
Cyrus Centre
This great Chilliwack and Abbotsford based organizations provides emergency housing and support services for vulnerable youth up to 24 in the Fraser Valley. Their vision for youth is that they: Always have a safe place to go and receive support; be free from all forms of exploitation; Have a roof, without exception, in a safe and supportive environment; Are empowered and equipped through love, support, encouragement, life skills and acceptance to meet life’s challenges and success. We are SO proud of the work this team is doing in our community and are thrilled that we are able to donate $1000 to them this holiday season…
Learn more about all the work that the Cyrus Centre is doing for youths in the Fraser Valley, here: http://www.cyruscentre.com/
Ruth & Naomi’s Mission
We support the Ruth & Naomi’s Mission in Chilliwack every year alongside all of you (our awesome customers) with our annual Sock Drive in the Tasting Room, collecting socks on their behalf! This year to support them in their work to transform the lives of the poor, the homeless and the addicted in our community, we’ll be matching the socks donated by all of you AND providing a cash donation!
Learn more about the awesome team at Ruth & Naomi’s Mission and all they are doing for our community, here: https://ranmission.ca/
We hope that after reading through this and learning about each of these awesome community organizations, that you feel inspired to give back and spread some joy of your own! Thanks again for all your support in making our 12 Days of Giving possible this year! Cheers, friends!