Congratulations to Victoria Restorative Justice Society, UVic & Camosun

The BC Civil Forfeiture Office provides grants through a program managed by the Community Safety and Crime Prevention (CSCP) branch. Money from civil forfeitures is distributed proportionally across the province, including grants to community agencies who use the funds toward crime prevention or remediation activities.

Grant applications are adjudicated on how well they fit the objectives of the program, how much impact the group has in the community and many other factors. The number of grants awarded and the maximum value of each grant depends on the amount of funding available at the time when the program is announced.

The intent of the program is for seizures of the proceeds of crimes to be used to make our communities safer.

Programs that mentor youth to resist joining gangs, support women escaping violence and help Indigenous families heal from intergenerational traumas will benefit from just over $6 million in grants supporting government crime prevention priorities.

In total, more than 170 local organizations and projects across the province – led by community not-for-profits, school districts, and more – will receive a one-time grant through the Crime Prevention and Remediation grant program.

Recipients of grants announced last week for programs that operate in the constituency of Oak Bay-Gordon Head are:

• Camosun College – $19,823 – under the indigenous healing and rebuilding funding stream, a program called Crafting Sisterhood will invite 10 indigenous single mothers to learn indigenous art skills, get guidance and mentorship from established indigenous women professionals.
• Victoria Restorative Justice Society – $19,096 – will enhance the capacity of Victoria Restorative Justice Society to provide supports through use of trained caseworkers to provide client services on complex files alongside volunteers.
• University of Victoria – $30,000 – to cultivate healthy relationships in boys and male youth, this initiative is a series of psycho-educational circles that focus on healthy relationships and consent issues.

We are grateful for the tremendous work done locally by the organizations above who are grant recipients and to all the grant recipients across BC. Thank you for the work you do every day for the benefit of our communities.