Navigating literacy and numeracy can be tough for kids growing up in poverty. The stress of housing instability and difficult home situations can affect their mental well-being, making it even harder to focus and learn.
In Victoria, nearly 1 in 5 children live in poverty, and this has a direct impact on their education. Poverty often means limited access to basic school supplies, fewer opportunities for extra help, and a lack of stability at home. As a result, many kids struggle to develop essential skills like reading and math, which are crucial for success later in life.
At CFAX Santas Anonymous, we see these challenges firsthand and step in where funding falls short for families in need across Victoria, B.C. We fund programs that provide much-needed resources, from school supplies to literacy initiatives like CORE: Centre for Outreach Education, which offers tutoring for kids facing learning challenges.
When choosing which educational programs to support, the CFAX Santas Anonymous Funding Committee focuses on those that reflect the community's spirit of volunteerism. By doing so, we ensure our contributions not only address immediate needs but also help build a sense of community and collaboration.
SPRING 2024 THROUGH SUMMER 2025 GRANTS:
Seven $2,000 post secondary education bursary awards for Greater Victoria Students
The University of Victoria received $15,000 for their CORE (Centre for Outreach Education) program, which offers tutoring and educational support to children in the Victoria community. This funding will expand services like one-on-one tutoring, Book Clubs, and English Language Learning programs.
Esquimalt High School was awarded $2,500 for subsidies required in the Culinary Arts program.
1000X5 Children’s Book Recycling - is based upon research that reading to babies and toddlers is the single greatest factor to develop a child’s brain and hence educational future. Many families do not have resources to buy books and thus do not have access to this crucial introduction to reading and learning. $6,000.00 was awarded to the Victoria chapter and $5,000.00 awarded to the Peninsula chapter for the purchase of board books for babies and toddlers reaching hundreds of families each year.
Victoria Literacy Connection provides reading empowerment programming for children in Greater Victoria. 1:1 literacy support is offered to students requiring help reading and learning. $20,000.00 was awarded mainly toward reading materials and program coordination of Reading Blast, a fun, interactive, after-school reading group designed to help developing readers in Grades 2-4 improve their reading skills and confidence.
$2,500 was awarded to Salvation Army Connection Point to remove 50 kids from a waitlist for Back-to-School supplies.