Spring 2023 Donor Update

Options Community Services executive director Neil Arao (centre), program manager Harpal Johl (right), and outreach support worker Ritu Guglani. Photo by Jason Payne.

New News: At-home Detox in Surrey

We were super pleased by the cover story that The Province ran in March about our new at-home detox program! This new, federally funded, two-year pilot project, will offer detox options at home, including Punjabi speaking outreach workers to target the underserved South Asian community.

The intention is to respond to inquiries within 24 to 36 hours, noting that waiting times for public residential detox centres are often several weeks long.

If someone you know could benefit from this program, you can learn more or reach out to us on our website.

@Habitat – Affordable Housing Build Update

We’re almost there! The site is almost complete and insulation and drywall is complete down to Level 2. Occupancy is coming this Fall. If you are interested in learning more about Habitat@81st and want to be notified when we are accepting applications, you can submit a form online here.

Again, thank you to those who donated to our 2021 Women of Options’ affordable housing campaign; dreams are coming true!

More Gamechanger Campaign Thank You’s and Update

Spring is here and we’re bursting with renewed energy and ambition at Options thanks to amazing folks like you! Together, we are Building Community and Inspiring Hope!

Thank you, Mandy Samra and AFL Network Services’ Women’s Group (WeCONNECT) who featured us at an internal networking session and shared the efforts of the Women of Options Gamechangers initiative and the 50 women who were part of the fundraising with your organization!

We have reached our $1M goal thanks to your generosity and support. In May, we will begin to utilize the funds to help young people in need of a hand up. When all other avenues have been exhausted, they can come to us! Should you wish to donate to this fund, you still can at Women of Options — Youth Gamechangers Fund.

Tim Hortons’ Smile Cookie Campaign (2023)

Greg McAuley and McAuley Ventures are once again designating Options Community Services’ as the recipient of their upcoming Smile Cookie Campaign!

We hope you will order some yummy smiles to give to your family, friends or coworkers, as 100% of the profits from these three local Tim Hortons’ Smile Cookie sales are going to the Gamechangers campaign in support of local at-risk youth.

DATES

May 1 – 7 (In-person sales & pre-order pick ups)

PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS

401-18682 Fraser Hwy, Surrey
130-19705 Fraser Hwy, Langley (Willowbrook Mall, mall hours)
19712 Fraser Hwy, Langley (7-11 kiosk, pre-orders not available)

PRE-ORDER HERE

“The real magic behind the Smile Cookie campaign is the local impact that we can realize with groups like Options Community Services who serve the same communities that we do…”

GREG MCAULEY

Thank you again, Greg and McAuley Ventures, for your partnership, and for demonstrating how a local business can collaborate to make a difference at home.

What’s Next?

Front Row: Jennifer Temple, Rebecca Darnell, Michelle Mann (representing Milan Mann), Back Row: Roop Kooner, Anoop Khosla, Bobby Pawar, Mandy Shergill, Rick Mann | Missing: Bilal Cheema, Gurjit Tiwana, Milan Mann, Rene Sandhu, Sarb Purewal, Jason Sandhu, and Perminder Tung

We couldn’t be more grateful for all of our 2021 & 2022 Women of Options. As we move forward with the dream of additional housing builds and other programs over the next three years, we’ve had more remarkable people sign up to help offset the needs of the communities we serve. These individuals helped us to raise the remaining funds for our Gamechangers campaign, and will be promoting upcoming events to people within their communities and spheres of influence.

If you’re a local entrepreneur and would like to learn more about joining this Campaign Cabinet, please reach out to Ginny at ginny.hasselfield@options.bc.ca.

Left to right. Back row: Roop Kooner, Anoop Khosla, Bobby Pawar, Rick Mann, Mandy Shergill Ivan Menendez, Anthony Mann, Michael Kendler | Second row: Leticia Fraga, Jennifer Temple, Christine Mohr, Rebecca Darnell, Michelle Mann, Heather Lynch,Ginny Hasselfield | Front: Bill Brooks, Dal Hothie, Tim Beachy, Azra Mann, Linda Annis

From our Entrepreneurs of Options (EOO) Gamechangers’ fundraising evening, featuring some of our EOO, Options board and team members, and community allies.

HOME AID 2024*
BC-Wide Talent Search & Competition Event

BACKGROUND

In 2021 and 2022, Options Community Services launched two fundraising initiatives called Women of Options. The 2021 campaign was created to address the need for $1.5 million for affordable housing and the 2022 campaign to raise $1 plus million for youth at-risk. They were also created to circumvent the issues related to COVID where meetings in person were next to impossible and where mask mandates made it impossible to have such things as cocktail receptions and galas and the like. In both cases, 50 women from the community used their own networks and connections to raise funds for both initiatives. Both campaigns were successful.

Although we did raise awareness and funds, we still need to keep up the outreach so that we can attract supporters for our upcoming initiative – which will be to raise the funds we need for our next affordable housing project… (COMING SOON!!!)

HOME AID 2024*

There are multitudes of galas held yearly in the Lower Mainland. Options, wanting to be different, has decided to produce a Live Talent Search and Competition promoting BC vocal performing artists, as well as helping musicians who suffered during COVID to promote their live music and have their talents recognized.

Options Community Services is planning to host a live 90-minute vocal-only emerging talent search competition event at the Bell Performing Arts Centre on Saturday, 28 September 2024, in Surrey, BC.

We are currently looking for a title partner/sponsor for this event. Please email Ginny at ginny.hasselfield@options.bc.ca or call 604-813-6409 if you are interested to participate in some way with this BC-wide initiative.

Stay Tuned for further information!

*Working event name