• SGI Neighbourhood House

TWO SEPARATE ENTITIES, the SGICRC has become…

1. The SGI NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE

Neighbourhood Houses are community driven organizations with a unique focus on neighbours supporting neighbours.  A gathering place, where people of all ages, cultures and walks of life can make friends and participate in programs and events. Neighbourhood Houses connect people and empower them to create the change they want to see in their communities.

Part of a worldwide movement, Neighbourhood Houses are based on the settlement house movement that began in nineteenth century England in response to the needs of rural and urban poverty. Today it is a worldwide movement, the International Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers, organized in 1926, now has a membership of more than 7700 settlement houses around the world.  In Victoria BC alone there are twelve non-profit Neighbourhood Houses.  A multi-service non-profit organization, a neighbourhood house is a hub for community and social service programs from youth outreach to day care, senior services to literacy, food programs to counselling, employment programs and so much more.

Neighbourhood Houses are committed to providing neighborhood services with as much local control and staff as possible to help build community.  Collaborating with residents from “birth to death” developing their strengths, Neighbourhood Houses take on the necessities of the time. They never expected to be involved in food security and employment services but those are areas of need. Touching the lives of thousands of people, one Neighbourhood House in Victoria alone reaches over 520 people a day through a youth drop-in centre, specialized programs for the disadvantaged, outreach initiatives in schools and meal deliveries.  “The Neighbourhood House service is remarkable. It’s community members helping community members, which I think we really do need to see a lot more.”  Gregor Robertson, Former Mayor of Vancouver, BC

2. THE SGI COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE

A Community Resource Centre focuses on helping our Island entrepreneurs. It is a local champion of business and community.  The Centre ‘lives and works where you live and work’ and knows that rural communities thrive when small businesses are successful. When local businesses succeed, so do we all across the Southern Gulf Islands.

The Centre will offer business owners targeted coaching support pivoting individual businesses through marketing, workforce development, financial and management experience, and technology requests. The key focus will be on providing and offering tools for residents who are starting, building or have a long term business on the islands. Being local, the Centre will take the time to understand each business request or idea and offer mentoring and skills training to meet unique Island needs helping residents to make ‘it’ happen.

The Centre will be run by and for the Island communities with in-depth knowledge of the unique characteristics of the Region’s local and regional economies.  It will be connected and have active partnerships with business and community leaders, local government, educational institutions, other business leaders and not-for-profits.

Please note: Seniors, Youth and Volunteer programs are now coordinated by the SGI Neighbourhood House, please visit www.sginh.ca for details.