A HUGE THANK YOU SURREY TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION AND ANTI-POVERTY COMMITTEE

Bright Beginnings Foundation Directors are pleased to say that our first big event “Working Together for a Bright Future” was a tremendous success! This evening benefited Bright Beginnings Foundation (BBF) in several ways. We succeeded in reaching out to the community, achieved acknowledgement from the B.C. political world (both the NDP and Liberals were represented) and profited from donations. While these successes are very worthwhile for BBF, it’s Surrey youth and their families who will gain the most.

BBF recognizes that we could not have done it without the support and sponsorship of the Surrey Teachers’ Association Anti-Poverty Committee. These people have been the biggest supporters of BBF from the very beginning three and a half years ago. For the last several months the A-P Committee and STA staffers worked hard creating and publishing posters and tickets and promoting the event to the STA members. They prepared for the evening while putting in a full day of teaching or working in the STA office. The BBF directors worked tirelessly on procuring and organizing raffle and auction donations, making decorations, selling tickets, etc.

With the guidance of our esteemed MC, Denise Moffatt (former STA President), the evening moved along very smoothly. Denise introduced wonderful speakers, including Fay Blaney, a Xwemalhkwu woman of the Coast Salish Nation who grew up in poverty. She spoke of her post-secondary educational experiences and successes as an aboriginal youth. Brady Lumsden spoke movingly about why and how he founded Weekend Fuelbag, a Langley (and soon to be Surrey) charity that provides weekend food for students who would otherwise go without anything to eat until they come back to school on Monday. There was also an amazing performance by Ashley Pater, a student from Fraser Heights. She is a singer and musician who performs both cover and original songs. If you have not heard her, it is worth checking out her website.

This is a quote from our Keynote speaker, Bernard Richard, BC Representative for Children and Youth. “In today’s world, it is imperative that post-secondary education be accessible and available to all young people, regardless of their financial circumstances. I am pleased that access to post-secondary education for former youth in care in B.C. was expanded last fall, but there are still too many youth for whom lack of finances continues to be a barrier. We all have to work towards changing that.”

While we still have not got a final accounting of the proceeds of the evening, I can tell you that we have our very first BBF BFF (monthly donor)!! I also am pleased to report that we are still receiving donations from individuals and organizations that were unable to attend but still wanted to contribute.

The BBF Directors were barely able to catch our breath before we were reminded of our raison d’etre…

Two weeks after the “Working Together for a Bright Future” event BBF began to receive applications for our first full-on bursary. The decision will be very difficult. The students who applied are all very deserving. They have all worked very hard, are an inspiration to peers, put in countless volunteer hours in their schools and community and have demonstrated resilience over and over again. BBF Directors really have their work cut out for them!

Once again, we are very grateful to the STA and the Anti-Poverty Committee for their on-going support of Bright Beginnings Foundation.