Youth addiction treatment facility heads HYDRECS 2009 special projects list

The Central City Foundation will receive up to $100,000 from the BC Hydro Employees' Community Services (HYDRECS) for a workshop at their youth addiction treatment facility near Keremeos, B.C.

The HYDRECS Committee announced the Central City Foundation as the lead recipient in the provincial special projects category of the 2009 HYDRECS Fundraising Campaign. The Central City Foundation is one of Vancouver's oldest charitable organizations and provides valuable services to vulnerable populations in B.C., including mental health patients and B.C. youth challenged by addiction.

The Crossing at Keremeos facility, to be built on a 58-acre area of land 10 kilometres outside of Keremeos, will become B.C.'s first long-term residential treatment centre for addicted youth.

The other selected charity capital projects recipients as part of the 2009 HYDRECS Special Project campaign include:

• The Arthritis Society Vancouver (Lower Mainland special project), which will receive up to $30,000 for a new wheelchair access elevator;
• Providence Farm Duncan ( Vancouver Island special project ), which will receive up to $10,000 for a new awning covering for their front entrance;
• The Child Development Centre in Fort St. John (Northern special project ), which will receive up to $10,000 for new special needs sports equipment;
• The East Kootenay Regional Health Foundation Cranbrook (South Interior special project), which will receive up to $10,000 for a new electro-surgical unit.

The official kickoff of the 2009 Special Project Fundraising campaign is September 23, 2008.

What is HYDRECS?

Each year, the BC Hydro Employees' Community Services (HYDRECS) Committee conduct a provincial fundraising campaign that encourages employees and retirees to donate towards their favourite registered charity, or the pre-selected Special Project. During the fundraising campaign one hundred percent of each contribution received by HYDRECS is given to the charities.

HYDRECS is governed by an employee and retiree volunteer Committee which facilitates the charitable contributions raised each year. The Committee consists of workers from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union, IBEW local 258, the Canadian Office & Professional Employees Union, COPE local 378, Management & Professional (M&P) employees, and retirees.

Eligibility for funding

To receive Special Project and/or Community Growth funding, an applicant must:

• Be a registered Canadian charity.
• Be based in British Columbia.
• Have a project that supports the betterment of community through the health or social service sectors.
• Use funds for capital purposes, i.e. a tangible item/program. HYDRECS does not provide funding for operating costs.
• Have an elected voluntary Board of Directors for the agency.
• Demonstrate that its program or project costs are equivalent to the highest funding amount category seeked.
• Demonstrate a financial need (via financial report).

HYDRECS funding categories

Donations received through HYDRECS fundraising campaigns and initiatives are distributed to:

• Special Projects Fund: supports one provincial and four regional Canadian-registered charities based in British Columbia in the health or social service sectors with larger capital project requests. Charities that are awarded Special Project funding are showcased to BC Hydro employees/retirees on video and in print during a two-month annual campaign.
• Charities of Choice: supports over 700 charities selected by BC Hydro employees/retirees.
• Community Growth Fund: supports Canadian-registered charities based in British Columbia in the health or social service sectors with smaller capital project requests.
• Relationship Fund: supports past Special Projects and other criteria-matching agencies with project-specific events and/or fundraising initiatives. (There is no application process for the Relationship Fund. Donations are distributed annually to pre-selected agencies.)

Apply for funding

Eligible agencies can acquire Special Projects and/or Community Growth funding through an annual application process.

Special Project funding

Special Project Fund application deadline: March 15 of each year

• Special Project application (editable form fields) [MS Word, 202 Kb]
• Community Relations Regions  [PDF, 154 Kb]

The following table outlines Special Project funding amounts available for larger capital projects/programs.

Region	Funding Amount
Provincial	Up to $100,000
Lower Mainland	Up to $30,000
Vancouver Island	Up to $10,000
Northern	Up to $10,000
South Interior	Up to $10,000

To receive Special Project funding, the capital project/program must be based in British Columbia and must be accessible, if needed, to all citizens in the provincial/regional community.

An agency cannot receive the same funding amount within a five-year period. See past Special Projects recipients.

HYDRECS disburses approximately 70% of all donations to charities in February and the remainder in the following January. This method allows our employees to make contributions via payroll deductions.

Community Growth funding

Community Growth Fund application deadline: May 31 of each year

• Community Growth Fund application (editable form fields) [MS Word, 191 Kb]

The following table outlines Community Growth funding amounts available for smaller capital projects.

Region	Funding Amount
Lower Mainland	Up to $2,000
Vancouver Island	Up to $1,000
Northern	Up to $1,000
South Interior	Up to $1,000

An agency cannot receive the same funding amount within a two-year period. See past Community Growth Fund recipients.

HYDRECS Annual Report

The HYDRECS Annual Report [PDF, 714 Kb] summarizes how BC Hydro's employees/retirees have supported communities across B.C. through the 2006 HYDRECS fundraising campaign.

Contact HYDRECS

For more information on the HYDRECS fund, contact your regional representative.

Lower Mainland
HYDRECS Coordinator
Vancouver
Phone: 604 623 3534
Fax: 604 623 3883

Vancouver Island
Linda Williams
Nanaimo
Phone: 250 755 7103
Fax: 250 755 7110

Northern
Ed McEwen
Prince George
Phone: 250 963 5783
Fax: 250 963 5775

South Interior
Jonathan Eadie
Cranbrook
Phone: 250 489 6835
Fax: 250 489 6807