Organizers of three community-based projects learned today they will receive a $2,000 boost.
The River Market and Donald’s Market announced the ONE Prize winners, including a project that boosts youth training in the trades and two others that help seniors socialize.
Hammer and Saw was founded by two technical education teachers, who are committed to empowering youth through skills training and community engagement. Through the group, 10 New Westminster youth will design and build a project they identify as a community need, according to a media release.
The other two winners are groups that help seniors interact with the community. Seniors Out N’ About is a Seniors Services Society program that prevents senior isolation in the community through organized outings. Seniors to the Market Shuttle Program, proposed by the Royal City Farmers Market, provides seniors door-to-door services to the farmers’ market.
“This year we reserved one of the three prizes for a project that encourages greater social inclusion and community engagement for seniors,” River Market ONE project lead Leslie Shieh said in the release. “It was great to see that two projects that sought to strengthen seniors’ inclusivity were among the top-three projects chosen by ONE members.”
Nineteen organizations submitted to this year’s ONE Prize grant. A jury narrowed the field and over the past two weeks, ONE members voted for the winners.
The grant program is a joint effort between the River Market and Donald’s Market. Customers, who sign up and use their ONE keytag when they shop at Donald’s Market New Westminster, help fundraise for the local causes. When ONE members shop at Donald’s, the grocery store contributes one per cent of every dollar they spend to the community fund. This year, the fund offered $6,000 in prize money.
“It’s a simple and powerful idea,” Donald’s Market general manager Eric Siu said in the release. “Alone, one per cent of a grocery bill does little, but when pooled with your neighbours’ one per cent, it can support local projects that contribute to the place where we all live and work.”
To contribute to the ONE Prize fund, shoppers can sign up and get their keytag through a Donald’s Market cashier at River Market. Members also benefit from ONE Prize perks, including discounts at River Market businesses. For more information, visit rivermarket.ca/about/one.
