For the first time, Richmond residents with communitybuilding ideas - such as street parties, community gardens and movie nights - can get financial help to bring those initiatives to life.
Residents are invited to apply to the Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) program, which is funded by the Vancouver Foundation.
NSG is a unique program, which supports residents with small, but powerful, ideas for bringing people together.
"It's not uncommon for urban residents to feel isolated from their communities," said Elizabeth Specht, executive director of Volunteer Richmond Information Services and the Richmond Community Foundation.
"For a very small amount of money - often only a few dollars - these small projects can create a sense of community, where before, there may have been none."
The program is designed to bring people together and help neighbours to connect and engage with their community.
Small grants ranging from $50 to $1,000 are provided to support resident-led community projects such as community gardens, canning workshops, street parties, movie nights, origami lessons, book exchanges, and more.
Since launching in 1999 in the Downtown Eastside, the program has expanded to 17 communities across Metro Vancouver.
Last year, the NSG program provided funding of more than $408,000 to support 848 projects that helped build bonds between neighbours. The deadline for applications is August 15, 2014. For more information, or to apply for a small grant, visit neighbourhoodsmallgrants.ca/.
