By Christine Chu, (President July 2021-June 2023)

Over the past year our Board has worked diligently to refresh the Foundation and its activities. We welcomed new members and looked for new ways to engage the community. Following our fall retreat the Board also undertook to revitalize the Foundation’s name and establish a social media presence. We continued to support successful ongoing programs in Canada and China, and also requested proposals for new projects to support with small grants.

In Canada, we supported programs at Britannia Community Secondary School which operate in challenging environments with many at-risk students. We provided $12,500 to continue the highly successful Brite 8 program for students in Grade 8. Now in its eighth year, this program has demonstrated success in supporting students with their entry into and successful navigation of the high school years and provides opportunities to youth leaders from Grades 10-12 to build on their leadership skills. We also provided $7,500 to continue the well-received Boys Who Rise program. This program is open to self-identified youth and uses mentoring models to develop life and leadership skills, improve sense of belonging and connection to school, community and environment, and foster community engagement. In China, the Foundation continued its support of the Sunrise iRead program, now into the sixth year. This program builds libraries and trains teachers from schools in impoverished rural areas to develop children’s critical thinking and grow their love of reading and learning. Based on the success observed in previous years, the Foundation decided to continue its funding to Dajing and Luzhuang Elementary Schools in Henan Province with CAD $10,200.

The Foundation ended its 2022 fiscal year in a financially stable position, with total fund balances, or net assets, of approximately $99,000. The Foundation received total donations of $29,135, including $10,988 which was designated specifically for the Vancouver Schools Fund and $2,800 for the China Projects Fund. We continued to keep non-program related expenses to a minimum, with education projects at 93% of total expenditures.

We would like to thank our generous supporters who make it possible for the Foundation to continue its work on behalf of the children. We look forward to holding an in-person fundraising event again this coming fall.
It has been over four decades since the Foundation’s beginnings in 1981. Reflecting on the Foundation’s history, I would like to express most sincere thanks to our volunteers, friends and supporters along the way. It is your dedication and generosity of spirit which has made possible the Foundation’s work to help better the lives of children. The Foundation continues to carry on its work to improve the education, health and welfare of children, in both China and Canada, by identifying gaps in existing services. I would like to recognize the work of our volunteer Board members who are committed to helping deliver meaningful programs for the children. Looking forward, we hope to seek out more opportunities to help mitigate children’s vital unmet needs.

For the children,
Christine Chu
President

June 30, 2023