Views and News From SVSS

Polka dot painted fuchias in November to remind us that our historic office building is now newly painted!

Our volunteer work at SVSS is just as busy through fall and winter as it is in spring and summer. We drove 200 times for clients' medical appointments and our volunteers completed a total of 699 jobs for SVSS clients since September of this year. Some volunteer jobs are completed onsite for different programming or for office volunteering. For instance, our volunteer receptionists come for 3.5 hours per week to help clients find volunteers for their jobs and to keep a personal, approachable answer service available for the broader community. On the other hand, we have a core group of volunteers who do shopping, cooking and serving for our Let's Do Lunch Program in Thursdays.

For this last week of November a potential cold snap is predicted for our Greater Victoria area. For ourselves and our neighbours this is a good time to review emergency preparedness. The BC Community Response Network (BCCRN) is a wonderful resource for many different subjects and they have a comprehensive Winter Preparation Tip Sheet available for anyone here.

The Olympic Mountain Range coated in the first dusting of snow this season, 2025

In short, be aware of risks in your environment, such as inclement weather reports, consider a plan to respond to the risks, and store an emergency kit in a convenient, safe location at your home. If you have more vulnerable people in your life, or neighbourhood, consider assisting them safely navigate the winter season's risks. For more complete advice use the link above to review and prepare as we head into mid-winter a season to appreciate for its beauty and respect for its risks.