 |
 |
News & Events
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 22, 2013
Gathering Our Voices on Health
2013 Aboriginal Youth Conference - Volunteer Recruitment
Esquimalt Territory / Victoria, BC – Penticton will soon host over one thousand Aboriginal youth delegates from around British Columbia and Canada as they come together for the 11th Annual Aboriginal Youth Conference Gathering Our Voices on Health from March 19-22, 2013.
The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres and Ooknakane Aboriginal Friendship Centre are proud to host Gathering Our Voices on the traditional territory of the Okanagan peoples at the Penticton Convention Centre, Penticton Community Centre, and the Lakeside Resort and Convention Centre. This year’s theme is “Health”.
Volunteers are needed to help support this conference in a variety of areas, whether your interests are sharing your knowledge of the Penticton area, First Aid, working with Elders, helping with evening entertainment, or helping with meals. If you are able to give your time, we have four hour shifts available to help meet the conference needs.
The volunteer drive will take place throughout January and February, we encourage all Penticton and Okanagan Valley citizens to come out and show the hospitality of your region.
Volunteer Registration forms are available on the website: http://www.bcaafc.com/newsandevents/gathering-our-voices
For further information please contact:
Julie Robertson, jrobertson@bcaafc.com
---------------------------------------------------
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 26, 2012
Gathering Our Voices on Health
2013 Provincial Aboriginal Youth Conference
Victoria, BC – The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) and the Ooknakane Friendship Centre are proud to announce that we will be hosting ‘Gathering Our Voices on Health’ Provincial Aboriginal Youth Conference on the traditional territory of the Okanagan Peoples. This is our 11th Aboriginal youth conference and it will be held from March 19-22, 2013 at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre. The conference will host over one thousand Aboriginal youth delegates from throughout British Columbia.
The Conference theme will focus on Health and the event will have multiple streams of training, activities and information for Aboriginal youth over the four days. The theme will be reflected in educational and training workshops, a Career and Education Fair, cultural and recreational activities, evening events and motivational speakers.
The Conference will provide youth delegates with career information, networking and leadership development opportunities, best practices strategies, tools and techniques, and culturally appropriate teachings over four days. Youth can gather, share and learn from each other and from mentors. Involving the local community in the event ensures each event meets regional needs and addresses current priorities. This annual conference is an excellent opportunity to promote healthy living in Aboriginal communities and support youth in their personal growth and development.
In friendship,
| Annette Morgan, President |
Paul Lacerte, Executive Director |
Rikki Wylie, Youth Executive |
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 20, 2012
Aboriginal Youth Funding Slashed by Federal Government
Songhees & Esquimalt Territory/Victoria, BC – Aboriginal non-profit agencies across BC are reeling with the unexpected news of a $3 million funding freeze to a long-standing and highly successful youth services program called Cultural Connections for Aboriginal Youth. This sudden announcement by the Federal Government represents a significant proportion of each agency’s annual operating budget. The severity of this cut means that some organizations may potentially have to close their doors.
Until now, the Cultural Connections for Aboriginal Youth (CCAY) program has been a $22 million, Canada-wide initiative that supports off-reserve Aboriginal youth aged 10-24 years to enhance their economic, social, cultural and personal prospects.
“The Federal Government tells us they have to cut this funding because it doesn’t promote job creation,” says an outraged Paul Lacerte, Executive Director of the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, “and yet that is exactly what CCAY does.”
CCAY funding is used by Friendship Centres and other Aboriginal agencies to create opportunities for Aboriginal youth to explore and learn about Aboriginal languages and cultures, promote their engagement in the community, and build cultural awareness in the community at large. “Programs like CCAY are building an Aboriginal workforce that is strong and sustainable,” continues Lacerte. “We know that Aboriginal youth have better outcomes when they have access to culturally appropriate life and job skills development services.”
One of the hallmarks of the CCAY program, according to BC Program Manager Naomi Graham, is that it builds self-confidence and self-esteem.
“Vancouver Island Aboriginal communities are experiencing an unprecedented and astonishing rate of youth suicide,” says Graham about the community that recently declared a state of emergency. “Aboriginal youth in the Cowichan region have an unemployment rate at an all-time high of 85%. Now is not the time to cut essential support services for Aboriginal youth.”
Aboriginal youth is the fastest-growing demographic in BC. The Aboriginal labour force is expected to grow twice as fast as the rest of Canada's labour force in the next decade, so they will be an important part of the province and country’s future economic growth.
Last year, almost 3,500 Aboriginal youth took part in CCAY programming, and accessed over 300,000 points of service. These figures directly translate into lower costs for other government services and a brighter future for Aboriginal youth.
“Aboriginal people face disproportionate risks and barriers to living long healthy lives, including the lowest life expectancy and graduation rates, and some of the highest rates of suicide, addictions, unemployment, poverty, victimization and incarceration,” says Annette Morgan, President of the BC Assn of Friendship Centres. “Programs like CCAY close these gaps, and help to address the structural barriers that have precluded Aboriginal people from fully participating in Canada’s economy.”
Formal notice of the funding cut came from the Federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development on June 12, 2012, and is retroactive to April 1, 2012. This means that any funds expended by CCAY funded organizations during the first quarter of this fiscal year will not be reimbursed, leaving Aboriginal agencies scrambling to find money to cover their expenses.
“This decision will have a major impact on the Friendship Centre movement across the country and on our young people who depend heavily on these support services,” says Lacerte. “Our staff are now exploring options for alternative funding and we are calling on all our allies to support our efforts.”
The BCAAFC is an umbrella organization for BC’s 25 Aboriginal Friendship Centres that offer a wide range of culturally relevant services and supports to Aboriginal people residing in urban and rural communities. These include job training and skills development programs, mental health and addictions counseling, literacy and early childhood education programs, and cultural support services for youth, families and elders.
For more information contact:
For more information contact:
Paul Lacerte
Executive Director, BCAAFC
placerte@bcaafc.com
250-388-5522
Naomi Graham
Program Manager, CCAY
ngraham@bcaafc.com
250-388-5522
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 1, 2012
31 Groups Across B.C. Get $214,000 for Mental Health and Addictions Training – Plus a Chance to Apply for More
Vancouver –Thirty-one projects led by groups across the province have been given awards in the $6,000 to $7,000 range, for a total value of $214,000, from the Community Action Initiative. The awards will let the groups plan for training to better serve clients facing mental health and substance use challenges. Funded projects will also be eligible to apply for a next round of funding, to implement training projects ranging from $100,000 to $200,000, for a total of roughly $2 million, Barb Keith, co-chair of the CAI, announced today.
“We believe in the power of communities to help with the mental health and substance use challenges faced by some of their citizens,” said Mrs. Keith. “And training can be a powerful tool to ensure this help is effective. Our aim is to help communities identify and respond to their own training needs. When service providers have the right training, they can make an even bigger difference in their clients’ lives. Most of them already know what training they need- we’re just giving the money to help make it happen.”
Fellow co-chair Paul Lacerte added: “This latest round of grants is for convening activities, to help community groups and their partner agencies and work through the details of larger training projects to help all the partners. Ideally, as they get this training together, it might also lead to some innovative new solutions to persistent problems. We need many ideas to help. That’s why with this award, and all of our grants so far since 2010, we fund work done through partnerships. ”
Through an initial grant from the Province of British Columbia, CAI’s work helps complement the province’s Healthy Minds, Healthy People: A Ten-Year Plan to Address Mental Health and Substance Use in British Columbia, which was released in 2010 and takes a transformative approach to these important health issues.
This latest round of CAI-funded projects will allow communities to explore projects like:
- Volunteer training for seniors to serve as ambassadors to other seniors in modeling responsible alcohol and prescription drug use (led by the Richmond Addiction Services Society);
- A province-wide program to develop training materials for building the capacity of families and school-community partners to promote and support positive mental health in children and youth (led by the Directorate of Agencies for School Health BC);
- Training for addictions counselors and support workers to better address underlying causes of substance use and mental health challenges faced by men (led by the Nanaimo Men’s Resource Centre);
- Culturally-appropriate harm-reduction and resiliency training for service providers working with First Nations clients in Sechelt (led by the Sechelt Indian Band); and
- Volunteer training to help mothers facing a high risk of mental health and substance use issues (led by the Addiction Recovery Coach of Canada).
With today’s announcement, the CAI has granted over $4 million to promote collaboration and innovation in the delivery of services to address mental health and substance use challenges since 2010, and has funded projects led by over 130 different community-based agencies. More than half of this money has directly helped children and youth, with a strong focus on the prevention of mental illness and promotion of good mental health. CAI has also helped community service providers to access training to better respond to Aboriginal clients, allocating another $50,000 to allow 200 people from 145 community-based agencies to take the Indigenous Cultural Competency on-line course created by the BC Provincial Health Services Authority, and by allocating one-third of its total funding to date to projects led by Aboriginal organizations.
About the Community Action Initiative
In 2008, the B.C. government provided the B.C. Alliance for Mental Health/Illness and Addiction with $10 million, enabling the Alliance to establish the CAI. The CAI supports community action to promote mental health, prevent substance use problems and support treatment when problems occur. The CAI funding includes three specific funding streams: convening, service innovation and training. The CAI is governed by a Leadership Council that includes community-based mental health and substance use organizations, professional associations, aboriginal organizations, labour, business and provincial ministries. For more information on the CAI please visit www.communityactioninitiative.ca
Media contact:
Laura Tate, Provincial Director
Community Action Initiative
Phone: 250.589.5422
Email: ltate@communityactioninitiative.ca
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 26, 2012
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation
Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres
Helping Aboriginal non-profits improve human resources
VICTORIA – A new labour market partnership agreement between the Province and the BC
Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) will help address human resources
challenges within Aboriginal non-profit agencies to better provide essential supports to
Aboriginal people and families throughout B.C.
Aboriginal non-profit agencies often face complex human resource issues and labour market
challenges, such as lower wages and benefits, lack of pensions and high rates of worker
turnover. The agreement will help develop a strategy to address these challenges. It will also
lead to the development of tools and resources relevant to Aboriginal cultures and
communities that address the more standard human resources issues such as recruitment,
retention and succession planning.
The Province is investing $611,700 in the two-year agreement, which has a number of major
activities, including:
- An analysis of sector employee benefits and pension gap.
- A mentoring and professional development strategy.
- A strategy to improve workplace wellness and work-life balance.
- HR strategies that will strengthen connections with traditional values and culture within HR practices.
The program will run from March 26, 2012 to April 15, 2014.
The Province is also working with key Aboriginal partners, including the BCAAFC, and other
levels of government, on an Off-Reserve Aboriginal Action Plan. The plan’s goal is to better
connect the hundreds of policies and programs B.C. already has in place in order to serve
Aboriginal people and families throughout the province.
The labour market partnership agreement between the Province and the BCAAFC will support
the approach and the goals of the Off-Reserve Aboriginal Action Plan by helping Aboriginal nonprofit
agencies to better provide essential supports to B.C.’s off-reserve and urban Aboriginal
population.
Quotes:
Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Minister Mary Polak –
“This agreement will help to make B.C.’s Aboriginal non-profit workforce stronger and more sustainable, which will benefit Aboriginal people and families across the province.”
Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Minister Pat Bell –
“This is a very important program for B.C. With the anticipated labour shortage over the next decade, any initiative to improve work conditions for Aboriginal people is of great benefit to employers and those taking part in the program.”
Annette Morgan, President, BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres –
“Each day, Aboriginal employment counsellors, health-care workers, child- and family-service providers, housing advocates and drug and alcohol counsellors do incredible work despite limited human resources policies that are commonplace in non-profits.
“This agreement will help the Aboriginal non-profit sector to strengthen itself in tangible and meaningful ways. At the end of this process we will have a very clear understanding of what is needed to enable the Aboriginal non-profit sector to maintain a skilled Aboriginal labour force, and provide ongoing high-quality services that our communities require.”
Quick Facts:
- Labour Market Partnerships fund projects that encourage and support employers, employee and/or employer associations and communities in developing and implementing strategies for dealing with labour force adjustments and meeting human resource requirements.
- Over the next decade, British Columbia is projected to have over one million job openings. The BC Jobs Plan will ensure the over $500 million provided annually for labour market and training programs is targeted to meeting regional and industry labour market needs.
- B.C. invests approximately $66 million a year – between 2008 and 2014 – in programs and services that help people get the skills they need to fill job opportunities in regions where they live and study. These programs and services are funded through the Canada-BC Labour Market Agreement.
Learn More:
- For more information on the Canada – British Columbia Labour Market Agreement, visit: http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/labourmarketagreement/
- Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/
- Looking for a one-stop resource for the working world? Visit WorkBC: http://www.workbc.ca/
Contacts:
Maria Wilkie
Communications Director
Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
250 953-3211
Paul Lacerte
Executive Director, BCAAFC
placerte@bcaafc.com">placerte@bcaafc.com
250 388-5522
Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
February 14, 2012
Ending Violence Towards Aboriginal Women and Children
Esquimalt and Songhees Territory / Victoria, BC – On Wednesday, February 15th, from 10 am to 12:00 pm 100 Aboriginal men and many of our allies will meet at the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria to stand up for Aboriginal Women and Children and to speak out against all forms of violence towards them.
Aboriginal women are three times more likely to experience domestic violence than non-Aboriginal women, and three times more likely than non-Aboriginal women to be killed by someone they know. Too many wives, daughters, sisters, aunties, mothers, and grandmothers are not safe. Too many have been murdered or missing.
“Many efforts, projects, and strategies are now under-way throughout the province to change this reality, but as men we can and need to do more” says Paul Lacerte, Organizer and Executive Director of the BC Assn of Aboriginal Friendship Centres. “We need to speak up and take positive action, and we need to support each other as Aboriginal men in our healing journey”.
In order to spread this Movement, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal men are participating in a Moose Hide Campaign in which they wear a small patch of moose hide to symbolize their commitment to stand up against violence towards Aboriginal women and children. Moose hide is central to many Aboriginal cultures and represents humility, warmth, and strength.
A Press Conference will be held on the front steps of the BC Legislature at 12:30 pm where the gathering will be joined by the Honorable Mary Polak, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and by representatives of the Official Opposition. Speeches will address the urgent need for healing, positive change and the importance of working together. Traditional Aboriginal protocols will also be observed.
For further information:
Paul Lacerte
Executive Director
BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres
Ph. 800-990-2432 or 250-388-5522
WARNING NOTE: Some information detailed on our website may stir up or trigger unpleasant feelings or thoughts for Survivors. Please contact “The Indian Residential School Survivors Society” toll-free 1.800.721.0066 if you require emotional support or assistance. http://www.irsss.ca/services
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 19, 2012
Two new Friendship Centres brings the total to 25 in the BC Region
Lkwungen Territory / Victoria, BC – The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) is pleased to announce two (2) new member Friendship Centres to the BC region; the Sacred Wolf Friendship Centre in Port Hardy and the Kla-How-Eya Aboriginal Centre in Surrey. The addition of these 2 Friendship Centres brings the total for the BC region to 25.
National Senator Marge White was happy to welcome the new members to the BCAAFC. “We extend our hands of welcome and we hope they will be successful in their new role as a Friendship Centre in serving their communities. Always remember the philosophy of the Friendship Centres is to have an open door, welcoming Aboriginal People.”
Janet Hanuse, Executive Director for Sacred Wolf Friendship Centre, feels for her organization that, “Isolation is one of our most frequent and significant barriers living in North Vancouver Island, so it has been a tremendous honour, to be welcomed into this province- wide family.”
The history of Friendship Centres in BC dates back to 1954 when a group of concerned Aboriginal people in Vancouver, including Senator Marge White, formed the Coqualeetza Fellowship Club to provide support to Aboriginal students moving to the city. Over the next few years the organizers found themselves responding to ever increasing requests for services, and similar organizations opened in other urban areas like Prince Rupert and Prince George.
“We are extremely excited to be part of the Friendship Centre Movement and look forward to many more years of serving the urban Aboriginal community and building pride, strength and a better future,” stated June Laitar, President and Founding member of Kla-How-Eya Aboriginal Centre.
Both new Friendship Centres will participate as voting members in their first provincial Board of Directors Meeting in Victoria, BC on February 24-26, 2012.
For more information contact:
Paul Lacerte Executive Director, BCAAFC
250-388-5522
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
November 17, 2011
Off-Reserve Aboriginal People ready to act on Throne Speech promises
Songhees & Esquimalt Territory/Victoria, BC – Aboriginal people living off-reserve in British Columbia are ready to turn words into action and the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) is poised to lead the way. Challenged by extreme economic barriers and social risks, and buoyed by promises to improve conditions for 70% of Aboriginal people as laid out in last month’s Throne Speech, they are eager to help build a plan with government.
This week, Aboriginal leaders and the BCAAFC will meet with Cabinet Ministers, Liberal, and NDP members to press for an investment that supports implementation of an off-reserve Aboriginal Action Plan for more than two-thirds of the Aboriginal population who now live in cities or rural areas.
Although Aboriginal people are BC’s fastest growing population group and fare the lowest on almost every social and economic wellness measure, the province currently lacks a coordinated strategy to address the needs of Aboriginal people who live off-reserve.
“Hearing Lieutenant Governor Steven L. Point commit to developing an Off-Reserve Aboriginal Action Plan last month was a ray of hope for BC’s 145,000 Aboriginal people living off of the reserve, and an historic moment for the organizations that support them,” says Annette Morgan, President of the BCAAFC.
“But with some of the highest rates of suicide, addictions, unemployment, poverty, victimization and incarceration,” continues Morgan, “there is no time to waste. We must put words into action today.”
In the Throne Speech, the BC Government said they would work with Aboriginal partners, the federal government and local governments to develop the Off-Reserve Aboriginal Action Plan (ORAAP) to achieve outcomes such as better education and job training, healthier family life, and strengthened cultures and traditions. Additionally, an official recommendation was made in the Government’s 2012 Budget Consultation Report to develop a coordinated strategy for off-reserve Aboriginal people as well as a long-term capacity fund for Aboriginal Friendship Centres, in conjunction with the BCAAFC.
Implementing the ORAAP would only be possible through an investment in the capacity of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, BC’s largest service delivery infrastructure for Aboriginal people living off-reserve. Friendship Centres provide a range of resources for Aboriginal people who move from reserves into cities – a population that has more than tripled in a ten-year period. With the support of Friendship Centres, the ORAAP can close the social and economic gaps between Aboriginal people and other British Columbians.
“BC’s 23 Aboriginal Friendship Centres are one of the main supports for our people living off-reserve, and central to an action plan” explains Morgan. “But they are stretched to capacity. In the past 10 years, demand for services has more than doubled, and people continue to migrate into cities at an unprecedented rate. An investment in an off-reserve action plan needs to include an investment in the capacity of Friendship Centres. Together we believe this will drastically improve social and economic conditions within our communities.”
“Investing in an Off-Reserve Aboriginal Action Plan is a winning proposition,” says Paul Lacerte, Executive Director of the BCAAFC. “When we improve economic activity and social stability for Aboriginal peoples living off-reserve, we lower costs for government and create a brighter future for our People and the economy of BC.”
The BCAAFC is an umbrella organization for BC’s 23 Aboriginal Friendship Centres that offer a wide range of culturally relevant services and supports to Aboriginal people residing in urban and rural communities. These include job training and skills development programs, mental health and addictions counseling, literacy and early childhood education programs, and cultural support services for youth, families and elders.
For more information contact:
Paul Lacerte Executive Director, BCAAFC
250-388-5522
MEDIA ADVISORY, Oct. 19, 2011
An important step toward improving services to B.C.’s Aboriginal children and families will be marked Friday at the University of Victoria’s First Peoples House.
In a historic first, the Federation of Community Social Services of B.C. (FCSS) and the B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) are signing a collaboration agreement aimed at increasing opportunities for cross-cultural understanding and improved access for off-reserve Aboriginal families needing community services and support.
“In the past, many of our people have felt misunderstood when they walk through the doors of a non-Aboriginal social service agency,” says BCAAFC president Annette Morgan. “On Friday night, we will make a commitment to work together with the Federation of Community Social Services for the betterment of all children and families in B.C., no matter where they go to for support.”
Decades of poor social indicators continue to prevent Aboriginal families in BC from attaining a quality of life comparable to the non-Aboriginal population. One in 20 Aboriginal children are in government care, compared to one in 100 non-Aboriginal children. Youth unemployment is 60 per cent higher for Aboriginal youth, whose graduation rates lag significantly behind non-Aboriginal rates.
Poverty rates for off-reserve Aboriginal families are almost double that of non-Aboriginal families. Aboriginal people continue to rank at the bottom of almost every measure used to gauge well-being and economic potential. They have shorter life expectancies and disproportionately high chronic disease rates. To affect the type of change necessary to reverse these trends, collaborative working relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organizations will be critical.
The Federation represents 132 community social service agencies in B.C. that provide a diverse array of services including child care, early learning and family support in 150 communities. The BCAAFC works on behalf of 23 B.C. Friendship Centres serving more than 145,000 Aboriginals living off reserve, and offer a broad range of services including early childhood, family support, counselling, and employment readiness.
“We hold BC’s Aboriginal Friendship Centre movement in very high regard, and believe our collective work together will improve the lives of children and families in hundreds of communities across the province”, remarks FCSS president, Shane Picken. The memorandum of understanding the two organizations will sign at the Oct. 21 ceremony at UVic’s First Peoples House provides a formal mechanism for sharing information, expertise and strategies to build strength, resilience and opportunities for children and families throughout B.C.
The signing ceremony begins at 6 p.m. at the University of Victoria’s First Peoples House. The Unity drummers will perform first at 6:30 pm and again at the end of the ceremony an hour later. Federation executive director Jennifer Charlesworth and BCAAFC executive director Paul Lacerte are available for interviews; contact information is included below.
For more information:
FCSSBC executive director Jennifer Charlesworth, 250.480.7387
BCAAFC executive director Paul Lacerte, 250.388.5522
|
BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres |
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 5th, 2011
BC Government Announces Commitment to Develop Off-Reserve Aboriginal Action Plan
Songhees & Esquimalt Territory/ Victoria, BC – The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) is pleased with the official Speech from the Throne, where the Honourable Steven L. Point, British Columbia’s 28th Lieutenant Governor announced that the BC Government is committed to the development of an off-reserve Aboriginal action plan. The Lieutenant Governor stated that “the government will work with Aboriginal partners, the federal government and local governments to develop an off-reserve Aboriginal action plan to achieve better education and job training, healthier family life, and strengthened cultures and traditions.”
“Over 70% of Aboriginal people now live off of the reserve” explains Annette Morgan, President of the BCAAFC. “As Aboriginal Friendship Centres, we have witnessed the continual migration of our people into off-reserve communities, including a doubling of the youth population in the past 10 years. We are pleased to hear today’s unprecedented announcement in the Speech from the Throne and we look forward to working with the government to ensure that Aboriginal people living off reserve are receiving the supports they need to become self sufficient and to improve their social and economic conditions, putting us on equal footing with other British Columbians”.
The announcement of a commitment to develop an off-reserve Aboriginal action plan follows intensive lobbying by BC’s Friendship Centre movement over the past 18 months. Friendship Centres across the province have undertaken a coordinated effort to raise the profile of off reserve Aboriginal communities and highlight the fact that the province currently lacks any coordinated strategy to address the poor socio-economic conditions for well over two-thirds of the Aboriginal population who now live off-reserve in BC.
Aboriginal people face disproportionate risks and barriers to living long healthy lives, including the lowest life expectancy and graduation rates, and some of the highest rates of suicide, addictions, unemployment, poverty, victimization and incarceration. An off-reserve Aboriginal action plan will seek to close these gaps, and help to address the structural barriers that have precluded Aboriginal people from fully participating in BC’s economy.
“Our people are the province’s fastest growing demographic” continues President Morgan. “As the second largest source of labour for the future workforce, we play a key role in BC’s Jobs Plan; and with an off-reserve Aboriginal action plan, we will improve the quality of life for many of our people as well as make a significant contribution to BC’s economic future.”
“Investing in an off-reserve Aboriginal action plan is a winning proposition” states Paul Lacerte, Executive Director of the BCAAFC. “Our communities know what they need to address the social and economic barriers they face. This commitment from the BC Government to work with us around the development of an action plan will enable us to make significant improvement in socio-economic outcomes for Aboriginal peoples living off-reserve. Together, we will lower costs for this government and create a brighter future for our People.”
The BCAAFC is an umbrella organization for BC’s 23 Aboriginal Friendship Centres whom offer a wide range of culturally relevant services and supports to Aboriginal people residing in urban and rural communities including: job training & skills development programs, mental health and addictions counseling, literacy and early childhood education programs, and cultural support services for youth, families, and elders.
For more information contact:
Paul Lacerte
Executive Director, BCAAFC
250-388-5522
Voice of BC - Special report on Aboriginal Youth in Care in BCAired - July 8, 2010 Click the link to watch the entire Voice of BC interview on ShawCable TV with Paul Lacerte and Grand Chief Ed John Media stream |
Bookmark this page for important Aboriginal Press releases. To stay up-to-date with the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres current news and events please click on any of the following:
- Please see Member Events for listings of major events from our 23 Friendship Centres which BCAAFC represents
- To find out more information about the Aboriginal newsletter within the BCAAFC please click on Newsletters
- Feel free to contact the Webmaster Alisa Denduyf (webmaster@bcaafc.com) to send member events to be posted or press releases.
For more information please contact the BCAAFC at:
BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres
#200 - 506 Fort Street
Victoria, BC
V8W 1E6
Phone: 250 388-5522
Fax: 250 388-5502