Surrey, B.C.: In 2016, the Metro Vancouver Youth Get It Community Council, along with councils on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley, allocated more than $1.53 million through 116 grants to youth-focused programs. Of that total, more than $581,000 went to 43 Metro Vancouver organizations that offer programs that build a richer future for youth. The granting announcement was made today by Coast Capital Savings' Youth Get It Community Council for Metro Vancouver, in honour of BC Youth Week.

The total monies granted in 2016 represent a 25% increase in the number of programs supported the previous year. View a complete list of Metro Vancouver grant recipients.

The Youth Get It Community Councils embody Coast Capital's Youth Get It approach by upholding the four pillars of its community promise: to financially empower youth, help them succeed at school, build family and social connections, and empower good health.

The councils are made up of emerging leaders under the age of 30—four from the community and four who are employees from the credit union. Council members can serve up to three years. Members of Coast Capital's three regional Youth Get It Community Councils are responsible for reviewing grant applications and deciding how to best allocate the credit union's community investment funding.

"Our Youth Get It Community Council is one of Coast Capital Savings' signature community leadership initiatives and a cornerstone of our Youth Get It program," said Wendy Lachance, Director, Community Leadership at Coast Capital Savings. "Youth Week is an ideal opportunity to celebrate the incredible work of the councils."

"The Youth Get It Community Councils use a 'for youth, by youth' approach—it's a unique way to develop leadership experience and help young people in our community to realize their goals," said Jessica Todd, returning Council member and the 2017 Council chair for Metro Vancouver. "Besides supporting some really extraordinary organizations, participating on the council is a great way to connect with other young leaders who share values of community leadership."

One of the programs supported by the Metro Vancouver Youth Get It Community Council is the Covenant House Rights of Passage program, which teaches homeless and at-risk youth the basic financial and life skills they'll need to successfully transition into a home they can call their own. The program is a structured, six-step program that gradually increases the amount of responsibility and independence the youth take on, so that when they graduate, they are well-prepared to move into their own home.

"Rights of Passage was created because a significant percentage of our youth needed intensive education and support to succeed in living independently," said Tracy Brown, Associate Manager, Corporate, Foundation and Community Giving for Covenant House. "And since youth are more successful when they have input, our participants help to identify areas they need to work on, and choose their goals for the program. It's a real parallel to Coast Capital's for youth, by youth approach."

About Coast Capital Savings

Coast Capital Savings is Canada's largest credit union by membership. An Imagine Canada Caring Company, the credit union invested $5.6 million into local communities in 2016, focusing on empowering and engaging youth. Named a BC Top Employer in 2017, Coast Capital is also a member of Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club. It has 52 branches serving its 543,000 members in the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and Okanagan regions of British Columbia. Product innovations include Canada's first free chequing account from a full-service financial institution. To learn more, visit coastcapitalsavings.com.

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