January the 15th is a huge day for us all, even if you haven’t marked your 2021 calendars or even know why. It is the day when we, the Cortes Community Housing Society submit our proposal to BC Housing for financing the building of 20 homes on the property called Rainbow Ridge. The grant could be worth several million dollars.

At this point, we all realize that we can’t progress economically unless we have resolved our housing shortage. What you may not know however is that BC Housing will look upon our grant application more favourably if the land is owned outright with NO debt.

Two months ago, we owed $445,000 in local loans on the land. Today we only owe $55,000. This has been a miracle born out of forethought and immense generosity. Rainbow Ridge is a community asset for our whole island, as well as being the basis of new affordable rental housing.

You can help take us over the finish line, so that our application is the strongest it can be. Whether your donation is the price of a cup of coffee or substantially more – let’s close the gap before the end of the year.

All donations will receive a Canadian charitable receipt from the CISS–Housing Committee. You can donate online now by clicking here:

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/cortes-island-seniors-society/

OR send a cheque to: Cortes Island Seniors Society–Housing Committee:

PO BOX 88, Squirrel Cove, BC, V0P 1T0

American donors can get a US tax deductible receipt via TIDES-US Foundation by designating your donation to Cortes Community Housing Fund – 2250 via this link:

https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/tidesfoundation

We know it takes a community to raise a village, and it takes a community to raise this last $55,000 by the end of the year. Let’s do it. All donations will receive tax deductions and huge community gratitude.

Thank you all,

Sandra Wood, Housing Co-ordinator