Greater Victoria’s business community is strongest when it’s united, especially when addressing one of the region’s most pressing challenges: housing. Many of these impactful business connections are formed through Chamber events. Some begin with a simple conversation, while others grow into partnerships that create meaningful community impact.
After connecting through conversations at recent Chamber events, Threshold Housing Society has been inspired to launch a new initiative called Business BFFs (Brighter Future Funders). The program invites local businesses to play a meaningful role in supporting youth who are experiencing homelessness.
More than half of Victoria’s unhoused population first experienced homelessness as a youth. Threshold is working to change that reality by providing housing, wraparound support services, and opportunities for youth to build connection, belonging, and a brighter future.
Set to launch this fall, Business BFFs highlights what can happen when nonprofits and businesses come together around a shared goal. Local organizations including Kia Victoria, Chateau Victoria, Royal BC Museum, IMAX Victoria, Proline Management, and Routine Coffee have already signed on as founding supporters, with other Chamber members exploring ways to get involved.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the Threshold team and to help lift even a small amount of weight off their shoulders as they take on what can sometimes feel like a mission-impossible task in our community. I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand just how much heart and soul they put into their work. You feel it just by talking with them; how well they know each youth, how much they understand their individual stories, and how hard they fight for their future through genuine relationships, patience and an incredible amount of dedication. We’re very proud to have Threshold Housing Society as our charity partner, and we’re excited to continue supporting them through our Forest of Wishes campaign, the Business BFF program and other creative initiatives as they work toward ending youth homelessness in our community.” – Ali Torabi, Chateau Victoria
This is truly an inspiring story of local leadership, collaboration, and community commitment, proving that partnerships formed can extend far beyond business but also help to build a stronger, more caring Victoria for everyone.
“We love Threshold because they saw a real gap in our community and stepped in to fill it. They give young people not just a safe, caring place to live, but the support, stability and life skills they need to find their footing and build a future. The Kia Closet is one way Kia Victoria gets to be part of that. Threshold does the incredibly important work of making sure the needs are met; the Kia Closet is there for some of the wants — the grad up-do, art lessons, a new pair of shoes or that coveted sweatshirt. It gives their team a fund they can access when there’s an extra that could help a young person feel included, celebrated, confident or simply cared for. That’s what we love about the Business BFF program. Every local business has something it can contribute, and it doesn’t have to be complicated or enormous to matter. The Kia Closet is something that made sense for us. We hope other Victoria businesses will find what makes sense for them, because when each of us steps up in the ways we can, together we can make a very real difference for young people in our community.”
As Business BFFs prepares to launch, Threshold hopes to inspire more businesses to become part of the solution and help create brighter futures for youth throughout our region. To learn more and join the movement to end youth homelessness, you can reach out to Director of Development Sophia Seward at sophia.s@thresholdhousing.ca