S P E C I A L F E A T U R E
C R E A T E A L E G A C Y
Many Ways to Give Back
From one-time donations to targeting societal problems, these charitable
foundations find innovative ways to help you make an impact
C
lasina van Bemmel lives by the statement, "You never know what's possible until
you go beyond it to the impossible." It led her to establish the Compassion in Action
Fund at Vancouver Foundation, which supports the most vulnerable women and
children from urban centres in B.C.
Van Bemmel, 74, says of the Fund, "It's about me using my own experiences to provide
others with the help to meet life's basic needs."
Van Bemmel's own history, which involves a heartbreaking tale of child abuse, made
her a champion for women who are fleeing domestic abuse and struggling to overcome
other issues. "How can you even start to fight without having the basics like food, safety, and
shelter?" she asks.
At 16, van Bemmel escaped from an abusive family life in the Netherlands and became a
nanny in England, Germany, Switzerland and France. She moved to Vancouver in 1975 and
started what would become The Vancouver Trolley Company.
She's accomplished a lot in her professional life, but none of it makes her so proud as the
Compassion in Action Fund. Van Bemmel has supported numerous charities, but now she
believes it's time to take more of a back seat, "so that when I am gone the Fund can continue
to assist women."
Today, van Bemmel says of her past, "Having those experiences made me fearless. They
Ronald McDonald House
has accommodated 10,000
families in just five years
PHOTO
COUR
T
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