Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/398704
Grants at a Glance Here are a few of the projects Vancouver Foundation and our donors recently supported Pedal pushers Building new bike lanes isn't the only way to get more people pedalling. Cycling advocate Gudrun Langolf says lots of bicycles stay stored in garages simply because they are in need of minor repairs or adjustments. So, with a $1,000 Neighbourhood Small Grant, Langolf hosted five Bike Fun and Fitness clinics in the Marpole area of south Vancouver to help riders get back on the road. Volunteers helped neighbours and passersby make minor repairs to their bicycles and handed out safety equipment, like reflective stickers and bike lights. They also shared information about other bike maintenance resources, repair instructions, and local cycling-route maps. Equipment purchased with the grant, including a bike stand and air pumps, will be stored at the Marpole Neighbourhood House and be made available for use by expert and amateur cyclists alike. Thankful thoughts Thousands of people from sea to shining sea have been reminded to express their gratitude for everything from the everyday to the extraordinary, thanks to Lucila McElroy and Candice Davenport. The duo originally started the Gratitude Graffiti Project in New Jersey two years ago, and with the help of a $689 Vancouver Foundation Neighbourhood Small Grant, McElroy brought it to the Dunbar area in the 40 days leading up to Thanksgiving last fall. The local project provided gratitude stops all around the neighbourhood, encouraging people to reflect on things for which they were thankful and to share their gratitude by writing it down. "An action of mind can be very powerful," says McElroy of the practice of gratitude, noting the cause has been picked up by other neighbourhoods around the Greater Vancouver area and as far away as the Philippines. Vancouver Foundation granted another $1,000 to continue the project in 2014.