For 150 years, the Cridge Centre for the Family has been supporting people in need in Greater Victoria and on Saturday (Sept. 16) more than 1,000 people who have received that support were invited to mark the occasion.

The centreB次元官网网址檚 grounds were filled with inflatable bounce castles and obstacle courses for the kids, information booths on the centreB次元官网网址檚 many services were displayed, live music kept everyone entertained, and food vendors made sure everyone had a full stomach.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e actually been celebrating all year long with smaller events and publicity, but today is our big party,B次元官网网址� said Joanne Linka, manager of communication and fund development at the centre. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e invited all of our clients, our staff, our board members. Basically, anybody who has had a role to play in the Cridge in some way.B次元官网网址�

Part of those 150th celebrations included removing the centreB次元官网网址檚 historic buildingB次元官网网址檚 cornerstone and revealing the contents of a time capsule sealed within in 1893.

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Among the artifacts found inside and now on display were newspapers from the time a copy of the New Testament, and what is believed to be John George TaylorB次元官网网址檚 original will bequeathing his estate to be used as an orphanage, which evolved into the modern centre.

For the first 60 years of its history, the centre was an orphanage for vulnerable children. Since the 1970s, it has grown into a multi-service non-profit organization and currently serves around 2,000 individuals each year.

B次元官网网址淲e have childcare, seniors housing, brain injury support and housing, we have a young parent outreach program that supports families with a disability, a transition house for women leaving abusive relationships, and housing for those same women and for newcomers,B次元官网网址� Linka said.

Over the years, Linka noted the centre has realized the benefits of offering so many different services under one umbrella. A recent example she pointed to is the realization many of the women leaving abusive relationships the centre supported also suffered brain injuries from those relationships.

Since the centre offered support for both needs, it was able to quickly combine them and improve their overall service capability.

B次元官网网址淚n the 1960s the philosophy of care for vulnerable children changed from orphanages where children were removed from their families to trying to keep children in their families and supporting the families as a whole. That was the first big change,B次元官网网址� said Linka. B次元官网网址淥nce that happened, we really started to be an organization that steps into the needs of the community. When a need arises in a part of our community that lacks support, we try to step up and meet it.B次元官网网址�

Linka said with the centre always looking for more ways to support the community, it is always important for the community to support the centre as well. A large portion of funding for the centre is provided by government contracts, but grants and donations are critical for allowing it to continue its work.

More information about the centreB次元官网网址檚 services, and about how people can support it, is available at .

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