
Twenty Kamloops families will receive a little extra help from the Y Women’s Emergency Shelter, thanks to a collaboration between BCLC, the Kamloops Blazers and members of the Kamloops community.
This past Saturday, many Blazers fans braved freezing temperatures to bring donations to Sandman Centre for the Y Women’s Emergency Shelter’s start-up baskets. The baskets are then filled with essential household items, like can openers, cutting boards, toiletry items and cleaning materials.
BCLC was the title sponsor of the Saturday night showdown with Prince George and wanted to use that as an opportunity help people in need in our community. “We were thrilled to support the Y Women’s Emergency Shelter at Saturday’s game through our partnership with the Kamloops Blazers,” said Ann Newman, manager of Partnerships and Community Investment at BCLC. “The Kamloops community showed up in a big way to help us to make a difference in the lives of those supported by the Y – a perfect example of our social purpose goal of creating win-wins for the greater good.”
“We are filled with gratitude from the support shown by the Kamloops community who came together last weekend to provide a little extra help for women and children starting over,” said Jacquie Brand, manager of the Violence Against Women Intervention and Support Services at the Y Women’s Emergency Shelter. “The start-up baskets really make a big difference in the lives of those we support and we’re so appreciative of BCLC and the Kamloops Blazers for partnering together to raise awareness and bring in donations at Saturday’s game.
The Y Women’s Emergency Shelter is a vital non-profit in the Kamloops community, providing unwavering support to those in need. In 2024 alone, they responded to over 2,500 crisis calls and provided shelter to more than 310 women and 37 children. The start-up baskets are just one support they provide to women and children to help make the transition easier as they begin a new chapter in their lives.
BCLC has been supporting the Y Women’s Emergency Shelter through its employee-selected charities of choice program since 2021 and was able to extend its support through this partnership with the Kamloops Blazers and from the support of the wider Kamloops community – a win-win for everyone involved.