VITAL SIGNS 2024
The 2024 Abbotsford Vital Signs report was launched on Nov 5th, 2024 at the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce’s Leaders’ lunch event. The 2024 report is now available online here and in hard copy at the ACF offices. The Patrika published a summary of this year’s report in their Nov 8 edition, in both English and Punjabi. The Abby News published a summary of this year’s report in their Nov 14 edition.
This year’s Vital Signs not only shares data that tells the story of how our community is faring in quality of life indicators; this year, we also did a spotlight of food security. Abbotsford is considered the ‘Breadbasket of BC’ and yet we still have people who go hungry in our community. We explore this topic to understand the unique opportunities and challenges Abbotsford faces in addressing its own food security issues.
We use our Vital Signs report to help inform our granting priorities, support local charitable partners in their work, and create better understanding of emergent needs of our community. We hope this report sparks conversation, informs and inspires, and creates opportunity for action.
Special thanks to the City of Abbotsford, the Abbotsford Tech District, the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce, the Patrika and the Abbotsford News for their sponsorship of this year’s report.
Citations, sources, & photo credits for this year’s Vital Signs report are available here.
VITAL SIGNS 2022
We are pleased to share that the Abbotsford Community Foundation (ACF) has released the 2022 Vital Signs report. Vital Signs reports use community knowledge to measure the vitality of our communities – gathering data and sparking conversation about significant social and economic trends to tell the story of how our community is faring in key quality of life areas.
We hope you find the report of interest! Thank you to the City of Abbotsford for their financial support.
VITAL SIGNS 2019
The Abbotsford Community Foundation is pleased to share its 2019 Vital Signs report with the community. Along with twenty-five communities across Canada and numerous others internationally, the foundation participates in the Vital Signs program to better understand our community and ensure our work is aligned with community challenges and opportunities.
This year, we have chosen to examine four issues that continue to increase in importance in Abbotsford – Housing, Income Gap, Safety, and Work & Economy. There are many ties between these topics, and we know that a thriving community is safe and prosperous and seeks to care for all residents, including its most vulnerable.
No community is without its challenges, and the issues included in this report do not have simple solutions. However, the Abbotsford Community Foundation is committed to the ongoing support of these issues, and we are grateful to work with community non-profits and partners who share our vision of building a stronger, more caring community.
Previous Abbotsford Vital Signs Reports can be reviewed by clicking the links below.
To read the BC report and regional reports, including Fraser East, please visit www.vancouverfoundationvitalsigns.ca.
VITAL CONVERSATIONS 2017
In May of 2017, Abbotsford Community Foundation and Abbotsford Community Development Council invited members of the community to come together in a café style format for a Vital Conversation concerning four key social issues: Homelessness, Poverty, Diversity and Parenting, as they relate to emerging issues in our community like the fentanyl crisis and gang violence.
- The Abbotsford Community Development Council (ACDC) is made up of senior representatives from the following organizations: Abbotsford Community Services, Abbotsford Community Foundation, Abbotsford Police Department, Abbotsford School District, City of Abbotsford, Fraser Health, Mennonite Central Committee, Ministry of Children and Family Development, United Way of the Fraser Valley, University of the Fraser Valley.
- The Council created a Vital Conversation document containing research on the four issues with a goal of proposing actions that can be taken locally through the sharing of knowledge and resources, supporting actions already underway, proposing that local research be undertaken, and advocating for action at the municipal, provincial or federal level. Please click on the link below to read the 2017 summary report.
VITAL SIGNS 2016
Highlights of the 2016 report include:
- Safety is the #1 concern for Abbotsford (52%) and Fraser East (50%), compared to BC (35%) and Canada (30%).
- 47% of Abbotsford/Fraser East respondents ranked Reducing Use of Illegal Drugs as their #1 priority in identifying solutions for improving safety, compared to only 33% of respondents across BC.
- 44% in Abbotsford and 39% in Fraser East chose Reducing Levels of Gang Violence as their #2 priority in identifying solutions for improving safety, compared to only 25% province-wide.
- When asked, “Do you feel safe walking in your neighbourhood after dark?”, 68% of Abbotsford residents said “yes”, compared to 78% across BC. The main concern was a violent attack (26%), compared to the province at 19%.