Local Resident Uses Responsive Neighbourhood Small Grant to Spread Cheer By Gifting Neighbours Sunflower Plants

Thanks to a partnership with the Vancouver Foundation and the City of Abbotsford, we continue to provide grants for up to $1,000 to community members through the Responsive Neighbourhood Small Grants Program. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this program has shifted to help fund small-scale creative projects that tackle social isolation, build community strength and resilience and foster community creativity and well-being.
With this in mind, many great projects have taken place here in Abbotsford over the past year. For example, hear directly from Nova Hopkins, a local resident who received a grant for their Silly Smiley Sunflowers project:

“Silly Smiley Sunflowers germinated from an idea by my 4-year-old Tessa, during the summer of 2020. The pandemic sparked an interest in her wanting to share her joy of flowers with her community. So, in the fall we wrote the request for a Responsive Neighbourhood Small Grant to make her dream of sharing flowers a reality. After being awarded the grant, COVID-19 and its rigid restrictions required us to be careful in our process. Partnering with another family we sowed 60 sunflowers—varieties from Teddy Bear to Giganteus. Over the course of several weeks, the sunflower seeds germinated into young starters. The Silly Smiley Sunflowers were delivered to doorsteps to bring cheer to the neighbours in the Alexander Neighbourhood. Colourful brochures accompanied the sunflowers. The brochures included visual how-to steps and a note of recognition to the City of Abbotsford, Vancouver Foundation, and Abbotsford Community Foundation for their support. In addition, over 30 packs of seeds were shared with the community. With the remaining seeds, Tessa’s wish is to plant them in our garden and give out fresh flowers to neighbours once they have bloomed in summer. We hope Tessa’s idea of sharing flowers brings delight and a smile to our neighbours.”

          
Projects like this show us how simple it can be to spread cheer throughout our community during these isolating times. Do you have a project like this in mind? If so, we are currently accepting applications! Click here to learn more.