Hungry Hearts: Victoria’s premiere culinary showdown and gala fundraiser for Our Place Society

On September 21, eight of the region’s top chefs will join Our Place at Delta Hotels Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort for Hungry Hearts 2024. An exciting competition to create the most heartfelt dishes, Hungry Hearts is a celebration of Victoria’s culinary excellence and caring culture.

This 10th annual Hungry Hearts is a milestone event and pivotal opportunity to break the cycle of addiction for the women of Vancouver Island. Our Place is poised to introduce a dedicated Women’s Recovery Program at their New Roads Therapeutic Recovery Community. This groundbreaking initiative will be the first long-term recovery program for women on the Island and is slated to open in the Fall of 2024. All funds raised at Hungry Hearts 2024 will support this critically needed initiative.

Not just a culinary event, but a heartfelt gathering of community and business leaders, Hungry Hearts spotlights stories of compassion, inspiration, and hope. This uplifting evening features elevated cuisine, auction prizes, live music, and networking opportunities; all in support of a fantastic cause.

Secure your tickets here!

We are currently looking for businesses and community groups to become sponsors and auction donors for Hungry Hearts. A fantastic marketing opportunity that directly supports the vital community services of Our Place Society, please contact rachelh@ourplacesociety.com to learn more today.

Sponsor a Meal at Our Place

Our Place serves over 1,400 meals every day. Your meal sponsorship directly provides nourishment and care, for the most vulnerable citizens of Greater Victoria. Your meal sponsorship allows us to upgrade a simple meals like porridge to a heartier, more nourishing meal, like eggs and bacon. Meal sponsorship starts at $600 with Lunch and Dinner also available.

When you sponsor a meal, you have the option of coming to the community centre and helping the kitchen team serve your meal. This is a wonderful team building activity and a meaningful way to directly support our neighbours in need. After your meal service, we are delighted to offer you a tour of our community centre.

Mealtimes are as follow:

Breakfast 8:30 – 9:30
Lunch: 12 – 1
Dinner: 5:30 – 6:30

We can accommodate up to five people in the kitchen. If you’re looking for a larger group volunteer activity, please check out our Care Kit program.

If your group would like to sponsor a meal (or meals) or if you have any questions, please contact Rachel at rachelh@ourplacesociety.com.

A recent sponsor, Shannon, shared her experience:

“Sponsoring a lunch at Our Place was an enlightening and rewarding experience. I was honoured to exchange greetings with so many of the people the organization helps every single day. The opportunity to tour the centre also provided me with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the sheer number of individuals who give their time and warmth to Our Place and how much work goes into offering the vast array of services that are available to anyone who needs them.

I so appreciate that they extend their focus beyond the walls of their facility with so many outreach initiatives across the community. Seeing all this makes me believe it really is possible to make a difference in the lives of Victoria residents who need assistance, regardless of the circumstances that caused that need. It also highlights the amount of support it takes to keep all these programs running.

Our Place will remain front of mind when I’m considering future donation opportunities, and I won’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to donate their money or their time. I fully believe they are doing incredible good in our community.”

Throw a third party event

Consider throwing a fundraising event in support of Our Place Society!

Have an amazing time, showcase your talents, and support people struggling with poverty and homelessness in our community.

Some examples of successful third party events we have seen include:

• Art shows
• Sports event
• Bottle drive
• Clothing or item drive
• Bake sale
• Musical or Theatre Performance
• Yoga class
• Cold plunge challenge

We embrace creativity and are happy to brainstorm with you and help promote your campaign! We want you to have an amazing time with your community, while raising funds to support our neighbours in  need.

Please contact rachelh@ourplacesociety.com to learn more.

Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

Our Place and CBC present a dramatic reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol every December at First met United Church on Balmoral.It’s the Christmas message full of hope, redemption and . . . ghosts.

Featuring the vocal talents of CBC Radio personalities, Reach Choir and some very special guests. This special in-person event promises to be a heart-warming evening for the whole family.

Coldest Night of the Year is a national community walkathon in support of people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness. In February, we take to the streets of downtown Victoria and the Westshore. Leaving the comfort and warmth of our homes we walk in solidarity, raising funds and support for our neighbours in need.

Thank you for walking with us during Coldest Night 2024! Your care and effort made this our most impactful walkathon yet; 763 walkers and 2014 donors raised $192,117 in the Victoria Pandora & Westshore walks!

We look forward to walking together even further towards warmth, nourishment and care, during Coldest Night 2025.