Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House is a volunteer-driven community services organization which has offered services in East Vancouver for over 40 years. We support the residents of our community to improve the quality of their lives by providing community programs and services, and building community capacity. Our goal is to work together with residents, other community organizations, all levels of government, and business in order to respond effectively and efficiently to the changing needs of our diverse community. We are committed to serving all members of our community and to building our community through encouraging citizen engagement, skill development, self-reliance, and by providing a place to feel a sense of belonging and support.
In response to community need, Frog Hollow first became involved at Garibaldi Annex in 2006 to offer programs in unused school space for children and their families aged 0-6. Over time this model has expanded and developed to become a partnership model of service delivery which includes the school, Frog Hollow, Pacific Immigrant Resource Society, Partners in Education (Canuck Foundation), Vancouver Public Library and Community Health. Through this model families with children from birth to grade four can find education, family support, ESL and early learning opportunities at Garibaldi school. Currently, non school programming uses two rooms in the school as well as occasional use of the gym.
With the onset of the VSB facilities review and decline in school enrollment, the issue of school closure has reached a crucial point. The local community has clearly voiced its desire to keep the school open: over 600 signatures have been collected to date from local residents who wish to see the continuation of their local community school. A strong parent group has met and organized and presented to the Vancouver School Board, as has Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House, to propose that the issue of low enrollment should be addressed not by school closure but by a strong community-based, collaborative solution. This solution should be based on both multi-use of the school facility and a shift in programming at the school to better meet community needs.
The role of Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House is to support community leadership in realizing this new vision for Garibaldi Annex School. We are committed to working with parents, community members, partner organizations, the VSB and potential funding agencies to build on the existing multi-use model and develop a proposal acceptable to the Vancouver School Board. Please feel free to contact us if you have specific ideas or comments with regard to this proposal.
Gary Dobbin, Executive Director
Diane Wilmann, Director of Family Programs
Telephone: 604 251 1225
