A look back at Nanaimo’s SHINE2022 Gala
A look back at Nanaimo’s SHINE2022 Gala
Posted on February 24, 2023
(Forest Ferns Photography)
At Audi Nanaimo, we pride ourselves on cultivating a close connection with the community around us. In September 2022, we were honoured to take part in the annual SHINE Gala, a fundraising event promoting and aiding mental health and addiction support available on Vancouver Island.
Audi Nanaimo joined SHINE as they sought out to make significant contributions to SHINE recipients AVI and Learning Alternatives Programs. As a result of the Gala, both recipients were able to demonstrate positive growth in their outreach programs on Vancouver Island.
SHINE champions diversity, inclusion, and acceptance as they rally together to raise funds and awareness for mental health and addiction while addressing the stigma of both. The critically acclaimed non-profit fundraiser celebrated their first event on Vancouver Island last year, bringing together an all-star cast of volunteer musicians, singers, dancers, actors, models, and more. The event was supported by local retailers, designers, hairstylists, and makeup artists, all volunteering for an important cause. An event like this cannot come together overnight, and the team and supporters worked hard to put such an impactful event of fashion, fun, and entertainment together.
AVI Health Centre’s mission is to promote health, dignity, and well-being for all people affected by HIV, HCV, and substance use by delivering sex-positive and harm-reduction-based education, prevention, and support services. Individuals access the service with a myriad of mental health concerns including addiction, stigma and shame, childhood trauma, domestic violence, and many other life stressors. For many individuals, counselling is that first service that they access within the centre, and this support then leads them to be able to access AVI’s services and supports elsewhere.
Thanks to the support of the annual SHINE Gala, AVI was able to meet the demand for mental health counseling in 2022. Each month, over 40 appointments were delivered, half of which were reserved for youth. This is short-term solution-based counseling that enables almost 70 people to be seen. Over the past six months, AVI’s youth programming through their Outreach and Education department has also radically expanded.
With SHINE’s support, AVI was able to manage incredible growth and expansion. According to AVI, they are experiencing more public interest in what they do and how people can help now than in the entire decade previously.
The second recipient, Learning Alternative Program, has also expressed their gratitude to the SHINE Gala. The program strongly emphasizes Dignity, Purpose, and Options, as they work to improve the life chances of the youth they guide.
According to Learning Alternative Program, the donated funds helped create a safe and supportive learning space for all students connected to their program Family Learning Outreach and Wellness (FLOW). The FLOW program is designed to provide social-emotional and mental health support for academically driven students whose current mental health makes it difficult to attend the larger high schools in the district. This year, the FLOW Program was moved from Island Connect Ed to Woodlands Secondary.
The funds donated assisted students in the transition to a new location as well as to build a new classroom to best support the student’s learning. A new program to support youth to attend and participate in their learning, school and community has also been created, allowing Learning Alternative Program to continue to improve the life chances of every student as they guide them toward graduation.
We look forward to continuing to support the SHINE2023 Gala and all of their important work.
Click below to learn more about SHINE Foundation for Artistic Expression.