Each year, the City of Kamloops issues a call for proposals for registered charities and non-profit agencies in our community to apply for Social and Community Development Grants, which are intended to fund special projects, operational costs, and/or capital expenditures that address specific current social problems and/or issues related to the City’s Social Plan or the Livability and Sustainability pillar of the Council Strategic Plan.
The Interior Women’s Centre Society received a $12,000 Social and Community Development Grant in 2025. This is how the grant was used:
Submitted by Interior Women’s Centre Society:
With support from the City of Kamloops, the Interior Women’s Centre Society created a space where women and girls could access critical supports, build community connections, and participate in programming that promotes well-being and resilience. The funding helped cover essential operational costs, including rent and insurance, ensuring the centre could remain open and accessible throughout the year.
In 2025, more than 550 women and girls accessed the centre for services, workshops, drop-in support, and community activities. With a stable and secure space, the Interior Women’s Centre Society successfully delivered its core programs—Women’s Occupational Readiness & Knowledge Program (WORK), Supportive Transitional Exit Pathway Program (STEPP), and HER Empowerment and Reinvented Transformation Program (HEART)—while also serving as a hub for partner organizations offering free and low-barrier services.
Program outcomes included:
- increased access to holistic supports, including mental health resources, legal assistance, employment services, free tax clinic, financial literacy, and case management
- creation of a safe and welcoming environment where women could access support with dignity and without barriers
- strengthened social connections and reduced isolation through workshops, peer support groups, and community-building activities
- more than 100 workshops, support groups, and wellness activities delivered throughout the year
- more than 300 individualized case management sessions supporting housing stability, employment readiness, legal navigation, and improved access to health services
Throughout the year, the Interior Women’s Centre Society partnered with numerous community organizations to bring services directly to participants. These partnerships included free legal education and access, group counselling support, supervised family visitation services, financial education, and health education, including menstrual health to menopause and everything in between.
In addition to formal supports, the centre offered wellness and community-building opportunities, including yoga, somatic healing workshops, healing arts programs, book clubs, and social gatherings for mothers and caregivers. These activities fostered belonging, improved mental well-being, and strengthened participants’ support networks.
As the organization plans for the future, it is preparing to move into a larger, more accessible space that will allow for expanded programming, stronger partnerships, and increased support for women, girls, and families in the community.
I recently moved to Kamloops from Surrey, and I was unsure if I was able to access the programs. However, I am so glad that I came. The HEART Program has become a lifeline for me and has really helped me to feel connected to the community. It can be really isolating when you don’t know anyone, and by being able to attend workshops and meet people, I am transitioning well.
– HEART Participant
The Interior Women’s Centre Society is preparing to host the Western Canada Women’s Conference from October 14–16, 2026, in the Thompson Rivers University Conference Centre, bringing together community leaders, service providers, advocates, researchers, and women from across the region to explore some of the most pressing issues affecting women today.
The conference will focus on three key themes: gender-based violence in Interior British Columbia, the gendered economic gap, and women’s access to health care. Through keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and collaborative learning opportunities, the event will foster meaningful dialogue, increase awareness, and encourage action on issues that impact women and families throughout Western Canada.
The conference reflects the centre’s ongoing commitment to advocacy, education, and community leadership while creating opportunities to strengthen partnerships and advance solutions that support the well-being of women and girls.
To learn more about this Social and Community Development Grant, visit Kamloops.ca/Grants.
