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Acknowledgment

CVS is a culturally safe non-profit society and we are open to all cultures in our community. We ensure that our policies and practices are in line with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP).

Community Ventures Society acknowledges that we operate, learn and live on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples; locally the Kwikwəƛəm (Kwikwetlem First Nation), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish people), Tsleil-Waututh (The People of the Inlet), and Stó:lōFirst Nations (The River People). We thank these people for their enduring presence on these lands and their stewardship of the waters and all that is above and below.

CVS is actively working hard towards reconciliation with our indigenous communities throughout all aspects of our organization. Areas of focus currently include:

  • Cultural competency training – for our staff, the people we support and families
  • CVS is developing a CVS Indigenous and Metis Cultural Safety Plan – the intent with this plan is to demonstrate our commitment to acknowledging our indigenous and Metis communities but more so to work towards decolonization. Our approach with this plan is based on humble acknowledgement of ourselves as learners when it comes to understanding a person’s experiences. This plan will be a “living” document that changes to reflect current best practices along with feedback from the Indigenous and Metis communities. Revision of this plan will be an ongoing process of learning and being self-reflexive.

To view the CVS Indigenous and Metis Cultural Safety Plan, please click here.

Our work towards reconciliation with indigenous and Metis communities also aligns with the goals of CVS to be a culturally competent and diverse organization. CVS has a Cultural Competency and Diversity Plan that includes the people we serve, our staff, and other stakeholders. Our Cultural Competency and Diversity Plan is based on age, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual beliefs, socioeconomic status, and language.

We use demographics data gleaned from our Outcomes Report to assist us in shaping the Cultural Competency and Diversity Plan for the year by examining the data to determine trends and to help us target the required areas that need attention. Moreover, we notice general trends via our interface with CSSEA, CEO Network, Federation of Social Service Agencies and CHRP. To view our Cultural Competency and Diversity Plan, click here.