OUR AUGUST NON-PROFIT - Power to Be

Blackbird Fabrics donates 1% of our revenue each month to a rotating non-profit. With the help of recommendations from our team members, friends & family, and our customers, we choose non-profits that support causes that are important to us and our community. You can find a full list of organizations that we have supported here.

Our non-profit for August is Power To Be.

We had the opportunity to speak with Kira Rowsell, the Marketing and Communications Coordinator, to find out more about the organization and their ongoing initiatives.

Power To Be is a non-profit organization based in both Victoria and Vancouver, BC. They began their mission in 1998 with the guiding principles that everyone belongs in nature and that access to nature is a fundamental right. Power To Be strives to remove the cognitive, physical, and social barriers that prevent people from enjoying the outdoor activities that are paramount to one’s health and happiness. With the support of staff and volunteers, they coordinate outdoor adventures such as hiking, kayaking, camping and snowshoeing for youths, families, and adults. 

Power to Be offers a variety of impactful programs including Wilderness School, a 3-year program that is offered to youths from Grade 8 - 10. Participants remain in the same cohort throughout the duration of the program, helping them build strong relationships and interpersonal skills. Wilderness School runs monthly weekend trips with exciting excursions such as surfing in Tofino and hiking up Vancouver Island’s highest peak, the Golden Hinde!

Another wonderful and inclusive initiative is Adaptive Recreation. They adapt outdoor programs to accommodate the abilities of their participants, including people living with mental or physical disabilities and injuries and/or illnesses that act as barriers for them to access nature. Through this program, Power To Be provides support, assistance, and equipment that allow anyone to experience their year-round outdoor activities.

We asked Kira if she’d like to share any new exciting programs that they are working on at the moment. She noted that during the pandemic, they have had to shift and rethink how they can continue to offer covid-safe outdoor experiences. They now offer one-to-one programs, and  adventures for household groups that encourage families to experience nature together. They also have virtual programs which offer various topics related to nature, and have created fun and informative videos such as learning the essentials of what to  pack on a hiking trip or the different types of common plants found on a nature walk. 

Power to Be truly believes that everyone belongs in nature. They think outside of the box and come up with creative and tangible solutions so that participants can explore who they are and discover what they are capable of. We would like to extend a big thank you to Kira and Power to Be for speaking with us and for all the work they do. To learn more, visit www.powertobe.ca.