Mike Howell, Vancouver Courier
What the heck is a social responsibility fund? For one, it's an incredibly bureaucratic description of a pot of money the city has collected from the Edgewater Casino at the Plaza of Nations. This is the money that Edgewater, which is owned by Paragon Gaming Inc., hands over to the city each year as part of its operating agreement. The city collects $200,000 annually and doles it out to various non-profits to support "capacity building projects and initiatives" located within neighbourhoods adjacent to Edgewater, including the Downtown Eastside, Strathcona, Mount Pleasant and downtown. In a report that went before council Feb. 17, city staff recommended $100,000 of the money be spent on seven projects, including $25,000 for the Strathcona Community Centre Association for expanding its food programs. The Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) and PEERS Vancouver Resource Society were also expected to receive $20,000 each. VANDU will use the money to hire a full-time coordinator for the Downtown Eastside street market in Pigeon Park on Carrall Street. PEERS will use the cash to support the organization's "exiting program emphasizing the prevention of minors in the sex trade through increased awareness in the community on appropriate early intervention response systems."The Gather and Give Charitable Foundation ($5,000), the Carnegie Centre ($10,000) and First Funds Society ($15,000) are other benefactors on the city's list.
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Don Quixote Note : This is an old posting from Sunday, January 27, 2008 to show Vernon's flirtation with getting a Casino Funded Social Responsibility Fund :
Will Vernon City Council set up a Social Responsibility Reserve on Monday?
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