Your seasonal news & updates | Surrounded by Cedar Child and Family Services' quarterly newsletter, continue on to see agency events, highlights and offerings. | |
SCCFS Elders in Residence
Surrounded by Cedar is fortunate to have two Elder’s in residence, Lyle Henry and Verna Ellsworth, at our Fort St and Admirals locations. Community members are welcome to come by to sit with our Elders to share words, wisdom, a laugh, or whatever is needed in the moment. Verna is at our Admirals Walk location each Tuesday from 9:00am – Noon, and Lyle is at our Fort St location on Thursday from 9:00am – Noon. We remain grateful to South Island Wellness for their Elder’s Program partnership.
| |
SCCFS Youth Advisory Council
The Youth Advisory Council meets weekly, rotating between our Admirals Walk and Fort Street locations throughout the year. The Council offers their generous support and expertise with agency events, programming, and a variety of training and workshop sessions.
Through a partnership with the University of Victoria, the Youth Advisory Council had the opportunity to share their stories and experiences within the foster care system and present the “INVINCIBLE” experience with delegates at the Our Children Our Way Conference and the SCCFS AGM in 2025. Since then, the Youth Advisory Council has created the INVINCIBLE eBook, which can be viewed here.
| | Cultural Programming & Offerings | | |
Xe Xu tuluts'thut 'Sacred Circle' Leadership Group
Surrounded by Cedar has hosted a space for Indigenous youth for many years under the group known as Xe Xu tuluts’thut (‘Sacred Circle’) Leadership group. Xe Xu tuluts’thut is a Hul qumi’ num word from the Cowichan people and was bestowed onto the youth in 2008.
Since the program began, many youth have participated and continued to build their skills and expand their knowledge and cultural connections in meaningful ways. This learning has taken many forms, including hands-on experiences within the program, post-secondary education, and community-based learning alongside Elders and Knowledge Keepers in their home communities.
We’re excited to welcome a new group of youth into Xe Xu tuluts’thut programming for the 2026-2027 season. This group is for Indigenous youth between the ages of 11 and 17. Older youth taken on mentorship roles for younger youth in the program.
This year there will be many opportunities for youth to engage in programming with hands on learning through arts-based, land-based, and one on one time with Elders and Knowledge Keepers in community.
If this is something that interests you, please reach out to your Guardianship Worker or our Cultural Programs Coordinator, Brandi @ blancaster@sccfs.com
| | |
Building Our Bundles
Building Our Bundles is a monthly gathering hosted by our Cultural Programs team, in which all community members are welcome to join. Each gathering offers a different cultural activity or learning opportunity, with dinner and refreshments provided for everyone who attends. Recent gatherings have included a special Truth and Reconciliation evening, hosted in collaboration with Victoria Orange Shirt Day.
If you’d like to take part in an upcoming session, please reach out to Brandi, our Cultural Programs Coordinator, at blancaster@sccfs.com for details and to RSVP.
| | SCCFS Upcoming Events and Highlights | | | |
Surrounded by Cedar Annual General Meeting
Surrounded by Cedar Child & Family Services Society's Board of Directors will host the agency's Annual General Meeting on Tuesday October 20, 2026.
The meeting will take place on beautiful lək̓ʷəŋən territory at the Victoria Scottish Community Centre (1803 Admirals Road, Victoria, BC). Registration will open at 4:30pm with dinner being served at 5:00pm, followed by our Business and Board Elections, and a presentation of our Protocol Agreement Signing with South Island Wellness Society.
RSVPs are now closed, we look forward to seeing you there!
| |
Winterfeast
Winterfeast is one of the agency’s largest gatherings each year! Hosted in in December, Winterfeast brings together children, youth, young adults, families, caregivers and friends of the agency, to honour the change in season, to share culture and to connect through sharing a meal together. The gathering brings together Cultural Knowledge Keepers from diverse Nations and communities to share teachings, stories, and words of reflection with the Winter Solstice upon us. It is an opportunity to gather in a good way, strengthening connection and community as the season changes and the nights grow longer.
One of the main intentions of Winterfeast is to surround our young ones with Winter ceremonies, gatherings, and traditional ways of knowing and being, as a reminder that the commercialization of the winter season is not how our ancestors would have normally spent the winter together. It’s a moment to slow down, connect, and be in relationship with one another through ceremony and celebration. Winterfeast is a good time to visit, socialize, and share some laughs before the Winter season starts!
More information, including an opportunity to RSVP, will be shared closer to the event, we look forward to seeing you there!
| |
Winter Outreach
The Winter Outreach Program began with Surrounded by Cedar’s Non-Protection Family Services worker Amy Whitney and her family. Every year on Christmas eve, Amy and her family would put $100 towards making as many meals as possible for their street family. They would then head out into the community, hand out meals as well as lend their hearts and a compassionate ear to folks, as winter and the holidays can be difficult, especially for those who are unhoused. Amy’s tradition is about much more than food, it is about offering comfort, compassion and making vulnerable people feel seen, heard and cared for, feeding both body and spirit.
Four years ago, Surrounded by Cedar Child and Family Services offered to assist Amy and her family in their outreach work, thus creating the Winter Outreach Program. Since then, the program has blossomed through generous agency and community donations of food, warm clothing, and comfort items. Amy’s family and Surrounded by Cedar work together to distribute the donated items and food to our unhoused relatives, as well as quality time with those who need it, honouring the original goal and intention of the Whitney family’s beautiful work.
Last year, the Winter Outreach Program distributed 300 hot dogs, 100 large Ziplock bags filled with goodies, 78 Tim Horton's and McDonald's gift cards, nine garbage bags of stuffed animals thanks to a generous donation from The Victoria Royals from their Teddy Bear Toss, blankets, socks, jackets, hand warmers, and Narcan. We raise our hands to all community members who made this possible. The relief you helped bring to so many of our unhoused relatives was a blessing to witness and filled our hearts with gratitude.
This year, we will gather again as a group to offer a kind word, a smile, a hot meal and heart to our lost brothers, sisters, and nonbinary relatives. If you feel called to contribute, you can contact either Fort Street or Admirals Walk to connect with a member of the Winter Outreach Program for more information.
| | | |
Click the below to see past events, highlights and cultural programming at SCCFS! | | | |
October
Oct: Foster Parent Appreciation Month
Oct 10: World Mental Health Day
Oct 12: Thanksgiving Day, Office Closed
Oct 20: SCCFS Annual General Meeting
Oct 29: Building Our Bundles, RSVP to blancaster@sccfs.com
November
Nov: Disability Awareness Month
Nov 8: Indigenous Veterans Day
Nov 11: Remembrance Day, Office Closed
December
Dec 9: Winterfeast
Dec 24th: SCCFS Closed at 12:00pm
Dec 25th – Jan 3rd: SCCFS Holiday Closure
January
January 4th: SCCFS resumes regular office hours, 8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday to Friday with a lunch closure from 12-1.
| | | Good Things Are Happening | |
NEE-NUH-WHUT | Advice for Young People
NEE-NUH-WHUT is a life skills-based programming initiative headed by Surrounded by Cedar’s Youth Transitions team. NEE-NUH-WHUT is Coast Salish (Hul'q'umi'num) for “Advice for the Young People,” reflecting the heart of the program: to gather and create space for guidance, connection, and shared learning.
These gatherings take place once a month and bring together youth and young adults with community members to share a meal, build relationships, and explore topics that support independent life skills. May 26th was the first NEE-NUH-WHUT session where staff and our youth and young adults shared a meal and made drumsticks with Knowledge Keeper Terri. Discussions were held on what participants would like to see from the program, as at its heart, the agency wants this to be a collaborative effort lead by what our young people would like to learn or share their own knowledge on. Upcoming sessions will include outdoor skills, food preservation, and cooking.
The programming is open to any youth or young adult ages 16-26 who are connected with the agency. If you or someone you know is interested, monthly posters will be shared outlining the topic and activity for each gathering, you can reach out to your social worker for more information or to be registered for an upcoming session.
|
Caregiver Appreciation Luncheon
On October 8th, the Surrounded by Cedar Caregiver Recruitment & Retention Committee hosted the agency’s annual Caregiver Appreciation Luncheon at the Victoria Scottish Community Center. This was a beautiful opportunity for SCCFS to celebrate our hard-working caregivers and honour 15-year milestones for three caregivers!
Surrounded by Cedar is incredibly grateful for the heart-centered care that our caregivers provide to our children every day. We are also grateful to the local businesses who generously donated prizes for this event, including: Emerald Day Spa, RITUAL Nordic Spa, the Butchart Gardens, Flying Squirrell Trampoline Park, and Deerland Trampoline Park. Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this event!
| | | | | |  |
Become a Member!
Are you passionate about supporting the Urban Indigenous Community? Surrounded by Cedar Child & Family Services Society is looking to grow our membership!
One Year membership for $1.00! As a member, you will:
- Receive updates and quarterly agency newsletters
- Be invited to community consultations
- Attend and vote at our Annual General Meeting (AGM)
- Run for a seat on our Board (must a member of the Society by Friday August 21, 2026 to be eligible)
Your voice strengthens the governance of our organization and helps to fulfill our agency’s Vision and Mission!
| |
Creating a Path: A Lifebook Project
SCCFS offers Lifebooks designed for Indigenous children and youth in or from care, or who have been adopted, helping them record, explore, and celebrate their identity, culture, family, and life journey. Available for caregivers and agencies to support meaningful memory keeping. Click below to learn more!
| | |
Centralized Screening
1-800-663-9122
Help Line for Children
(250) 310-1234
Kids Help Phone
1-800-668-6868
Kiwanis Emergency Youth Center
(250) 386-8282
| | |
Out of the Rain Shelter
(250) 415-3856
Representative for Children & Youth
(250) 356-6710
Suicide Crisis Helpline
9-8-8
Victoria Native Friendship Centre
(250) 384-3211
| | |
First Nations Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry Service
Culturally-safe safe specialist support for your health and well being.
Support is available Monday to Friday.
Learn more at FNHS.ca/VirtualHealth
| | | | |
Child and Family Services
211-1497 Admirals Rd, Victoria, BC, V9A 2P8
Phone: 250-383-2990
Email: info@sccfs.com
Non-Protection Family Services
4th Floor - 915 Fort St, Victoria, BC, V8V 3K3
Phone: 778-747-3094
Email: info@sccfs.com
| | | | |
