The day Sandi Temple learned about Alisa's Wish, she knew she wanted to raise money for child and youth victims of abuse.
And in a matter of five years the 62-year-old Maple Ridge resident has raised $103,321 to support Alisa's Wish Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, a program of Community Services.
For her efforts on Tuesday, June 25, Community Services gave her a special plaque in the shape of a butterfly to mark the milestone of her donations to the program. They also presented her with the Compassionate Spirit Award, given to her at the annual Strut Your Stuff fundraising gala, the event founded by Temple in 2018.
The Compassionate Spirit Award was presented to Temple by Alisa, the very person the centre is named after. Alisa is a a child abuse survivor who not only had to endure the suffering of abuse, but also the emotional trauma that followed when accessing the disconnected support services available at the time.
At the time, children had to retell their story of abuse to many different agencies, including the police, the Ministry of Children and Family Development, counsellors, lawyers, and then again in court, reliving their trauma over and over again.
Alisa, along with the RCMP officer she worked with, Jennifer Hyland, envisioned a streamlined way for young victims and their families to receive services and when the centre first opened, Alisa wrote a letter of encouragement, that is still shared with all new clients today, to let them know that she was also abused, they are not alone, and that she is with them all the way.
"It was just really special to have her there, because she's the whole reason this is here, Alisa's Wish is here," said Temple, noting that receiving her award from Alisa was both humbling and overwhelming.
Alisa's Wish provides a safe place for children and youth up to 18-years-old, who are victims or witnesses of abuse to tell their stories to police, or Crown council, in a warm and welcoming environment, rather than having to go to the RCMP detachment or face the accused in court. There are two forensic interview rooms, a monitoring room where cameras are discreetly placed for the RCMP and other agencies to be able to watch and listen to an interview, and a remote testimony room where Crown council can meet with the child or youth, along with Victim Services workers.
The centre provides wraparound services to victims and their non-offending family members.
Temple first learned about the centre one day while talking to some friends. That same day she went to a consignment store called Buttons and Bows and had a chat with the owner, who told her they would like to be out more in the community.
She went home and dreamt up a fashion show event and booked the banquet room at Meadow Gardens Golf Club that night. Then she reached out to her friends to model the clothes.
"I thought Alisa's Wish needed to be out there more in the community. Bring more awareness to it. For me to start the event and plan the event, the head doesn't stop turning," she said.
The first show, that also included a small silent auction, was held in 2018 and Temple was expecting maybe 100 people would attend, but was surprised when 200 people purchased tickets.
Today the same event features fashions from Silk Degrees, located in Mission, where guests can go to the store and purchase the fashions in different sizes, and more than 250 people attend. The silent auction now features around 200 donated items and services, and Temple recruits models from agencies within the community. There is a DJ who donates their time, the centrepieces on the tables are donated. There is a dinner, 50/50, live auction and silent auction.
According to the Alisa's Wish Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, In Canada, one in three children will experience some type of abuse by the time they are 15 across Canada.
Between April, 2023, and March, 2024, Alisa’s Wish received 119 new referrals and supported 230 clients. The average age of the clients was 11, with 74 per cent being female and 26 per cent male.
In April of this year, Alisa’s Wish supported 19 new clients, with more seen in May.
This program is not government funded, they apply for grants federally and provincially and rely on donations to keep the doors open.
Temple believes everybody has it in them to donate or to hold a fundraiser for something. And if her story brings more awareness to Alisa's Wish and inspires somebody to raise money for a cause, she is happy.
"I'm a grandparent. So, you want to do what you can to make sure the kids are growing up in a safe community. And if they need a resource like this, they have access to it."
For more information or to donate to Alisa's Wish go to: https://www.alisaswish.com/.