Skip to content

Potato House society seeks support for grant applications

The Potato House Sustainability Community Society is in the process of applying for several grants and is seeking letters of support.
13159tribuneA3GSPotatoHouse0191
B.C. Lions team members visited several places in Williams Lake this week including Mountview elementary Tuesday for the Energy Champions session which promotes youth being environmentally responsible. Later in the week they visited the lakecity’s Potato House Project which is also promoting environmental sustainability. Potato House society members gave the Lions a tour of the facility which is in the process of being restored. Pictured are Potato House society board member Debra McNie (left)

The Potato House Sustainability Community Society is in the process of applying for several grants in order to hire a coordinator to help facilitate its community projects and is seeking help from the public in the endeavor.

“We are looking for reference letters to help support our applications,” says president Mary Forbes.

“Coordinators do more than just projects as you know they also are crucial in funding applications, volunteer co-ordination, advertising and promotion, educational programing, supervising summer students, daily operations and a public face for our fantastic community project.”

Projects currently on line for 2012 include community garden raised beds; spring fruit tree pruning workshop; and urban poultry petition to City of Williams Lake to change the bylaw.

An art show is also planned for the Station House Gallery this summer called Community Roots Art Inspired by the Potato House.

A summer community play called Potato Dreams with director Debra McNie and a 2013 potato calendar fundraiser are also in the works.

Prospective projects include but are not limited to Community Garden Enhancement, Xeriscape (low water) Demonstration Garden, Traditional First Nations Medicinal Garden, Heritage Herb and Healing Garden, Heritage Potato Garden (including Cariboo and Likely Heritage Potatoes).

Proposals also include a demonstration passive solar greenhouse, edible insects (yes, eating bugs in partnership with Victoria Bug Zoo... www.bugzoo.bc.ca),  do-it yourself drip irrigation and water conservation, local currency, and spin farming (www.spinfarming.com/spinfarmers/) and more...

People who would like a full copy of the society’s applications or proposed projects can email Forbes at Mary mmmforbes@yahoo.ca.

“Let’s not forget the Potato House itself, our beautiful heritage house it requires special care and funding to make those repairs, retrofits, tests and public safety and security measures to ensure our sustainability to the future,” Forbes says.

“With those thoughts in mind, please take the time to write your thoughts, enthusiasm and support into a one page letter of support for our application for a co-ordinator and send to us via email or drop off at Dandelion Living 271 Oliver Street.

For the application process Forbes says the society needs four copies of the support letters, three in sealed envelopes and one loose for the society files.

Letters must be typed, as hand-written letters are seldom accepted by funding agencies, Forbes says.