CITY OF SURREY SOCIAL POLICY

This week’s guest speaker was Judy Villeneuve, Surrey City Councillor.  She was invited to speak to the club about her work with the Surrey Social Policy Advisory Committee that she leads.  Also with her in attendance was Aileen Murphy, Senior Social Planner with the City of Surrey.  Councillor Villeneuve has held her position for 25 years and is actively involved in social policy and homelessness initiatives.  She mentioned how Surrey has had progress in the issue of dealing with homelessness even while the population grows at a fast pace.  Much of the progress has been as a result of partnerships between the city, the province, and Fraser Health Authority. The Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society was also formed under her watch and they have awarded $2 million in grants to assist nonprofit organizations to help in their mandate.  The funds have helped some of the city’s most vulnerable, including single parents, aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities, and new immigrants. Councilor Villeneuve expressed enthusiasm in working with service clubs in helping reach the city’s goals in tackling poverty and homelessness.  We also look forward to any opportunities that may exist.  She also asked for support of a petition she has created in support of Government Assisted Refugees.  They are responsible for repaying interest-bearing loans in the thousands of dollars covering their transportation and pre-entry medical expenses.  She is hoping to have these payments eliminated to help vulnerable people working to start a new life in Surrey without the stress and difficulty of repaying these interest-bearing loans.  Please contact our club through Facebook if you are interested in signing this petition.

President John Edwards Presented Councillor Villeneuve and Aileen Murphy with a token of our appreciation for the presentation and making us aware of the Social Policy initiatives in the City of Surrey.