Please take a moment and view the details here.

Passion Foundation is a unique Canadian charity created to greatly improve the lives of girls and young women 11-24 years of age to help them realize and live out their full potential. We provide project-based programs for girls to learn hands-on leadership skills to enhance their future.

Currently we are seeking two vibrant and extra-ordinary part time interns to assist for a six-month term.

While working with us you will have the opportunity to assist the Executive Director on the development of the organization, daily administration duties, as well as assist with community outreach.

Key responsibilities include directly working with the Executive Director 6-10 hours per week on organizational development including but not limited to:

• Business planning,
• Creating a community database,
• Setting up distribution lists,
• Building community relationships,
• Event planning and
• Report writing

Qualifications

• Currently a 3^rd or 4th^th year student in a CYCC/ CYW program, a student in Business or related field working toward a MA or MBA
• At least 3 years working in a community setting
• 1-2 years of administration experience
• Ability to problem solve quickly
• Strong time management and organizational skills
• Strong communication skills
• Strong editing and writing skills
• Strong computer skills: Microsoft Office
• Ability to work independently (remotely) as well as within a team
• A passion for community development

Deliverables

• Update and enhance business plan
• Create an easy-to-use community database
• Set up community distribution lists
• Build community network with organizations across British Columbia
• Create one small event with support of our advisors and volunteers
• Complete a report at end of internship

Benefits

• Get first hand knowledge on organizational development
• Extremely valuable real world skills to put on your resume
• Connection to our amazing network of business and community leaders
• Mention on our website and newsletter
• Upon successful completion a reference letter
• Flexibility in working from home/office

Please submit resume to info@passionfoundation.com with subject title Executive Intern by May 25, 2012 at 3pm

I met Jade in 2010 when I did a Passion Project in the Burnaby Youth Custody Center. She was a leader inside; there was no doubt about that.

She was harsh, scarred, and in your face and at other times dismissive. She had an infectious laugh and no stranger to street life. She’s the type of person that I automatically get really curious about. For many reasons we connected.

After our 8-10 week Passion Projects are completed I offer any girl who wants additional support/coaching the option to continue working with me. Jade automatically asked for more help. For the next 8 months I went at least 3 times a month to the prison for a visit with her. We’d work on whatever she wanted to work on. Sometimes it was goal setting around her school work, sometimes it was looking at options of work when she got on the “outs” and  sometimes it was me asking her questions and listening to her story. She challenged me as much as I challenged her. When she was moved to an adult facility (now 19) to complete the remainder of her four year sentence (she was denied parole) I continued to support her. Every month I go to see her. I drive an hour there, spend about one and a half hours with her and then drive home. She has no other visitors. We continue to talk about her possibilities in life. We continue to talk about her challenges. And we continue to work on bringing her potential into the world in a bigger, brighter way.

Last week we talked about Jade having her own blog on our website.  She’ll write me letters and we will post them for her. Her integration with a new world starts here.

She’s also given me permission to write about working with her.  I think it’s important that people see both sides of a coin before they make a judgement. In my eyes Jade and many many girls like her are miracles. Their stories is heart breaking and at times brutal but when ignited their spirit shines like no other.

I feel extremely privilege to do this line of work. For the last 11 years youth have let me in their deepest and most raw emotions,  and then share their inspiration with me. It is a sincere honour.

By sharing some of my experiences of working with Jade my hope is that people will see that EVERY girl is valuable, that there is hope and when girls feel purposeful beautiful things happen.

(Picture description: Jade has nine months left on her sentence. She currently spends part of her day working for the dog training and care program at the institution and the other part in a therapeutic development program. When she talks about the dogs she cares for her entire being lights up.)

Once a month I’ll update the blog with posts entitled “Working with Jade”

-Loretta

ED/ Founder

We’ve had some set backs. A few really. The last year has been a HUGE learning curve and rather than jumping into something and doing it only at half capacity we decided to wait to do it 100%. Building this is important to me and many others. The idea of Giovanni’s Passion is not to just to live out the dream of my grandfather but to provide young women with an employment opportunity like no other. An opportunity for young women not only to build employment skills but also to learn about community, about carrying themselves well in this world and living fully. It is an opportunity full of possibilities and we need to make sure it’s sustainable and supported well.

We’ve all seen many businesses come and go and even more so social enterprises. In honour of Giovanni we need to make this happen when all the pieces of the puzzle are present.

Although an often tough and opinionated man my grandfather had a very soft heart. He would offer help whenever someone needed it and when he’d sit in front of the television and see an ad for people in need he would ask my grandmother to send a little money. He worked hard for the life he lead and knew the challenges of poverty and being an immigrant well. He also never forgot that opportunities he had in his life time because of people who provided him with opportunities when he came to Canada. It was those people and their families that allowed him the space to make his life a reality and it is with that that I am moved to the same.

If it was not for the people who have surrounded me and provided me the tools I’ve needed along the way I would not be working out the details to make more opportunities for young women in such a BIG and powerful way.

A special thanks to:

Aiyanna from Bandidas Taqueria

Scott Hawthorn of wayyyy to make things to list (Salt Tasting Room, Native Shoes, etc)

Joel Solomon of Renewal 2

Cory LePage

Madeleine Shaw of Lunapads

Pam Chaloult of Renewal 2

Wayne Holmes of Spectra Foods

Jon Cohen and Margot White, Passion Directors

Loretta A. Cella

Founder and ED of Passion Foundation

“What does Global Sorority have to do with Canadian girls?” “If you’re organization is a CANADIAN charity why involve girls overseas?”

Over the past few days I’ve been asked by a number of people what a mini documentary series about girls around the world has to do with local girls. Aren’t the issues, challenges, and mission completely different? The answer is simple… No!

No matter where in the world I have gone girls struggle with finding their authentic voice. Leaders around the world have stated that educated and empowered girls will help change our future.

Every time the spirit of young women is sparked she will automatically share it with others.

Last week I was at Byrne Creek Community School in Burnaby, BC informing a small group of young women on the Passion Foundation and Passion Projects. When I brought up Global Sorority they got the connection right away. Shared voices, different perspectives = openmindedness and an opportunity to come together for change.

From my experiences, girls in developing nations come from a deep place of community. They work from a “we” place in life. The “I” place is often lost. And even though most girls that I’ve worked with locally are moving toward a “we” place in life Western culture in fact supports a more “I” centered place of achievement often based on what others think they should do or be.

What if there was a possibility that girls from developing nations could educate girls from developed nations and vice versa by sharing their stories and sharing their authentic voices? Here’s a great example of what is possible

What if the change the world is needing comes from these young women coming together with the right support to take their leadership to the next level?

I am extremely excited that we will have many young Metro Vancouver girls and women interested in becoming involved in the development of this project and we look forward to moving it forward.

Tia and I deeply appreciate everyone’s support. We’ve had so many amazing people step up to support our vision and share such words of encouragement. We have 8 days left to make this a reality. And we need your support to provide the opportunity to so many more.

Warmly
Loretta.

That’s why our Executive Director Loretta Cella and Tia Kelly are launching a journey to connect with 100 young women in the world.

Check it out!

Please take a moment to help us spread the word. Simply go here and make a pledge and share the link in your community.

Every pledge counts!

UPDATED:

We are so excited for the opportunity to partner and collaboration with many amazing Vancouver organizations to make this possible including.

Projecting Change Film Festival
Stratosphere International Community Education
Byrne Creek Community School
Intersections Media Opportunities for Youth Society

Before I left I was given an opportunity by Loretta Cella (Director and Founder of the Passion Foundation) to take her workshop to a group of girls in Ethiopia. The non profit supports, encourages, and empowers young women. Also, helping them build leadership skills that can contribute to them giving back to their community. On top of that, Madeleine Shaw (Co-Founder of Lunapads) jumped on board and gave me 15 Lunapad kits to take to the girls!
While I was there, I was able to do a 6 hour workshop with about 8 girls. Most of them came from struggling families. Whenever questions would be asked about future goals and what they do in their spare time, the answers always came back to helping their mothers and families make a better life for themselves. All of those girls are so driven and focused on making a better life for them self that it makes me stop to think about how easy I have it. One of the young girls said how she wanted to work for the Red Cross so she could help people. WHERE DO YOU HEAR THAT these days!?!?
They were so incredibly appreciative of the opportunity of being able to do the workshop. OH AND THEN! The Lunapad kits were a hit! When I took them out and demonstrated on how to use them, a flood of giggles erupted from all of them. After they understood how to use them, they became excited and very grateful. It was one of the most rewarding days being able to be and talk with them. Thank you SO MUCH Loretta and Madeleine for the opportunity!!!

All in all, AN AMAZING TRIP!! (Until next year..)

A few milestones of 2011:

We were one of the winners of Edelman Vancouver’s Little Give. It resulted in an unbelievable Edelman team contributing 48 hours of their time and energy to help build our first real campaign and solicit the support of Mary Olson, Clutch Designs, to create our fabulous Passion Necklaces. As well as set up our new Facebook community page and update our website.

We were able to start and complete two great Passion Projects and launch our passionTOaction (p2a) pilot for young women in the Vancouver area, contributing directly to the lives of 30 young women.

These projects resulted in teachers and community members reaching out to us and sharing their gratitude for the shifts they saw in the young women who took part in the projects and the participants walking away with life long leadership tools to build on their passions, goals, and lives.

” My words and actions are now bold and brave, authentic and honest, powerful and inspiring. I am truly me!” – Passion Leader

The p2a team also had a booth in the LOVE Vancouver festival and participated in a number of other initiatives including working with Lori Petryk on the Good for You, Good for the Earth segments on Shaw Cable. The young women involved in the pilot have moved on and are continuing to do amazing things in their communities.

We are extremely grateful to Jenn McRae, the p2a volunteer Coordinator and all the young sustainability leaders who helped contribute with the pilots’ success including Gordon Youth Search House for donating their space for us to operate in. We also extend our appreciation to  Mark from Reel Youth and the United Way’s Care to Change campaign for the film projects the young women took part in. This contribution of time, resources, and talent resulted in one the films being chosen for the Reel Youth VIFF showings.

In addition we are still working on our social enterprise Giovanni’s Passion with our amazing YWiB team, Lucia and Kiran. What a journey it’s been but thanks to our mentors and advisors we are making progress. Our goal is to have a milestone for this venture by May 9, 2012.

The latter part of this year has been focused on building our network and creating sustainability for our organization. As a result of these efforts we secured our first social investors, the Fraser Wilson Foundation and Vancity Community Foundation.

Loretta Cella, Executive Director and Founder of Passion Foundation, has been running 100 km per hour for the last four years taking her passion out into a number of communities in the world while working full time in employment services. Now thanks to this generous investment she is able to focus on building our community in a number a ways. Within the last month she was able to sign on three new dynamic directors, scheduled training new facilitators for January, and bring in 14 new advisors to form a diverse committee of business women to assist in our movement of  reaching out to more girls and young women in 2012.

There are so many exciting things coming for 2012 and we felt it necessary to share our appreciation with everyone who has supported us in donating their time, energy, and resources.

Special note from our Executive Director and Founder:

“Without the support of our community we would not be able to have made such a powerful contribution in the world. It is all of you who provide us with your passion and energy that assist us in giving it back to girls and young women. Because of this, their lives have changed and will continue to change as they continue to believe they can do anything. There is no dollar amount to place on this value to our world.  We hope that you continue to share your passions with us and support us and our new leaders in 2012. Sending you all much heartfelt gratitude!” Loretta Cella, ED. Founder, Passion Foundation

May 2012 bring you all a deeper connection with your passion, health, and goals. We look forward to connecting with you in the new year.

The Passion Team

Here are the details:

Passion Foundation is having a fundraising event on Sept 8th from 530-830p in Vancouver. That’s next week!

It’s going to be a great evening of food and wine, a mini seminar with Advanced Spa Technologies, a skin consultation and more!

The first person to sell 10 tickets to their network wins the gift certificate. It’s that easy!!! Talk to your friends, co-workers, neighbours, and tweet away!

Track the names of your guests and email them to us.

Have questions contact us at  info@passionfounation.org

Please take a moment and check out our videos and help the youth win by voting!

AGE OF VULNERABILITY
HER STORY
GOING NOWHERE