Vibrant Abbotsford

About Us

Vibrant Abbotsford began in 2006, when local citizens dedicated themselves to realizing a vision of Abbotsford that offers a high quality of life for all. Now, we are undertaking actions to make the vision a reality.

To create conditions for reducing poverty in Abbotsford, we present low income residents with opportunities and tools to lift themselves out of their current realities instead of merely helping them to live with the reality of being poor.

Poverty reduction is the action of moving people out of poverty situations, rather than making their lives in poverty more comfortable.

Vibrant Abbotsford collaborates with existing poverty reduction efforts while also developing new approaches, which include activities that:

  • shift local attitudes towards poverty and community, including ‘us and them’ stances
  • build local understanding of poverty
  • remove policy and other barriers that keep people in poverty
  • assist local citizens to build financial, physical, and social assets
  • improve Abbotsford’s economic base
  • enhance connections between people
  • help all residents to feel included in Abbotsford life.

As a collaborative group, Vibrant Abbotsford works with a variety of partners, including all levels of government, social and voluntary organizations, faith-based organizations, local businesses, funders, and the people of Abbotsford.
 
Vibrant Abbotsford focuses on areas that will contribute to moving people from poverty, including

  • employment and entrepreneurship
  • housing
  • education and personal development
  • financial assets building
  • social connections
  • health

Concentration on these areas allows Vibrant Abbotsford to frame activities in a coordinated, targeted way, with the ultimate goal of building a more vibrant Abbotsford!

 
Two groups demonstrate particularly high levels of need in Abbotsford:
 
1. Single parents

  • Single mothers report the lowest incomes for lone parent families in Abbotsford;
  • They represent our best opportunity to have a positive impact on intergenerational poverty;
  • The median income for female-headed lone-parent families in 2006 was $31,502 compared to the median income for all census families of $52,097.

2. Immigrant families

  • Of all 33 large urban centres in Canada, Abbotsford is home to the third highest proportion of foreign-born populations;
  • We are concerned that this group is developing its own “life cycle of poverty”.