Stephen Tresidder is the administrator of the Vancouver Poppy Fund, a charity that has been supporting veterans and their dependents since 1956. After serving on the Board of Directors for eight years, Stephen took on his current role in 2023, introducing updates like a website for donations and wreath orders. The Poppy Fund assists veterans with medical care, housing, food, and more.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
We are the Vancouver Poppy Fund Committee. There is a volunteer Board of Directors and two paid employees. There are 6 member Royal Canadian Legion Branches in the city of Vancouver and 1 ANAF Unit. Each branch has a poppy campaign chair that coordinates their volunteers to do poppy tagging and looking after store routes with poppy trays. The Vancouver Poppy Fund Committee is a registered charity with CRA.
What problem does it aim to solve?
The Vancouver Poppy Fund helps Veterans and their dependents (including RCMP members) in times of need. We help with medical and dental care, transportation, housing, food cards, bursaries, and other assistance as required.
When did you start/join it?
The Poppy Fund has been around since 1956. I started in this position in April 2023 after serving on the Board of Directors for 8 years.
What made you want to get involved?
I wanted to get involved because I believe in the work of the Poppy Fund and wanted to contribute.
What was the situation like when you started?
The Poppy Fund was working well when I started. I made a few changes including adding a website which includes a donation page and wreath ordering page, changing the accounting software, and updating some of the procedures.
Do you have any events coming up?
The annual Poppy campaign starts the last Friday of October, this year being October 25th and runs until Remembrance Day. We are in need of volunteers to help with tagging and, most importantly, we need everyone to wear a poppy! Donations to the Poppy Fund are greatly appreciated.
Where can we follow you?
You can find us online. Donations can be made on the website.
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
One of my favourite charities is the TB Vets. They do great work by providing vital equipment for hospitals, particularly neonatal suites.
