Central Okanagan Foundation Supports BrainTrust Canada’s ‘Building Futures’ Project

BrainTrust Canada is deeply grateful to the Central Okanagan Foundation for their generous funding support of Building Futures: Sustaining the Lifespan Continuum of Care. This investment strengthens the long-term sustainability of our youth services, particularly for young people impacted by brain injury, violence, and complex trauma.

As the only brain injury–specialized nonprofit serving the Central and North Okanagan, BrainTrust Canada fills critical gaps left by health and social systems. One of the most significant gaps is for youth under 18, who are excluded from publicly funded brain injury rehabilitation despite growing rates of concussion, violence, overdose exposure, and justice involvement. Without early, brain injury–informed support, many young people face disrupted education, increased risk of housing instability, and long-term involvement with health and justice systems.

The Building Futures project focuses on strengthening our organizational capacity so we can safeguard existing programs and responsibly respond to this growing need. By investing in sustainability, Central Okanagan Foundation is helping ensure that prevention, early intervention, and community-based supports remain available to youth and families, not just in the short term, but for years to come.

At BrainTrust Canada, we believe that the only true long-term investment in public safety and health is prevention and awareness, backed by sustainable funding. When young people receive timely, informed support, communities see fewer crises, reduced strain on hospitals and frontline services, and stronger outcomes across education, housing, and wellbeing. Prevention is not only more humane, it is more effective.

This work is strengthened by values-aligned partnerships. We are proud to be walking alongside Purppl, whose collaborative approach and deep understanding of prevention-focused, equity-driven work meaningfully support this initiative. Their partnership reflects the importance of working together to address root causes, build resilience, and create lasting systems change.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Central Okanagan Foundation for their leadership and commitment to strengthening supports for youth living with the effects of brain injury. Their investment is helping build safer, healthier communities by ensuring prevention and early intervention remain central to how we care for young people in our region.