In December we announced the Build it Better grant program where the VTL will provide four mini grants of up to $200 each for participants to complete a build project aimed at bettering their communities. We received many incredible ideas, ranging from sentimental personal projects to large-scale builds that could impact a wide cross-section of folks in our neighbourhood. 

The Board is so excited to announce our four grant recipients for spring 2026: 

• Hallie is planning to build two durable benches in a local community orchard.
• Medāneghá is planning to build a hide tanning frame and rack.
• Nai and Xaroush are planning to build a community pantry.
• Nicole and Kate are planning to build a weatherproof, flip-style scoreboard for a local traveling women’s rugby team.

What’s next? These builds will take place over the next three months, and in late spring we plan to hold a community event (open to everyone at the VTL!) where each participant will tell us about how their projects went.

We’ll announce the date of the presentation event as soon as it’s set. And, we hope to bring you updates as the builds progress. In the meantime, we offer congrats to these recipients! Stay tuned!