Who We Are
Together Against Poverty Society (TAPS) is the largest anti-poverty organization on Vancouver Island. We have a positive impact on people’s lives in ways that honour and promote human rights, justice, and a healthy, sustainable community. TAPS is a recognized leader and resource for citizens, community groups, and social agencies attempting to reduce poverty. Our education and advocacy services touch over 5,000 people per year – and we are not yet meeting the needs of all who approach us. We provide services to residents of the Greater Victoria area and adjacent municipalities including the Western Communities, Saanich Peninsula and the Southern Gulf Islands.
TAPS was established and registered as a Society in 1989, receiving charitable tax status in 1994. TAPS is a non-profit society whose membership is open to individuals or groups concerned with the preservation of civil society, the social justice movement, the eradication of poverty, as well as the continuing moral progress of those ideals.
The purposes of TAPS
- to better the lifestyle and living conditions of persons on a low income
- to enable social services and faith-based groups to network for the purpose of helping persons requiring assistance
- to make the general public aware of the problems persons on low income have and ways in which they could assist in solving these problems
- to focus a special interest on the welfare of children.
- to educate and inform persons on low income of their rights and to provide a support system assisting such persons.
- to form a network of people in poverty to enable them to solve their own problems.
- to maintain current records of what assistance is available for persons in need and where to obtain this assistance.
