Cowichan Lake Community Services Society was founded in 1972 and formally registered as a society in 1974 with the mandate to provide social and economic development programs. Our offerings have increased over the years to include the twenty-plus programs we currently run. These programs include: counselling and support programs, social development programs including WorkBC employment services, child and youth counselling, sexual abuse intervention, and a multitude of therapeutic recreation programs encompassing everyone in the area.

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Cowichan Lake Community Services is over-seen by a locally elected Board of Directors of up to 10 members.  The mandate of the Society is “to enhance and support quality of life for area residents. We will strive to do this through education, prevention, recreation, counselling, and support groups. It is also our aim to work together with other service agencies in an integrated approach.”

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Our services are funded by a variety of federal, provincial and municipal governments, as well as on-going fundraising, the United Way, fees for service, facility rentals, entrepreneurship, local donors and memberships. Cowichan Lake Community Services operates well within their budgetary restraints.

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In the past we have offered life skills programs, funded through the provincial government, the co-ordination of the Associated Coastal Community Services program, which provides extended group benefit packages to employees of any community serving agency in Canada, work experience in partnership with Lake Cowichan School and targeted wage subsidy positions. We have also offered interested community members the chance to improve various skills through volunteer positions in our office.

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In 1997 we embarked on a large fundraising project to erect our current building. We were successful in raising over $600,000 and had many community partners, HRDC being one.