The Chung family, owners of Primacorp Ventures, which purchased the Quest University lands in 2020, has put their money where their heart is.
Among other things, Primacorp manages businesses in post-secondary education, healthcare and seniors' homes.
The Chung has donated $30,000 to Sea to Sky Community Services’ Community and Employment Services program.
In 2021, the Chung family also set up Joe’s Table Café on Quest's campus.
It is a café that employs folks who have cognitive disabilities.
The coffeehouse is named after Joseph Chung, an outgoing and autistic young man who died several years ago.
His father, Peter Chung, chairman and CEO of Primacorp, said he is thankful to Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCS) and appreciates the organization's work to empower people with disabilities, like his late son Joseph.
“While this type of work is hard, it is a labour of love,” Chung said, in a news release. “When my son was looking for a job, we couldn’t find a program like the employment program offered at SSCS. It would have been so beneficial for him.”
A ceremony to hand over the cheque was held at the Squamish United Church at Centrepoint on April 7.
SSCS is a charitable organization that provides more than 40 social service programs for individuals and families in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
“Our community and employment services are very dear to our hearts because we know it creates unprecedented opportunities for individuals who might otherwise struggle to have productive and meaningful employment,” said Jaye Russell, executive director of SSCS, in the release. “We know it is changing lives for the better.”
The donation means something to Quest students and staff as well, according to the school's dean.
“It is a pleasure to witness our partner Primacorp[‘s] donation to our Squamish community. This donation has a positive impact on Quest University as well, since Joe's Table Café employees are trained by the Sea to Sky Community Services Society," said the university's dean of academics Halia Valladares Montemayor in the release.
With the support of Primacorp’s donation, SSCS will offer a wide range of programs, including general life skills and nutrition classes and encourage entrepreneurial efforts through offerings such as the Coastal Cooks Program, Baking Club, and Food Kits initiative, the release said.
