Small dreams, mighty connections

By Stacey McLachlan
Photos by Isabella Falsetti and Marlon Martinez

A tiny newspaper ad changed everything.

Yunuen Perez Vertti had been in Canada just three months when she spotted it — something called Neighbourhood Small Grants offering up to $500 to bring neighbours together. She applied on a whim to the Vancouver Foundation-backed program, thinking an art event might help her meet people. That single decision sparked a seven-year tradition that eventually became StrideFest, a Burnaby arts festival, connecting the local arts community in ways she never imagined.

“It’s a small amount of money, but it’s powerful. Understanding is only going to come if we actually talk to each other and learn each other’s stories,” said Perez Vertti, who now helps even more neighbours come together as a coordinator of the program through the Association of Neighbourhood Houses of British Columbia .

Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) turned 25 last year, and it started with a simple premise: people want to connect with their neighbours but are afraid to break the ice. That $500 could be the spark they need to build stronger and healthier communities

Yunuen Perez Vertti (right) is the architect behind the Neighbourhood Small Grants roving dream tent.

Creativity and connection

What began as a two-year pilot project to bring East Vancouver residents together has evolved into something beautifully unexpected across 60 communities in B.C. Today, NSG reaches remote places like Haida Gwaii, where it enabled the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to host the region’s first Pride celebration. In the same area, Latin and Filipino communities now run cultural gatherings with an NSG grant.

Even during the height of the pandemic, NSG kept connecting people. Instead of shutting down, the program expanded provincewide. Neighbours organized art hunts, delivered wellness packages, and created online workshops connecting strangers.

“There is no other grant in B.C. that is for individuals the way this one is,” explained Perez Vertti. “As accessible, as inclusive, as low-barrier.”

The dream tent has brought its wish-filled paper strips far and wide, including New Westminster and White Rock.

Lasting impact through donor support

Eric Godot Andersen discovered NSG through Blueridge Good Neighbour Day, a community event running since 1998. After seeing how small grants helped grow the celebration, he established his own donor advised fund at Vancouver Foundation in 2014, naturally including NSG support.

“I have always been very impressed by the innovative ideas that grant recipients have displayed,” said Andersen. “This is truly community building.”

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, NSG toured a “roving dream tent” in Metro Vancouver, an installation where community members write neighbourhood hopes on shimmering paper strips. The tent, overflowing with dreams from eight communities, represents everything NSG stands for: a space where everyone belongs and voices are heard.

Vancouver Foundation’s Community Impact Fund, supported by donors like Andersen and organizations like BC Unclaimed, ensures NSG continues this work. When neighbours know each other’s stories, they build resilience to solve problems together, one small grant at a time.

This story is featured in our 2025 Vancouver Foundation magazine. Read the magazine to explore other stories of courage, resilience, and generosity.