CHANGE A LIFE
When COVID hit, there was a lot of fear, there was a lot of isolation. People lost their jobs; people lost their food security, and people lost their ability to connect with each other. For a community to be great, it needs to be great for everyone, so we worked quickly to pivot, develop and adapt our programs. During the
Thanksgiving may be over, but it’s no time to stop giving thanks – or giving back – to your neighbours. Your community needs your local love now more than ever. During the time of COVID, food security remains the number one issue facing our community and it is one way we are giving back to those in need. Over
As we pass Thanksgiving, United Way Local Love Food Hubs have served 1.2 million meals. That’s because more British Columbians than ever are struggling to keep food in their cupboards due to COVID-19 and the economic fallout from the crisis. About 15% of British Columbians are now food insecure. For families with children, it’s even higher at about 19%. “It has been a difficult situation,” says Marta, a South Vancouver resident, who lives with
Community food programs continue to face tremendous pressure as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. To help address the shortage of both funds and volunteers, FortisBC stepped up: they provided funding to the hardest hit food programs across B.C. and their Street Team staff were reassigned to assist with food distribution in the Lower Mainland. The FortisBC Street Team delivers The eight-person Street Team spends two to three days a week sorting and delivering food
On a recent July Saturday Evena visited a Guildford school parking lot, one of four designated Local Love Food Hubs especially for children and families attending inner city schools in Surrey. She was there to pick up much-needed supports from volunteers at the City Dream Centre – a grocery hamper filled with bread, fresh produce,
How does a group of Canadian newcomers shift from reading about food waste to feeding 2,500 neighbours each month? It takes five years of dedication, 365 days a year and includes 15 distribution sites, 8 participating grocery stores and 75 volunteers, including 35 drivers – from over 15 countries – to serve over 30 different families daily. The Immigrant Link Centre Society is the
In 2020, celebrating multiculturalism is more important than ever. Here at United Way British Columbia, we work every day to honour, discover and appreciate our multicultural communities. In celebration of Multiculturalism Day, we’re sharing how some of our friends and neighbours across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley are making our world a better place for everyone. “We are
Every day, food needs for thousands of people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside remain unmet. A unique new partnership aims to support people with lived experience from within the community to deliver healthy meals where they are needed most to address this gap. Hundreds of free meals are being delivered to people who live and work
Before the global pandemic, thousands of students across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley trusted school meal programs as a dependable and necessary source of daily nourishment. Mandated school closures to curb the spread of COVID-19 meant schools needed to quickly adapt their programs to answer to escalating needs, not just from students but their
For new United Way British Columbia volunteer Edmond Law, being on the ground helping was an eye-opening experience into how COVID-19 is impacting people’s lives. Edmond helped greet people and ensure social distancing among community members at South Vancouver Neighbourhood House when they recently provided hot lunches and distributed food hampers. “There are many vulnerable people who
Before COVID-19, the street outside Collingwood Neighbourhood House in East Vancouver was bustling, with lots of foot traffic going past the building all day, every day. Inside, the space was an active hive, with chatter in a multitude of different languages, including Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, Hindi, Punjabi, Vietnamese and Japanese. Visitors would comment on the vibrancy, diversity and buzz of the Neighbourhood House. These days, it’s just a sparkling clean, quiet
COVID-19 is leaving kitchen cupboards bare across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. Mass lay-offs and underemployment are affecting our friends, neighbours and family members leaving many struggling to pay rent and buy food. United Way British Columbia is responding quickly to the devastating effect COVID-19 is having on food security. By mobilizing a network of community partners, businesses and local residents, United Way is
A few months ago, 60-year-old Phillip was filling his days with work, visiting friends and family, and plenty of exercise – long walks and going to the gym several times weekly – in his West End Vancouver neighbourhood. Then he took a fall, which resulted in breaks and fractures to his left arm and pelvis.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 pm, between 70-90 people from all walks of life gather at the Cloverdale Community Kitchen. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from – dinner is served. The meals not only nourish, they help build community and friendships among everyone who enters from single moms
The old adage remains true as ever: sharing is caring. There is no greater example of this than at the Sharing Farm Society, a local non-profit that grows food to feed families in need. Run by community members, for community members, the Sharing Farm provides fresh, healthy, local produce for the Richmond Food Bank and