CHANGE A LIFE
stories, news, and other happenings in our community
On June 19, United Way British Columbia held its 88th Annual General Meeting. The afternoon was an opportunity to celebrate our history and share the vision articulated in our recently-adopted strategic plan. In addition to highlighting our community impact from the past year, attendees welcomed new board members, thanked retiring members, and recognized longtime partners.
“What do we have, if we don’t have a connection? We have only ourselves,” says Marlene, a Seniors Community Connector, who helps other seniors access life-changing programming in her East Vancouver neighbourhood. She believes that everyone, no matter their age, should be connected to local home care and transportation services, as well as community-building activities,
Seniors’ poverty in British Columbia is the highest rate in the country, according to the B.C. Seniors’ Poverty Report Card released today by the Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC), in partnership with United Way British Columbia. The B.C. Seniors’ Poverty Report Card is the first of its kind and is
When her husband passed away eight years ago, Olive Jean moved to Mission to be closer to her family. Being near her son has helped her. “But I knew from the beginning he could not be the only thing [to help me],” she says. For Olive Jean, spending time in her community, staying active and
Millennials these day get a bad rap. Like many younger generations before them, they’re often unfairly lumped together and stereotyped. But you don’t have to go far to find countless examples of millennials who are passionate about bettering our community, and who work every day to build better, safer and more empowered spaces for us
Food is a powerful community-builder. It brings people together, bridging cultural and generational divides. It shapes our understanding of the world. “Food is about dignity,” says Kevin Huang, co-founder of the Hua Foundation, a youth-driven non-profit organization based in Vancouver’s Chinatown. “Food keeps us alive. It connects us socially and culturally to our families and
LafargeHolcim believes in building great communities. As the world’s largest building materials company, it supplies essential product – concrete, asphalt, cement – to job sites across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. Besides the physical construction of many civic, commercial, and residential structures used throughout our community, Lafarge offers innovative products and building solutions with
Thinking about fun ways to spend time with your friends and family over the upcoming long weekend? You already know the usual suspects: barbecues, beach days, woodland hikes and evening sunsets. But what about instead trying something truly unique? We’ve got the answer. This weekend, start your Acts of Local Love 31-day challenge! What is
Tracy Green is a civic-minded Bugs Bunny. She likes to know “what’s up?” in her community and she wants to know how she can give back. A long-time resident of the Tri-Cities, she currently calls Port Moody home, along with her husband Chaz and two children, Ella and Lucas. The diverse and unique character of
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
Sorriso. Osmijeh. ابْتِسَامَة. Glimlach. Ngiti. 微笑. Leende. ยิ้ม. Sourire. Any way you write it, it means the same thing: Smile. For Abbotsford resident Kathryn, it’s also the fastest way to get to know someone. “A smile is an immediate social interaction,” she says. “When I smile at someone, they will smile right back at me.
Do you believe in a world where everyone is proud of who they are? Where leaders encourage, empower and take action with others? Do you believe in the power of community? Every day, 15-year-old River helps build this reality for his classmates, his teammates, his family and his friends. A grade 10 student at Frank
Jack Thomas was 17 when he was injured in a workplace accident in 2015. He recalls the warning signs of an unsafe environment. “I was working at a recycling facility in Port Coquitlam and was cleaning out the sorting conveyer, when the belt suddenly started up and my sleeve was caught in the exposed roller.”
How do you define the word ‘community’? For some, it may be the street on which they live; for others, it’s the people, programs and businesses that make up their city. For many, a community is made up of the people that they work with every day. After all, we spend more than 90,000 hours
For over 20 years, Linda Pringle has called a cozy Coquitlam neighbourhood, her home. “I love living here,” she says of Westwood Plateau, on the border of Burke Mountain. “You feel like you can get away from the city, even though you’re just five minutes up the street. We’re a friendly, multicultural community. Every day
It’s one of our most favourite times of the year: National Volunteer Week! We’re proud and excited to celebrate the 12.7 million volunteers (nearly 1 in 3 Canadians!) who give back their time, leadership, expertise and passion to build strong, connected and vibrant communities. In B.C. alone, every year 1.5 million volunteers contribute 114 million
Leadership comes in many styles. Leaders can be creative visionaries, supportive facilitators or clear-sighted commanders. But the most powerful legacy a leader can make is developing the capacity for leadership in others. For the past four years the United Way British Columbia has partnered with Dr. Steve Patty and Dialogues in Action to offer a
Senior loneliness and isolation are import issues affecting our community. Both threaten older adults’ independence, and can create health risks as significant as obesity, smoking or alcoholism. What may be surprising however, is that loneliness and isolation are not synonymous. A McMaster University study defines isolation as a state that arises from having too few
There are many things that make a community great, including accessible healthcare, inclusive transit systems and shared green spaces, just to name a few. Here’s one that may not spring to mind: art. Arts and arts organizations are integral to building strong connections in our community. Storytelling, art exhibits, musical performances and community gatherings are
Today is National Carers Day across Canada, a day to celebrate and thank caregivers and recognize the essential role they play in the success of our community. Caregiving is an incredibly difficult job and the related statistics are staggering. Every year, caregivers contribute roughly $25 billion in unpaid labour to the Canadian health system, while