CHANGE A LIFE
What do you get when you combine a beautiful rooftop patio, over 200 local millennials and a shared passion for community? The hottest (and coolest) party in town! Last night, GenNext at United Way British Columbia hosted their 3rd Annual Impact Red: Rooftop Social. Held at event sponsor RBC Dominion Securities’ stunning rooftop deck at
Trisha Dulku is passionate about empowering the community she calls home. As the Community Projects Coordinator with Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Surrey Campus, she works with students, faculty and staff to help organize and execute community-focused initiatives that support local newcomers and youth. Building community What inspires Trisha? The opportunity for positive change she sees
What makes a community? Is it knowing your neighbour? A shared love for a local sports team? For many, a community means advocating for and supporting each other; it’s creating a shared sense of belonging, no matter who you are or where you’re from. So much of our community relies on connection. As human beings,
The next time you’re riding the bus, take a moment to look at your fellow riders. You may even recognize a few: maybe the passenger who has a similar work commute or someone who shares your stop. Now, take a moment to ask yourself: who is missing from this picture? A seat for everyone Viveca
June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. It is important to acknowledge that while these groups may share similarities, they each have their own distinct heritage, language, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs. Today is also a
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
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