CHANGE A LIFE
COVID-19 had a tremendous impact on our mental well-being. Almost two-thirds of 15 to 24-year-olds reported that COVID-19 has negatively impacted their mental health. 41% were likely to report symptoms consistent with moderate or severe anxiety.* We know there is a crisis in our communities surrounding substance abuse. United Way British Columbia looks to partner with organizations and
“How are we changing lives?” This is the question that Chilliwack Healthier Community (CHC) has been trying to answer since its inception in 2010. Chilliwack Healthier Community (CHC) is a network for over 45 stakeholders in government, non-profit, private and volunteer sectors with the mission to address Chilliwack’s most complex issues which include housing,
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
Today is National Senior’s Day, a day to celebrate and honour the seniors in our lives – who are our teachers, mentors, neighbours, friends and family members. Healthy Aging by United Way supports regular programs across BC that help seniors with basic day-to-day tasks so that they can continue to live independently in their own
Nineteen-year-old Jodi loves school. She’s learning new things, meeting new people and planning for a bright future as she pursues her degree through the Child and Youth Care program at Douglas College in New Westminster. It was something that was almost unimaginable for her as a child. “I knew when we had no food. I
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
Hea Nay spent the majority of her young life growing up in a refugee camp in Thailand. She and her family, who are members of the Karen minority, escaped Myanmar fleeing civil war when she was just two years old. After 14 years in the camp, where she went to school, Hea Nay, her parents
Making the lives of older British Columbians better strengthens the social fabric that creates healthy, caring, and inclusive communities for all ages. At no time has this been clearer than in the face of the devastating COVID-19 global pandemic. When the crisis hit, British Columbians readily stepped up to support seniors. From volunteers to community organizations
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
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
May 28th is Menstrual Hygiene Day, a day devoted to breaking taboos about menstruation and raising awareness about good menstrual hygiene. United Way’s Period Promise campaign is proud to participate in the global movement to take action and provide product. Periods don’t pause for pandemics This year, Menstrual Hygiene Day is happening during a global
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.
Preventing the spread of COVID-19 means physical distancing, which can leave people isolated and lonely. That’s why acts of local love and kindness are becoming more important than ever. And having a huge impact on the lives of vulnerable people. Across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, a simple postcard is making a big difference
Taking a break after chair yoga class, Don is relaxed with his sneakers kicked off, chatting about the physical impacts of aging. He quotes from a Leonard Cohen song. “You start to ache in the places you used to play,” he says with a smile. At 88, Don has led a rich life. He began
On a crisp Winter evening recently in the Fraser Valley, the commercial kitchen at the Sardis Community Church was filled with a flurry of activity and a bouquet of aromas. Chef Rim, her 15-year-old daughter Jennifer and her good friend Sand spent an afternoon and early evening preparing a Syrian banquet for local residents and
For four hours one Saturday last November, the Vancity community room at The Junction Shopping Centre was buzzing with activity as locals participated in a ‘repair café’, fixing a wide range of items otherwise destined for local landfills. Janet Chalmers, a local resident and member of Building Resilience in Mission, says it all started when a few passionate individuals began discussing the concept of a transition
Working together makes all the difference when it comes to building community, according to United Way British Columbia research. Volunteering is 21% more meaningful when you do it with people you know. It’s something students from Clayton Heights Secondary School completely agree with. Earlier this month, 30 Grade 10 Math students travelled from Surrey’s Clayton
On October 8 a crowd of community champions gathered at the Woodward’s building in Gastown for Better Together by United Way. Better Together was an event designed by donors, for donors. After consulting with United Way supporters earlier this year, event organizers heard there was demand for something simple, with major impact. There was a call to