Around Town: Christmas Kettles, New Hope expanding, Polygon: Regent House

Okay, it’s a bit early for Christmas content – but not for the Salvation Army, which is busy organizing its annual Christmas Kettle teams. Donations made during the Christmas season are very important for all their ongoing good works.

Following is the story of one long-time volunteer, who is encouraging others to join him:

At The Salvation Army, we often hear stories that remind us of the profound impact volunteering can have – not just about those we serve, but about the volunteers themselves.

One such story is that of Doug, a dedicated volunteer who has been ringing kettle bells during the Christmas season for 17 years. Doug’s journey with us began with a simple yet powerful inspiration: his father’s experiences during World War II. 

Doug’s father, a veteran, often spoke about the comfort and support he received from The Salvation Army during the war. He specifically remembered the warmth of receiving socks, a small gesture that meant a great deal during challenging times. This memory stayed with Doug, ultimately inspiring him to give back to the community after retiring from the RCMP in 2005. 

Volunteering has become an integral part of Doug’s life, especially during the Christmas season. He dedicates three days a week to ringing bells at a local grocery store, where he has developed meaningful connections with the community. . . . 

Doug’s story highlights the importance of volunteering, especially now. As he notes, there are many people in need, including youth who require shelter, encouragement and food. The Salvation Army play a crucial role in providing these essential services, and volunteers are the backbone of our efforts. . . .

You don’t have to wait until Christmas to get involved. There are many ways you can support your local Salvation Army throughout the year. From helping at food banks and community kitchens to assisting with outreach programs and special events, your time and skills are invaluable to us.

In Doug’s words, “Apart from time with my family at Christmas, it’s what makes my Christmas.” We invite you to join us in this fulfilling journey and experience the joy of volunteering firsthand.

Go here if you are interested in volunteering with the Salvation Army, or for more information.

New Hope in New West

One of the most valuable Christian initiatives supporting refugee families in Metro Vancouver has bought a second apartment building, this time in New Westminster.

New Hope Community Services made the announcement October 3:

New Hope is expanding! We have just purchased a second building where we can immediately provide more transitional housing for newcomer refugee families!

New Hope’s long-held dream to expand beyond our Surrey site is now a reality. Our second building is located in New Westminster; it has 11 apartments plus large storage areas that will be renovated and converted into community programming spaces. It’s next to a park with many amenities, and is within walking distance to grocery stores, an elementary school, and the bus line – all of which are critical for helping newcomers get settled into life in Canada.

The building isn’t vacant, so we’ve taken on the role of landlord for eight units and will move in three refugee families soon. Because of the mixed tenant population and lower concentration of newcomers in the building, we will work diligently to create a supportive community that recognizes the unique needs of the refugee families we house.

As we establish ourselves in this new space, we invite your prayers that the refugees who come to us may also establish themselves upon finding a warm welcome, a sense of belonging and a stable home.

New Hope will host a grand opening November 2 at the site, 608 – 10th Street, right across from Moody Park. The outdoor gathering will offer the “opportunity to join our ‘buy-a-brick’ campaign, supporting New Hope’s operational expansion, and necessary repairs and renovations.”

Christina Lui, who joined New Hope as Executive Director this spring, will address the gathering. She was formerly Associate Pastor at University Chapel and then Associate Director of Advancement at Regent College.

Jack Taylor, who was instrumental in founding New Hope, has just posted an article on the Light Magazine site which provides some background and quoted Lui as saying:

My faith is shaped by the theology of the incarnation. God’s sending of Jesus to become human is an act of downward mobility that demonstrates care and concern for the marginalized and shows how God expresses love through accompaniment and being with the other.

These themes connect deeply and directly with New Hope’s work of being with refugee families in community, accompanying them in their early and formative experiences of Canada, and recognizing the vulnerability and marginalization of the refugee and newcomer populations.

New Hope, which began in 2004, has helped over 800 refugees find a new start in Canada. The apartment building in Surrey has 13 units. I have posted earlier articles about New Hope: here and here for example.

Two other upcoming events will also focus on welcoming refugees:

• Making a Home for Refugee Claimants

CityGate Vancouver will host Making a Home for Refugee Claimants at Fleetwood Christian Reformed Church in Surrey November 2:

Come join us for an event focused on creating welcoming spaces for refugee claimants. Learn about their experiences, challenges and how you can help make a difference.

Connect with like-minded individuals and organizations striving to provide support and a sense of belonging to those in need. Together, let’s work towards building inclusive communities for everyone.

• Love Without Borders: Welcoming Refugee Claimants Orientation

Journey Home Community will offer Love Without Borders: Welcoming Refugee Claimants Orientation at Willingdon Church in Burnaby November 16. This basic orientation will include:

1. An overview of who we are at Journey Home – our history, mission, vision and values.
2. Who qualifies as a ‘refugee claimant’ and Canadian refugee pathways.
3. What is mental wellness in mutually transformative relationships.
4. A refugee story: hear from a member of our community as they detail their own journey.
5. Cross cultural understandings: learn about how different cultures relate to one another.
6. Mutually transformative relationships: volunteerism, boundaries and cross-cultural relationships.

This is the first step in entering into community with members of Journey Home’s refugee community.

Regent House

This was a serious parking lot sale – and a major move for Regent College.

Here is their September 18 announcement:

President Jeff Greenman has announced that Regent College has completed the sale of its parking lot to Polygon Homes. Polygon plans to use this lot to build an 18-story tower, to be called Regent House, with an attractive landscaped plaza between the Regent College building and the new structure.

Set to begin in early 2025, construction is expected to take approximately 30 months to complete.

Crucially, this new building will include affordable rental housing for Regent students.

“A key element of the plan is that Regent will own two floors of housing exclusively for our students, as well as 30 stalls of underground parking. There will also be a common room and a spacious outdoor terrace for Regent’s use,” Jeff noted.

“The provision of housing for our students is very exciting,” commented Diane Stinton, Dean of Students. “One of the biggest challenges our students face is the lack of reasonably-priced rental housing in Vancouver. This will allow for a small community of Regent students to share life in a beautiful new facility just steps from Regent’s front door.”

Board Chair Earl Phillips added:

The Board has considered a variety of options for the best use of the parking lot for more than 20 years. We must be good stewards of our property, and we have always been trying to find a way to provide housing for our students.

This project achieves that goal while also adding significantly to Regent’s endowment funds and thereby supporting the Board’s goal of securing the long-term financial sustainability of the College. The project advances our ability to serve students and to achieve our core mission.

Jeff explained:

I am delighted that our collaboration with Polygon Homes has reached this historic milestone. Polygon has been a pleasure to work with throughout this long planning process, particularly because they made a committed effort to understand who we are and what Regent needs from this project.

Polygon is one of the most experienced and respected developers in our province, and their track record in projects around UBC is excellent. We have greatly appreciated their partnership through the slow process of getting all the approvals required to undertake this project, which we first began discussing in 2019. Thanks to the hard work of many people, and the prayers of many people in Regent’s extended family, we are excited to be moving ahead.

Regent House is just one of three major project being undertaken by Christian groups on the UBC campus right now. I wrote about them here in June. The other two are Menno Hall, right across University Boulevard from Regent College, and Carey Hall’s new student residence. More about them before too long.

Events & Jobs

Events are listed below, but there is also an Events page and a Jobs page on the Church for Vancouver site.