February is Friendship Month at Inner Hope Youth Ministries. They are sharing eight stories around the theme ‘Love Perseveres,’ from people who have benefited from and participated in their work. Following are three of them. Part of the family: Diana’s…
Four years ago, I was laying on the street in the Downtown Eastside, about to try heroin for the first time. But then, I turned over and saw the UGM sign. If it weren’t for that, I believe I’d be…
Unaddressed, hidden barriers can silently trap someone in poverty, homelessness or addiction. But every day, Union Gospel Mission (UGM) support offers people resources to triumph over these complex challenges, moving them towards transformation. Following are four of those stories, re-posted…
The Catholic Bishops of BC and the Yukon issued a joint statement November 30 on the issue of legalized marijuana. The pastoral statement distinguishes between using cannabis for health purposes and using it simply for pleasure. While the letter is…
Peter Biggs of The Light Magazine is researching one Metro Vancouver / Fraser Valley municipality each month, and producing a focus on each one. The October issue brought attention to the Downtown Eastside and a feature interview with Jacqueline Dewar, who has worked and lived in…
Clean from hard drugs for two years and living in the brand new Co:Here Housing Community, Todd K’s[i] journey of recovery has been long. He began drinking heavily at 15, and was living on the streets of Vancouver with a crack cocaine…
How can Christian communities provide meaningful, thoughtful and effective supports to those who struggle with mental illness? That is the question that Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries and Regent College have addressed in two series of workshops, one last year and another…
I welcome the British Columbia Government’s consultation on cannabis regulation and the opportunity to offer my concerns, and some suggestions, about the implementation of legalized marijuana in Canada. Let me also me commend the Government for taking seriously the opioid…
Karen Giesbrecht coordinates several community meals at churches around Vancouver. Some of the participants struggle with addictions, and she is concerned with the implications of easier access to marijuana promised by all levels of government. On a recent Monday evening,I…
Just over a month ago, the Jacob’s Well community was not sure whether it would be able to carry on, having been evicted from its long-time home at 239 Main Street, just north of Hastings Street. The team decided to close its doors…