First United has long been a steady and welcoming presence in the Downtown Eastside for the homeless and poor, first as a church and more recently as a community centre and social service provider. Now First United Community Ministry has… Read more →
“We are in a housing crisis, but without the heart component people don’t stay long in housing.” Jenny Konkin used to focus more on finding housing for homeless people in the Downtown Eastside, but she has refined her views: When… Read more →
Michael Hart hopes his new album “will appeal to people who have no church background, who are searching for a benevolent God who cares.” ONE is his ninth album, but he took a 10-year break since his last one. During… Read more →
Aaron White has spent much of his adult life living and working in the Downtown Eastside. And now he has drawn on his experiences for his brand new book, Recovering: From Brokenness and Addiction to Blessedness and Community. He sent… Read more →
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… Read more →
Last week we wrote about how Vancouver churches are responding through community food programs to the physical and spiritual hunger that COVID-19 is exacerbating. Prior to the pandemic, approximately one in 10 households in British Columbia were experiencing inadequate or… Read more →
WayBase released a report about The Impact of COVID-19 on Canadian Christian Charities June 5. WayBase is a platform that helps people and Christian ministries in Canada find each other, partner together and show collective impact. Director Tim Day and… Read more →
Pastor Peter (Jonghuen) Yang has been spending much of his time at Oppenheimer Park in the Downtown Eastside for more than a year, offering Sunday services and providing food, along with masks and sanitizer to protect against coronavirus. Now orders… Read more →
Union Gospel Mission (UGM) and The Salvation Army have joined forces to create a COVID Relief Together initiative – and their goal is to raise $2 million in two weeks. Speaking on CTV News last week, UGM spokesperson Jeremy Hunka… Read more →
Every night high-rise dwellers in Vancouver’s downtown core raise a cheer for health care and other frontline workers in the COVID-19 pandemic. The outpouring of goodwill is heartwarming, and illustrates just how widespread are the acts of kindness and the… Read more →
