Pre-pandemic, an estimated one in eight Canadians were food insecure, meaning they did not have the income to purchase enough food to stave off hunger, let alone support their health, make special food for a celebration or host friends for…
Maybe I missed the outcry, but it seems that the response of faith groups to new Covid-related restrictions has been quite muted – possibly reflecting a combination of resignation (given high numbers of new cases) and hope (that vaccinations will…
“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…
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…
Carolyn Arends and Spencer Capier have collaborated and toured as a duo for years, but they had to be particularly creative as they created their latest song. Carolyn emailed me, saying that: Some folks have been calling ‘After This’ a…
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…
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 description of Karina Svalya’s current showing at the Dal Schindell Gallery (formerly the Lookout Gallery, still upstairs at Regent College) is brief: This exhibition features large-scale portraits in oil of safari animals: giraffes, zebras, elephants, rhino and lions. Svalya…
Union Gospel Mission (UGM) is raising money for a Mobile Mission van for the Fraser Valley – where the most recent Homelessness Count reveals a 75 percent increase in men and women facing homelessness – to match the one they’ve…
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…