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2010 Vancouver Homeless Connect Event at W2 Storyeum in Downtown Eastside (DTES)

October 19, 2010 Leave a comment

W2 was proud to support the 2010 Vancouver Homeless Connect Event in the Downtown Eastside!

Irwin Oostindie and Will Stacey of W2 Community Media Arts welcomes folks to W2 Storyeum

April and Russell of LifeSkills Centre at their table with free pamphlets and cookbooks to give away

Russell and Paula of LifeSkills Centre having fun eating grapes

Paula and Russell of LifeSkills Cente doing foot soaks for people

Garvin Snider of Megaphone Magazine

J-Hock, Supervisor of the Peer 2 Peer Outreach Program

Mayor Gregor Robertson speaks at 2010 Homeless Connect event at W2 Storyeum

Jenny Kwan speaks at 2010 Homeless Connect event at W2 Storyeum

Russell with Mayor Gregor Robertson

Terry Hunter and Savannah Walling of Vancouver Moving Theatre and DTES Heart of the City Festival

Categories: AHA Media, April Smith, Community Engagement, Downtown Eastside, DTES, Homelessness, Lifeskills Centre, Portland Hotel Society, Vancouver, W2, W2 Community Media Arts, W2 Storyeum

2010 Homeless Connect Events in Vancouver

October 13, 2010 Leave a comment

October 10 – 16 is the fifth annual Homelessness Action Week

World Homeless Day is October 10. Add your voice to the call for a national, affordable housing strategy and contact your MP.

Check out the calendar of events for the week. Here are a few highlights:

October 13th

What: The Gathering Place Homeless Connect
Where: 609 Helmcken Street
When: 11pm – 2 pm

Homeless Action week provides a unique opportunity to educate and make people aware of the issues around homelessness including the impact of living with mental health and addictions.  Our main focus during this week is to host a one-stop shop called Homeless Connect where hundreds of individuals are connected directly with service providers and activities such as haircuts, foot soaks, hearing tests, gently used runners and much more.
For information about this event please call 604-665-2391

October 14th

What: Broadway Youth Resource Centre’s 11th Annual Open House
When: 1:00pm to 5:00 pm
Where: 691 East Broadway Street, Vancouver

This year’s celebration coincides with Vancouver’s Homelessness Action week, and we’re asking those attending to bring a non-perishable food item, or a pair of new socks.
Come out and celebrate 11 years of service at Broadway Youth Resource Centre.

October 15th

What: Vancouver Homeless Connect Event
Where: W2 Storyeum, 151 W Cordova
When: 10:00am – 3:00pm

Come out and be connected to services related to health, housing, employment, tenants rights, and income assistance.  Enjoy the live entertainment and stay for haircuts, massages, foot soaks, acupuncture, food and much more!

Categories: AHA Media, April Smith, Community Engagement, Downtown Eastside, DTES, Harm Reduction, Homelessness, Housing, PHS, PHS Community Services Society, Portland Hotel Society, Vancouver, Vancouver Downtown Eastside, W2, W2 Community Media Arts, W2 Events, W2 Storyeum

AHA MEDIA filmed at Downtown Eastside March for Women’s Housing on Sat Oct 2, 2010

October 2, 2010 Leave a comment

ANNUAL DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE MARCH FOR WOMEN’S HOUSING

SATURDAY OCT 2 @ 2 PM AT DTES WOMEN’S CENTRE (302 COLUMBIA)

October 1 2010, Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories- In response to the persistent violence of poverty and homelessness, women in the Power of Women Group of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre are organizing the “4th Annual March For Women’s Housing” to demand safe and long-term affordable housing.

According to Priscillia Mays, an organizer of the march “There is a perception that governments are now dealing with the homelessness crisis, but the recent solutions are all band-aid ones. All of us are someone’s sister, someone’s daughter, someone’s mother. We have the right to safe and affordable housing, not just shelter beds. Without safe and affordable housing, many women are forced into unsafe and violent situations, leading to the ongoing unacceptable tragedy of women being murdered.”
A report released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Social Planning and Research Council of BC earlier in September 2010 found that, according to BC Housing’s own service plans and data, there an overall net increase of only 280 new social housing units over the past five years. Over 1550 of the so-called “new” supportive housing units are actually renovations and replacements of existing housing stock rather than additional low-income housing.
According to Beatrice Starr, an Indigenous elder and organizer of the march “We call on the municipal, provincial, and federal governments to commit to ongoing funding for new social housing; to place a moratorium on low-income housing conversions to condos in the DTES; to stop criminalizing the poor through police harassment and aggressive ticketing; and to put our needs for basic survival before corporate developer profits.”
In the midst of this housing shortage and affordability crisis, community groups are redoubling efforts to secure the promised affordable units at the Olympic Village (Millenium Water). While the initial development plan promised that 66% of the units would be affordable, that number has now been reduced to less than 10% and a majority of the promised units remain empty. In the lead-up to February 2011, the one-year anniversary of the Olympic Tent Village established at 58 West Hastings, a separate campaign will work to attain a moratorium on the sale of the promised units and will openly establish a Tent City at the Athletes’ Village under a general call to “Reclaim Housing.”
Anne-Marie Monks, a 60-year old woman with disabilities, states, “Why is it so hard to treat us as human beings? The government has the ability and the capacity—but not the political will—to ensure the elimination of poverty. I challenge any politician to switch places with me. Sleep in the alley, stand in a food line, and live off $6 a day; then perhaps you will understand our pain. No more empty talk.”
Harsha Walia and young friend

http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/newsrelease/4749

Categories: AHA Media, April Smith, Community Engagement, David Murray, Downtown Eastside, DTES, Gastown, Gentrification, Hendrik Beune, Homelessness, Vancouver Downtown Eastside, Women

AHA MEDIA at Alley Health Fair 2010 in Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES)

September 19, 2010 Leave a comment

The Alley Health Fair 2010 at 100 Block East Hastings was well attended and apprecited in Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES)

Below is Jesse and Beth, our beloved librarian at Carnegie Centre

Below is Brody Benson carrying a bag of healthy treats

Sean Condon of Megaphone Magazine

Utopia Massage Academy on being at the Alley Health Fair 2010

Categories: AHA Media, April Smith, Brody Benson, Community Engagement, Downtown Eastside, DTES, Harm Reduction, Health, Homelessness, Megaphone Magazine, Vancouver, Vancouver Downtown Eastside

Free Legal Advice-a-thon! Pro Bono going public 2010 at Victory Square in Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES)

September 10, 2010 Leave a comment

What is PRO BONO GOING PUBLIC 2010?

This September, lawyers will once again provide free legal advice in the streets of Vancouver, Kelowna and Victoria in order to raise awareness and funds for BC’s pro bono programs. The free legal advice-a-thon will facilitate access to justice for low- and modest-income people, including the homeless, by engaging lawyers in advising pre-scheduled and drop-in clients on all legal issues.

The open-air legal advice clinics will be held over three days— one day in each city— and will rely on the volunteer efforts of over 75 lawyers. Participating lawyers will be encouraged to obtain pledges from family, friends and co-workers in direct support of pro bono programs operated by Access Pro Bono (formed by the merger of the Western Canada Society to Access Justice and Pro Bono Law of BC) and the Salvation Army.

Last year, we raised nearly $25,000 for pro bono programming in BC. This year, our goal is to raise $30,000, and we need your support to help us reach our target!

What happened last year?

Last year, Pro Bono Going Public succeeded in securing the maximum amount of volunteer lawyers for each city. 48 lawyers in Vancouver, 16 lawyers in Kelowna and 14 lawyers in Victoria served a total of 167 pre-booked and walk-up clients over the course of three days. The volunteer lawyers assisted clients on a range of legal matters including: civil, criminal, employment, family, tenant and landlord disputes and wills and estates.

The clients were overwhelmingly appreciative of the opportunity to receive free legal advice in such an accessible manner. Many of them expressed that the event renewed their faith in the kindness of lawyers, and alleviated stresses and fears that had accumulated over months and years.

Pro Bono Going Public 2009 also garnered excellent and extensive publicity in several media; including CBC TV (English and French) throughout the province, A Channel and CFAX in Victoria, CBC Radio in Vancouver and Victoria, News 1150 in Kelowna, and CKNW and News 1130 in Vancouver. The Vancouver Sun also featured a particularly positive editorial on pro bono in British Columbia at the time of the event. The following websites and online reporters also featured articles relating to the event: Kelowna Capital News, Saanich News, Vancouver Courier and Victoria News.

When and where are the open-air clinics?

VICTORIA

When:
Thursday, September 2, 2010
10:00 am – 2:00 pm		 Where:
Centennial Square

Centennial Square is bordered by Douglas Street (east), Pandora Street (south), Government Street (west) and Fisgard Street (north).

KELOWNA

When:
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
10:00 am – 3:00 pm		 Where:
Rose Garden – City Park

Rose Garden – City Park is located on Abbott Street, directly across from the Travelodge.

VANCOUVER

When:
Friday, September 10, 2010
9:00 am – 5:00 pm		 Where:
Victory Square Park

Victory Square Park is bordered by Cambie Street (east), Pender Street (south), Hamilton Street (west) and West Hastings Street (north).

How can I help the cause?

If you are a lawyer, you can help us by volunteering at one of our three open-air clinics. We encourage volunteer lawyers to donate one or more hours of their time, and to raise an amount equal to or above their billable rate. Register as a lawyer by clicking here. Once registered, you can login to your account to customize your personal donation page, send emails to potential sponsors, manage offline pledges, and view the status of your fundraising efforts. We will award prizes to the top fundraisers!

Whether or not you are a lawyer, you can help us by sponsoring a lawyer as s/he provides free legal advice. Sponsor a lawyer by clicking here.

Categories: AHA Media, April Smith, Community Engagement, Downtown Eastside, DTES, Homelessness, Legal Advice, Social Justice, Vancouver, Vancouver Downtown Eastside, Victory Square