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AHA MEDIA is pleased to meet Peter Conway who speaks about his friend Tara McAteer and Truckstop Dining Society who helps feed Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES)
AHA MEDIA is very pleased to hear from Peter Conway who speaks about his friend Tara McAteer and Truckstop Dining Society who helps feed Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES).
Today, Saturday July 25th at Crab Park, there is Free BBQ and Live Music from 12 Noon to 7 PM
This was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a Nokia N95 mobile cameraphone. April is passionate and skilled in making Nokia films by exploring mobile media production through the camera lens of a cellphone. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter.
For the last three years, Tara McAteer has worked part-time in the film industry in the Craft Service department. Her job is to provide a constant selection of beverages, pastries, healthy snacks and light meals to a crew of 100 non-stop for a 14 hour work day. She works out of a one tonne truck loaded with a full facility kitchen that is parked on set.
Our small, grassroots organization, Truckstop Dining Society, is the byproduct of having access to a film food service truck and looking for ways in which to use it to benefit people who need food. In 2007, Tara decided to do something different for Christmas. On Christmas Eve she placed an ad for help on Craigslist and started preparing food. The next morning she drove the film industry food service truck to the Downtown Eastside, joined by two strangers who answered her ad, and fed hot turkey sandwiches to nearly 200 people.
Despite services already available, there is still a need for wholesome, easily-accessible meals not just at Christmas, but year round. This year, we took the film industry food service truck to Oppenheimer Park and with the help of executive chefs and local dignitaries served Easter dinner to over 1,100 people.
Although there are hundreds of hungry people who appreciate a hot meal, we believe there is a greater need in our city-the need for unity and more inclusive community. We feel that sharing food is an important step to breaking social barriers, creating community and de-mystifying this area of our city. We hope through providing meals to those who are hungry and those who want to learn more, together, we can look more closely at the issues of the DTES.
Hendrik Beune, Director of AHA MEDIA’s thoughts on the renovation of ASAHI Baseball Diamond in Oppenheimer Park
The beloved Oppenheimer Park in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside is undergoing renovations. In the following video, Hendrik Beune, Director of AHA MEDIA mourns the loss of the historic ASAHI Baseball Diamond.
The Asahi BaseballClub, a group of Japanese Canadian baseball playerswho were interned during the Second World War, is remembered today for victories on thebaseball diamond in the face of discrimination and racist attitudes.
Asahi in Japanese means “morning sun.” Five young Japanese men, fourIssei and one Nisei, formed the first Asahi baseball team in Vancouver,B.C., in 1914. The Nisei loved the game because it was such a big part of North American culture and it was affordable for working-class families. Some parents had even played the game inJapan. The Asahi Club drew their players mostly from Little Tokyo in Vancouver, and played at thletic Park and Powell Grounds. (Oppenheimer Park)
In general the Asahi were not power-houses or heavy hitters, but they were heroes to the Japanese Canadian community. They dominated senior baseball in the 1930s and 1940s by playing what became known as “brainball” because they relied on bunts, stolen bases, speedand precision fielding. The champion-ship-winning Asahi Baseball Club was popular with both Japanese Canadiansand non-Japanese Canadians. During a time when Japanese Canadians were frequently targets of racism—not being allowed to vote, to teach, nor to work in the civil service or other professions—the barriers of race came down whent he ball was in play. These players taught their fans baseball strategy as well as the true meaning of fair playand sportsmanship. The Asahi remain asymbol of pride not only for Canada’sJapanese Canadian community but also fans of baseball everywhere.
To read more about the Asahi: http://tinyurl.com/nqgx5e
For historical photos and more: http://tinyurl.com/llcaqq
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This was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a Nokia N95 mobile cameraphone. April is passionate and skilled in making Nokia films by exploring mobile media production through the camera lens of a cellphone. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter.
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