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Union Gospel Mission to Serve Thanksgiving Meal for Thousands
Union Gospel Mission to Serve Thanksgiving Meal for Thousands
What:
The Union Gospel Mission dining room will be a flurry of activity on Thanksgiving Monday, as UGM guests will be treated to a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. UGM expects to serve some 3,000 people throughout the lower mainland.
When:
Monday, October 11th (Thanksgiving Day); Doors open at 10:00am, meals served at 10:30am until 4:00pm.
Where:
616 East Cordova Street (corner of Cordova and Princess).
Other Locations Served:
New Westminster Drop-in: 33071 Railway Ave (doors open at noon)
Mission Drop-in: 658 Clarkson Street (doors open at noon)
Why:
UGM Senior Chaplain Bruce Curtiss explains that the meal is about more than just providing physical sustenance: “For many of our guests, this is a special time to celebrate and give thanks for what they do have, which is often very little. Over and over, we’ve seen Thanksgiving leading to hope, and hope inspiring courage, and courage – with friends to stand alongside – leading to transformed lives.”
Who – About UGM:
Union Gospel Mission has been reaching hungry, hurting, and homeless men, women, youth, and children for nearly 70 years. Through its 8 locations in Metro Vancouver and the city of Mission, UGM provides counseling, education, safe housing, and alcohol and drug recovery to those struggling with poverty, homelessness, and addiction. The heart of the mission is to demonstrate God’s transforming love, ease the burden of the most vulnerable, rebuild the lives of the broken, and offer dignity to those who feel cast aside. UGM is a proud member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities and the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. To find out more, visit http://www.ugm.ca.
To see an experience of last year’s dinner at UGM, please see here
AHA MEDIA films at Gourmet Texas BBQ with UGM and Glowbal Restaurant group at Oppenheimer Park in Vancouver Downtown Eastside
On Tuesday, August 10th, Union Gospel Mission will partner with the Glowbal Restaurant Group to a serve thousands of free gourmet BBQ meals to the people of the Downtown Eastside.
Hungry folks lined up for the delicious meals prepared by chefs of Glowbal Restaurant Group
The newly renovated Oppenheimer Park will be packed with guests enjoying a mouth-watering menu of BBQ chicken, beef brisket, ribs, potato salad, coleslaw, corn bread, baked beans, iced tea and butter tart bars for desert, all prepared by six chefs – one from each Glowbal Group Restaurants.
In the next photo and video, April Smith of AHA MEDIA speaks with J. Stewart, Manager of Communications & Media Relations at UGM and during the Texas BBQ in Oppenheimer Park
This video was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a New Media camera Fujifilm S200EXR. AHA MEDIA is about exploring mobile media production through New Media cameras. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms
Below is a photo of J and Randy of UGM
Happy folks enjoying their mouth watering meals!
A special Children’s section of Oppenheimer Park enabled kids to play games
Many people enjoyed their time together as a community
Music provided by DJ Free Lance with Pher on Drum got Downtown Eastside folks dancing!
In this video, Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES) folks dance to “Don’t Stop till You get Enough” during UGM and Glowbal Group Texas BBQ in Oppenheimer Park
In this video, Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES) folks dance to the song “Love Shack” during UGM and Glowbal Group Texas BBQ in Oppenheimer Park
In this video, Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES) folks dance to the song “Celebration” during UGM and Glowbal Group Texas BBQ in Oppenheimer Park
In this video, Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES) folks dance to “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson and “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles during UGM and Glowbal Group Texas BBQ in Oppenheimer Park
A Gourmet BBQ for the Downtown Eastside: Glowbal Restaurant Group partners with Union Gospel Mission
On Tuesday, August 10th, Union Gospel Mission will partner with the Glowbal Restaurant Group to a serve thousands of free gourmet BBQ meals to the people of the Downtown Eastside. The newly renovated Oppenheimer Park will be packed with guests enjoying a mouth-watering menu of BBQ chicken, beef brisket, ribs, potato salad, coleslaw, corn bread, baked beans, iced tea and butter tart bars for desert, all prepared by six chefs – one from each Glowbal Group Restaurants.
“With this event, we are strengthening our partnership with the Union Gospel Mission,” says Glowbal Collection Proprietor, Emad Yacoub. “A Texas BBQ is a high-spirit way to support outreach workers and connect with Vancouver’s people in difficulty and need.”
Union Gospel Mission president Bill Mollard says, “For UGM, the process of helping someone off the street often starts with a meal. So when the Glowbal Group approached us about hosting a gourmet BBQ this summer, it was a natural fit. What impresses me about the Glowbal team is that they’re taking what they’re passionate about – which is really good food – and sharing that passion with those who may never otherwise experience a meal like this.”
Where:
Oppenheimer Park (Cordova Street between Dunlevy and Jackson)
Google Maps link to location: http://bit.ly/aPbrMP
When:
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
10:00am – 4:00pm
Media are welcome to photograph and start interviews from 9:30am, with the first meal served just after 10:00am.
About UGM:
Union Gospel Mission has been reaching hungry, hurting, and homeless men, women, youth, and children for nearly 70 years. Through its 8 locations in Metro Vancouver and the city of Mission, UGM provides counseling, education, safe housing, and alcohol and drug recovery to those struggling with poverty, homelessness, and addiction. The heart of the mission is to demonstrate God’s transforming love, ease the burden of the most vulnerable, rebuild the lives of the broken, and offer dignity to those who feel cast aside. UGM is a proud member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. To find out more, visitwww.ugm.ca.
5,000 BBQ meals by Union Gospel Mission for Summer BBQ at Oppenheimer Park
Oppenheimer Park to be filled with laughter, fun and 5,000 BBQ meals at Union Gospel Mission Summer BBQ
What: On Saturday, July 17, Union Gospel Mission will serve its largest meal of the year: a massive, inner-city BBQ with 5,000 meals for the Downtown Eastside community. Men, women and children will feast on hamburgers, hot dogs, snacks and refreshments as they enjoy live music and entertainment. The supervised kids’ carnival area will have face-painting, water balloons, cotton candy and a classic carnival bouncy-house.
When: Saturday, July 17, 2010, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Where: Oppenheimer Park (Cordova Street between Dunlevy and Jackson)
Google Maps link to location: http://bit.ly/aPbrMP
Why: A great event for Downtown Eastside individuals and families, the BBQ also gives UGM outreach workers the chance to build relationships and trust with those in need.
Heads-up: Second BBQ in August!
Thanks to the generosity of the Glowbal Restaurant Group, UGM will host a second summer BBQ on August 10th. After the success of Glowbal’s Table for 2000 gourmet Christmas meal for the Downtown Eastside last December, Glowbal approached UGM about throwing a huge Texas-style BBQ. Prepared by all six of Glowbal’s executive chefs, the meal will feature a menu of braised beef brisket, slow roasted baby back ribs, chipotle BBQ chicken, and more. Besides being a truly unique treat for Downtown Eastside residents, this BBQ will give UGM Outreach workers another chance to connect with locals in a casual, open environment.
About UGM:
Union Gospel Mission has been reaching hungry, hurting, and homeless men, women, youth, and children for nearly 70 years. Through its 8 locations in Metro Vancouver and the city of Mission, UGM provides counseling, education, safe housing, and alcohol and drug recovery to those struggling with poverty, homelessness, and addiction. The heart of the mission is to demonstrate God’s transforming love, ease the burden of the most vulnerable, rebuild the lives of the broken, and offer dignity to those who feel cast aside. UGM is a proud member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. To find out more, visit www.ugm.ca.
UGM to dish out hope and new beginnings along with Easter dinner on Good Friday, April 2, 2010
Vancouver, B.C. – On Good Friday, April 2nd, 2010, Union Gospel Mission will serve over 3,000 delicious Easter meals to Metro Vancouver’s homeless and struggling women, men, and families. This Easter, in the spirit of spring and new beginnings, UGM is putting a special emphasis on promoting new possibilities for those affected by poverty through its outreach and recovery programs, women and children’s services, and affordable housing initiatives.
Along the theme of new beginnings, this meal will be UGM’s second annual “Orange Day.” Every year, UGM’s Easter dinner guests are given an orange when they leave as a token of hope and a symbol of a fresh start. This year, the entire day will go “orange”. Volunteers and staff will be dressed in brightly coloured orange clothing, adorned with Orange Day buttons, while UGM’s walls will be splashed with colourful posters.
Squeeze the Day! How the Public can Participate
The week prior to Easter, UGM will be encouraging the public to “squeeze the day” and keep the community spirit of the Olympics alive by hitting the streets and enjoying Vancouver’s free attractions and public space. Then, whatever’s saved can be donated to UGM at ugm.ca, whether it is $10 (the price of a movie ticket) or $70 (the price of a concert). Last year UGM’s goal was $12,000; that number was nearly doubled as whopping $23,000 was collected in support of UGM’s programs. This year, UGM aims to raise even more to provide hope and help to the hungry, hurting, and homeless across Metro Vancouver.
Participants are encouraged to join the orange community by sharing their experiences on the web. http://www.ugm.ca/orangeday has been set up as a centre to automatically collect content such as Flickr photos, tweets, or Facebook posts tagged with #orangeday. UGM will be partnering with local bloggers like Miss604 (www.miss604.com) throughout the week to help communicate the project to the public.
To find out more, visit http://www.ugm.ca/orangeday and see the Orange Day Event Kickoff details below.
Easter Meal Details:
When: Friday, April 2nd, 2010, 10:30am to 4:30pm
* The media are welcome to come early and get footage of set-up
* Doors open at 10:00am; first meal served at 10:30am
Where: Main Location: 616 East Cordova, Vancouver
Other Locations Served:
* New Westminster Drop-in: 529 Queens Avenue, New Westminster
* Mission Drop-in: 33071 Railway Avenue, Mission
* The Orchard Housing Complex, Surrey
* Maurice McElrea Place, Vancouver
Items Served:
* 130 hams (2,400 lbs)
* 1,100 lbs of scalloped potatoes
* 750 lbs of vegetables
* 50 gallons (190 litres) of pineapple sauce
* 3,600 dinner rolls
* 585 apple pies
* 350 litres of ice cream
Orange Day Events:
Campaign Kickoff: Gastown Photowalk
To kick off the week, you’re invited to a Gastown Photowalk. UGM’s own Leah Gregg will guide you as you get to know this part of the city with new eyes and through your camera lens, spend an afternoon outside, and – best of all – you don’t have to spend a penny!
When: Saturday, March 27, 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Where: Meet at the Gassy Jack statue at the intersection of Carrall, Powell, and Water Streets.
What to bring: Outdoor-wear; camera or cellphone with camera.
Why: UGM’s Orange Day campaign is about getting out and enjoying Vancouver without spending money, and then donating what you would have spent toward UGM’s Easter Meal.
Who: Invite your friends! Invite everyone!
Orange Day Tweet-Up
Join Vancouver bloggers and UGM staff and volunteers as we chill together and get the word out online about the Orange Day campaign. Then, weather permitting, we’ll walk over to Crab Park to have some fun Orange Day activities and create bright, fresh “analog tweets” to spread the love and encourage homeless in our city and guests at the UGM meal.
When: Monday, March 29, 6:00pm (Chill Winston meetup); 7:00pm (Orange fun at Crab Park)
Where: Meet at Chill Winston, at the intersection of Carrall, Powell, and Water Streets.
What to bring: Outdoor-wear; camera or cellphone with camera to take pictures of you with your posters.
Who: Everyone is welcome
About UGM:
Union Gospel Mission has been reaching hungry, hurting, and homeless men, women, youth, and children for nearly 70 years. Through its 8 locations in Metro Vancouver and the city of Mission, UGM provides counseling, education, safe housing, and alcohol and drug recovery to those struggling with poverty, homelessness, and addiction. The heart of the mission is to demonstrate God’s transforming love, ease the burden of the most vulnerable, rebuild the lives of the broken, and offer dignity to those who feel cast aside. UGM is a proud member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities.
To find out more, visit www.ugm.ca.
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