Category: Blog

Revisiting Our Totem Pole Ceremony

Our building at 320 East Hastings is currently being demolished and we’re feeling a little nostalgic. Just a little over a year ago, we were moving our programs out of our old building to prepare for hazardous material removal and demolition. Part of that preparation was safely moving the totem pole that was in our […]

Final Steps Through the Old FIRST

The bricks of our building are starting to come down this week. Before officially saying goodbye, we made sure to do a final walk through what’s left of the building that’s meant so much to so many. If you haven’t already, you can also subscribe to our email list to ensure that you’re getting all […]

BC Eviction Mapping: Justice Alongside Charity

Last week we released our initial findings from the BC Eviction Mapping project. The project is the first of its kind in BC, and our first official systems change project that challenges the systems that keep people trapped in cycles of poverty, homelessness, and marginalization. Work on this project began almost a year ago—a testament […]

72, on a pension, and facing eviction

Imagine being 72, on a pension, and suddenly being evicted from your home of 11 years. What would you do? As part of our eviction-mapping project, we recently spoke to a woman on Vancouver Island who was exactly in that position: “It’s been horrible. I’ve never had to do this before. I’ve been here for 11 years. […]

Coldest Night of the Year 2023 Recap

With snow falling and near-freezing temperature, hundreds of walkers took to the streets of the Downtown Eastside on Saturday for the Coldest Night of the Year. It’s been a few days since, but we’re still buzzing from the excitement of the event and blown away by the support we received from our determined Team Captains […]

First United Church Social Housing Society has transferred ownership to Sch’eyk Housing Society, operated by Lu’ma Native Housing Society

Today we are sharing that First United Church Social Housing Society (FUCSHS) has transferred ownership to Sch’eyk Housing Society, operated by Lu’ma Native Housing Society. The decision for Lu’ma to operate the Housing Society came after careful consideration and negotiation between FUCSHS Board and staff leadership of FUCSHS, and leadership from Lu’ma Native Housing Society. […]

Eliminating Renter Office contradicts ABC’s election promise

This op-ed was originally published in The Vancouver Sun on January 24, 2023. You can find the op-ed on The Vancouver Sun’s website. Opinion: Without this resource, more vulnerable individuals and families will be at immediate and increased risk of displacement and homelessness. By Katie Koncan, Director of Development and Communications, and Amanda Burrows, Interim […]

Black Excellence Day

Black Excellence Day Today is Black Excellence Day – a day to celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black communities across Canada. The day was born out of Black Shirt Day, which falls on January 15th, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and is a day to show solidarity with black communities. But because of […]

THANK YOU for making this happen

It’s the first week of the new year and our hearts are filled with gratitude! We’re blown away by how our community has come together, yet again, to make a difference in the Downtown Eastside. Our Christmas campaign has wrapped and we’re thrilled to share that for our programs and services, our supporters have collectively […]