FIRST UNITED Statement: Supportive Housing Motion Passes
Yesterday, Vancouver City Council voted to pass the motion to pause net-new supportive housing projects within Vancouver. After listening to over 80 speakers, including the FIRST UNITED Executive Director and Board Chair, overwhelmingly voice their opposition, Council chose to move forward with a damaging motion that will exacerbate homelessness and the affordable housing crisis and […]
Coldest Night of the Year 2025 Recap
Coldest Night of the Year 2025 was a massive success! We had our biggest CNOY ever, and it’s thanks to all who walked, fundraised, donated, volunteered and raised awareness for the Downtown Eastside. We’re so thrilled to announce that we ended the night exceeding our goal of $120,000, and as of today, we’ve surpassed $126,000 […]
This Place for Displaced
When folks come to us for shelter, we want them to feel welcome and that they belong. That was the idea behind commissioning artwork for our shelter— to make it feel more like a home and less like an institution. To achieve this, we commissioned a piece by Downtown Eastside artist Rickie “Sugars” that now […]
Planning for Climate Resiliency
When planning the design of our new building, we couldn’t ignore the current and future effects of climate change, especially considering the impact that we want the building to have in the Downtown Eastside for generations to come. Extreme weather like intense rain and flooding, severe cold snaps, oppressive heat domes, and wildfire smoke poses […]
From Shelter to Housing
Move out days—when shelter residents move out of their shelter pod and into a permanent housing unit—are special ones. Last year, we helped place 18 residents into long-term housing. On move out days, Stephanie Kallstrom, Case Planner, along with a shelter resource worker, help the resident pack up their belongings and drive them to their […]
Red Dress Day 2024
Casey Desjarlais, co-founder of Decolonial Clothing Co., and Avery Delaney, Indigenous Outreach Coordinator for FIRST UNITED, with the FIRST UNITED Red Dress Day shirt and tote bag (with illustrations by Shadae Johnson and Iyanla Jensen-Johnson). Today, FIRST UNITED staff will be gathering in honour of Red Dress Day (which takes place on May 5), otherwise […]
Good Friday: The Gift of Grief
A Good Friday message from Lauren Sanders, Indigenous Spiritual Care Chaplain: Hew,niťtena kinwa? anwesėśhėnaLauren nŤėshnēkasote ke xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Sḵwx̱wú7mesh səlilwətaɬ eťtēŤayanÉhé neshnabe nŤew. mshkodani bodéwadmi mine kiikaapoa nŤēbenŤagwïs Hi there! How are you? I’m okay. My name is Lauren. I am the Indigenous Spiritual Care Chaplain at FIRST UNITED. I live on the land of the […]
We received an urgent call. Here’s what we did.
On a frigid afternoon this past December, we received an urgent phone call. There was a mother cradling her newborn, desperately waiting outside Carnegie Outreach Centre to get a birth certificate for her baby. Could FIRST UNITED help spare Mom and baby a long wait in near freezing temperatures? Our response was immediate: yes, we […]
Thank you for making this an amazing Christmas!
A message from Amanda Burrows, Executive Director: I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to you—our community of values-aligned supporters—for joining us this Christmas to make an impact on the Downtown Eastside. I’m delighted to share that this has been our biggest Christmas campaign ever, and it’s thanks to you. Together, for our programs […]
Canada supports 103 new affordable homes in Vancouver at 320 E Hastings
FIRST UNITED Executive Director Amanda Burrows (centre) pictured with Vancouver City Councillors Lenny Zhou, Rebecca Bligh, Lisa Dominato, Mike Klassen, and Christine Boyle, Lu’ma Native Housing Society President Dave Baspaly, and Vancouver-Mount Pleasant MLA Joan Phillip. Photo by Maxine Bulloch. Vancouver, British Columbia, November 6, 2023 Construction is underway on 103 units for Indigenous residents and […]