Social & Community Services Organizations in Vancouver

Disability Alliance BC (DABC) is a provincial not-for-profit, founded in 1977. DABC’s mandate is to support people with all disabilities, to live with dignity, independence and as equal and full participants in the community. Each year DABC helps hundreds of people with all disabilities living on very low incomes to access the supports they need. These supports include disability benefits and pensions, wheelchairs, and special diet allowances. Many of the people we help are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

Since 2013 we’ve been hosting an annual fundraising gala called Swing Into Spring (#SwingIntoSpring). This year we have changed our fundraiser to the fall and it is called the Fall Fling. Here’s a link to information about our 2017 gala, our biggest yet, which featured CBC’s Stephen Quinn as our emcee and well-known entertainer David C. Jones. <u><a href="http://disabilityalliancebc.org/fall-fling/">http://disabilityalliancebc.org/fall-fling/</a></u>

 

The Disability Foundation primarily supports six charitable societies that provide accessible and meaningful activities.

Whether you like working with children, youth, adults or seniors, at cultural facilities, festivals and special events, or contributing as a member of a council-appointed group, there is a volunteer opportunity for you.

Volunteering gives you the opportunity to contribute to your community and help establish a personal and professional network. You can also make new friends, practise English and develop leadership skills that can be transferable to a career.

<strong>Please note:</strong> You do not need to be a West Vancouver resident to volunteer for most opportunities (although you do for some committees and working groups). Most volunteer positions have a minimum age requirement of 14 years. Some volunteer placements require a Police Information Check (PIC).

The mandate of the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House is to provide programming and educational, leadership, social and recreational opportunities to residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Our vision is to provide a dignified welcoming space that creates and supports an improved quality of life for the DTES community.

Our mission is to provide opportunities for residents to meaningfully engage with and contribute to their community in an equitable atmosphere of sharing and learning.
<p class="">The secular, grassroots <strong>Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House</strong> (DTES NH) embraces people of all ancestries, genders, ages and descriptions; annually welcoming almost 9,000 DTES residents in a community where 70% of our neighbours have low‐incomes, 700 are homeless and 5,000 are under-housed.</p>
<p class="">Our programming is community inspired and varied, a sampling of which has included a Chinese Elders Community Kitchen, Traditional Aboriginal Community Kitchen, Leadership Development, a Children’s Community Kitchen, Nutritional Outreach Activities (Mobile Smoothie Project and Banana Beat), The Healing Circle, Father’s for Thought, Table Talks project, Family Drop In: Families, Farming and Food, Community Drop-in and the production of a Right to Food Zine.</p>
<p class="">Those who built the DTES NH put the <strong>Right to Food</strong> at the heart of our work, as nutritional vulnerability was a theme familiar to all. Our goal around the Right to Food is to reform the nutritional impact, quality, abundance and delivery of food in the DTES in consultation with residents, community food providers, non‐food community organizations, healthcare professionals, policy makers, growers/suppliers, food/beverage industry professionals and researchers.</p>

EMBERS is a community economic development charity located in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Since 2001, EMBERS has helped thousands of people facing barriers to work lead productive, fulfilling lives by offering economic and employment opportunities - including job placements, training and support.

<strong>Event & Role Summary</strong>

The EMBERS 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament will be held on July 13 at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Course. Proceeds raised from this charity fundraising event will be going to support EMBERS' programs, which helps low-income people access meaningful work. It's our biggest event of the year, and we are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help pull it off.

Between 12 pm and 6 pm, we will need activity leaders at each golf hole who will be responsible for leading activities for golfers. Activities will include contests and games like 'guess the amount of golf balls' and 'marshmallow chipping'. Some volunteers will also be supervising tasting stations, where food or beverages will be distributed to golfers.

<strong>Responsibilities</strong>
<ul>
<li>Greet golfers in a warm and friendly manner</li>
<li>Give instructions to golfers</li>
<li>Ensure golfers are having a positive experience</li>
<li>Assist with set up and tear down</li>
</ul>
<strong>Benefits</strong>
<ul>
<li>Meet people who are enthusiastic about community-based economic development</li>
<li>Special offers and discounts from many of our tournament sponsors</li>
<li>Complimentary lunch, dinner, and snacks</li>
</ul>
<strong>Qualifications</strong>
<ul>
<li>Must enjoy working outside</li>
<li>Friendly and outgoing personality</li>
<li>Able to give instruction</li>
</ul>
<strong>Application Details</strong>

To apply, go to <a href="http://www.embersvancouver.com/embers-golf-tournament/golf-volunteer/">www.embersvancouver.com/embers-golf-tournament/golf-volunteer/</a>, fill out the form, and select 'Activity Leader' as one of your choices.

The British Columbia Lions Society for Children With Disabilities has been a registered charitable organization since 1947. You may also know us as Easter Seals. Under both names, our mandate is to support children with disabilities throughout British Columbia and the Yukon.

We are dedicated to enriching the lives of children with disabilities. We are committed to doing all we can to enhance their lives. Our vision for the future is to continue building specialized services and facilities and challenging young hearts and minds as well. Giving children with disabilities self-esteem, self-confidence and a sense of independence is what we are all about.

This kind of dedication takes patience, determination, courage and significant financial support. British Columbians can contribute to the BC Lions Society through a variety of special events, annual appeals and legacy gifts. Your generous support enables the Society to give children abilities whether they attend a summer camp or use one of our many services.

Through your donations, we will develop positive ideas and attitudes, build quality programs and services, and continue to help give future generations of children abilities.

Employ to Empower is a registered charity that supports residents in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside community by providing access to development and entrepreneurial resources. Our resources include affordable microloans and business mentorship with the goal of having a long-term impact on our members’ personal and economic well being. We also actively advocate for creating positive social change in the Downtown Eastside.

FunforGOal foundation supports individuals whose first language is not English to connect with local communities, and assists all other individuals, businesses to engage in a social cause through educational and recreational means (ways) by utilizing their abilities and skills to make a positive change.

We connect with the most unique local events, services, places and people!  With offers of our online workshops reaching across borders, we bring you instant connection and excitement, and will make your community experience into an extraordinary one, and each enjoyment is a step in living your life to the fullest!

We nurture life, soil, vegetables, flowers, new growers and connectedness in the Territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlilwətaɬ / Nations
<p>We grow food, flowers, berries and fruit using ecological growing methods on a 1 acre urban farm and distribute it to over 1000 people every growing season. We currently operate a 1 acre urban farm, accessible community gardens and a therapeutic gardening program on Vancouver Coastal Health land in Marpole as well as therapeutic gardens for families in South Vancouver.</p>
<p>Volunteers are huge at Farmers on 57th! We wouldn't exist without them. Our volunteer programs are varied - if you are interested in farming, food, dietetics, community building - and interested in being outdoors in nature and working with others - please get in touch :-)</p>

Fire & Flower is a charity that provides transformative programs to empower girls in their INCREDIBLE rite of passage into young womanhood.

Around the world and throughout history, societies recognized the rite of passage from girl to woman as a sacred and critical time, and guided girls through the process with mentorship and wisdom. Today, this has been lost and there has never been a harder time to be a young person, with mass and social media producing a constant feed of harmful messages and images.

Fire & Flower is reviving ‘a village’ of women supporting girls as they come of age. We empower self-identified girls ages 10-14 in a non-binary, LGBTQ2SIAP+ inclusive environment.

Through mentorship, community-building, and nature-connection, participants build confidence and pride in womanhood, discover their personal power, and develop resilience to engage their future.

We are an outreach society to build the trust with First Nations in the medical system. We are basically their advocate.  We are very new and just created this year.

We are an Indigenous non-profit organization providing services and programs for our community to acknowledge our past, present and future generations. Through our various events and programs, we provide supported services for indigenous children, youth, individuals and families.