Social & Community Services Organizations in Vancouver

ProChoices, an affordable counselling clinic in downtown Vancouver, is a feminist, grassroots non-profit that is committed to providing accessible radical narrative therapy as well as training and certification for university students and working professionals.

Project Hastings is a high-school student-led nonprofit organization that combats poverty and hunger in the Vancouver, Downtown Eastside through monthly meal and care package distributions. Since 2020, Project Hastings has distributed over 10,000 sandwiches and has had assistance from over 150 volunteers from the Metro Vancouver area.

Robin Hood Army Canada (RHAC) aims to serve and empower communities-in-need, and help eradicate homelessness in Canada through empathy, teamwork and awareness. The primary role of a Robin (volunteer of RHAC) is to deliver food, clothing and hygiene items to shelters in Ajax and Oshawa, to facilitate basic life skills workshops and create awareness. Volunteers are required on ongoing basis with most drives being carried out on weekends, and can devote time as convenient to them Volunteer roles include - -Robins deliver surplus or freshly prepared food from restaurants, events and homes, to homeless people, refugee families and shelters. They also deliver clothing, hygiene items or basic life skills workshops to people-in-need. During COVID-19 all pickups and drop-offs are contactless. -As a Robin, you can help from the comfort of your home – with social media, check-in calls, metrics, partnerships, IT, research, and looking at addressing some of the root causes of homelessness in your city. There is something for everyone to do. Volunteers are required to be over the age of 18. Once the registration form is submitted, our Onboarding Team will reach out to familiarize you with the needs, risks, actions, and expectations. This will help the volunteers decide if RHAC would be a good fit and vice versa. Please visit our website - www.rhacanada.com for futher details on what we do and how to join us.  

In 1983, Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon opened its doors in Shaughnessy. The original 13-bedroom house provided support for sick kids and families needing to travel long distances to receive specialized care only found in Vancouver. Over the years, the demand for this essential service quickly grew beyond what this house could offer, so construction of a new building was soon underway. Today, we have a 73-bedroom house with even more services available for families, conveniently located near BC Children’s Hospital. RMH BC also operates a Family Room in Surrey Memorial Hospital. RMH BC is a place filled with hope and love, built on the belief that keeping the family together is an essential part of healing children with serious illnesses. The House sits on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples; Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

'Better at Home' is a program that helps seniors with simple day-to-day tasks so that they can continue to live independently in their own homes and remain connected to their communities. The Government of British Columbia funds the program, United Way of the Lower Mainland manages it, and local non-profit organizations provide the services.

The Youth Leadership Millennium (YLM) is an 8-month program dedicated to helping young people aged 15-30 in areas of personal and leadership development. It is FREE for all Canadian citizens and permanent residents and refugees living in the Vancouver area. This service is offered by S.U.C.C.E.S.S, one of the largest social service agencies in British Columbia that is committed to supporting newcomers to Canada achieve their best potential.

SMART Recovery is not just any mutual-support program. Our science-based approach emphasizes self-empowerment and self-reliance. There’s no lifetime commitment; you decide when the time is right to move on. You choose how to personalize your own plan for successful change. SMART can be used both as a stand-alone program or in combination with other recovery paths. SMART Recovery recognizes the only one who can become truly expert on your recovery is you. https://www.smartrecovery.org/individuals/ The SMART program offers specific tools and techniques for each of the points: 1. Building and Maintaining Motivation 2. Coping with Urges 3. Managing Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors 4. Living a Balanced Life People using the SMART Program: Move away from addictions and toward satisfying lives Learn tools and techniques for self-directed change Benefit from improved tools as scientific knowledge of addiction recovery evolves A variety of tools and techniques are employed for each of SMART’s 4 Points, including the Cost/Benefit Analysis; Change Plan Worksheet; Hierarchy of Values; ABCs of Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy (for both urge-coping and emotional upsets); DISARM (Destructive Imagery and Self-talk Awareness and Refusal Method); Brainstorming; and Role-playing/Rehearsing.

About youth biis S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Youth Business Innovative Idea Startups (Youth BiiS) Program is an initiative funded by the Government of Canada through the Canada-BC Job Fund to empower eligible young adults between 18 and 29 in their process for self-employment / business startup in Metro Vancouver. Youth are screened into the Youth BiiS Program based on their ability to meet the eligibility criteria and the viability of their business. Our goal As one of the leading social service providers and with years of experience in entrepreneurial skills training in British Columbia, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Youth BiiS strives to support highly motivated young adults with interest and aptitude for business to obtain the skills and training required to be successful in self-employment / entrepreneurship. Youth BiiS takes advantage of experienced business coaches and emphasizes on a need-based approach in the programming. The program flexibility and on-going participant intake ensure that participants focus their time and energy on activities that support them to achieve their career goals.

S.U.C.C.E.S.S., our primary service delivery entity, was founded in 1973 and incorporated in 1974 as a non-partisan and non-profit charitable organization. Initially founded to assist new Canadians of Chinese descent to overcome language and cultural barriers, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. has evolved into a multicultural, multi-service agency assisting people at all stages of their Canadian experience. Today, the organization is recognized as one of British Columbia’s largest social service providers. With over 20 locations, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. proudly services local communities in Greater Vancouver, Fort St. John and overseas in Taipei, Taiwan and Seoul, Korea. Through advocacy, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is also recognized as a prominent voice of positive social change. Guided by policies envisioned by a board of volunteer directors elected by the membership, over 400 professional staff and 2,000 volunteers deliver a multitude of services in the areas of settlement, employment, health and housing as well as business, auto insurance, economic, community and social development. S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-Level Care (MLC) Society was incorporated in 1995 to deliver a continuum of care to seniors. With support from Vancouver Coastal Health, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. MLC Society manages and operates Chieng’s Adult Day Centre, two assisted living residences, Harmony House and Austin Harris Residence as well as a multi-level care facility, Simon K.Y. Lee Seniors Care Home. S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Foundation was incorporated in 2001 to raise funds essential for under-funded and non-funded programs as well as to manage endowments on behalf of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. MLC Society. Annual major fundraising events include the Gala Dinner, Charity Golf Tournament and the “Walk with the Dragon,” one of Vancouver’s largest community-based fundraisers which draws over 12,000 individual and corporate participants.

SWAN Vancouver promotes the rights, health, and safety of immigrant women engaged in indoor sex work through front-line service and systemic advocacy.

#SaveHastings is a non-profit charity that focuses on supporting the homeless population of Hastings street. We have a market connection which supplies us food. Throughout the year we plan to donate this food by handing them out along Hastings Street on a monthly basis. We also curate and distribute packages called "Hastings Hope Kits" which contain essential toiletries and items to the homeless population of Hastings St., Vancouver!

• The fun doesn’t stop when you grow up. Making a positive difference for youth is as easy as putting your enthusiasm into play in the great outdoors! • Volunteers connect with a supportive community of Scouters to share ideas, gain tips and strengthen the program experience to further benefit youth. • Through passion and dedication to Scouting, volunteers help youth make meaningful contributions to creating a better world by caring for people, communities and neighbourhoods. • Allow more young people to experience all the benefits that Scouting has to offer. • Registration to volunteer is open now at scouts.ca/volunteer