A community located at the margins of society – but a community without margins.

We do not have ‘clients’ or ‘guests’ or ‘volunteers’. We have community members who all engage in a spirit of mutuality giving to and receiving from one another: staff are members of the community, those in our building from the local neighbourhood are members of the community, and so are those who come from other (even distant) neighbourhoods.

We consciously strive to build a sense of belonging, self worth and interdependence, celebrating diversity. We Seek to model the community we can and should be, rather than the community we are: Being a “new kind” of community (by developing an integrated and inclusive community which reflects all strata of society in harmonious and mutually enriching interdependence) based in “old-town” Vancouver (where we encourage and advocate for respect for the heritage, architecture and character of Downtown Eastside).

Together, we strive to be and become a community:

  • Where those who ‘have’ not only are able to give, but also find that there is much for them to receive; And those who are in need not only receive, but discover how much they have that they can give.
  • Where it is more important to sit down to share a meal together than it is to serve a meal to another.
  • Where post-modern atheists, traditional Christians and members of other faith communities can make a difference together.
  • Where social class, material circumstance and ethnic differences are all embraced as part of a rich tapestry; And the intentional inclusion of everyone and anyone, helps to create a community with no margins.
  • Where life is celebrated, peace and justice are proactively fostered, and our responsibility for the environment is consciously and actively embraced.

We intentionally embrace the concept of interdependence captured in the Zulu word, “Ubuntu”.

We are committed to helping neighbourhoods become communities.

We have launched a bold initiative to redevelop our existing facilities to better support our vision.