News

FIRST UNITED formally launches a new art initiative as part of its First Forward capital campaign at a reception hosted by Bruce Wright. Photo by Maxine Bulloch. xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territory/Vancouver, B.C. – Construction of the FIRST UNITED redevelopment project at 320 East Hastings in the Downtown Eastside is approximately […]

Give this Christmas and have your gift matched, doubling your impact in the Downtown Eastside! *Name has been changed to respect the privacy of the individual. We first met Paul* during the Oppenheimer Park decampments in January, when temperatures got to 13 degrees below freezing. He was unhoused and sheltering at the park. We gave […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

June is National Indigenous History Month, and National Indigenous People’s Day falls on June 21. To honour and celebrate the contributions of Indigenous People, FIRST UNITED participates in several events, and amplifies Indigenous businesses, writers, and staff. We recently interviewed our Indigenous Outreach Coordinator, Avery Delaney (Blackfoot-Blood Tribe/Kainai) about a recent trip she took to […]

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 […]

On Tuesday, the BC Government announced a new bill that addresses several recommendations made in FIRST UNITED’s law reform platform “Everyone Needs a Home: Solutions for Preventing Homelessness, Evictions, and Displacement.” We were pleased when BC Housing Minister Ravi Khalon announced proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) that include a number of renter […]

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 […]

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 […]