Our News and Stories
The movement for belonging: Neighbourhood Houses in Metro Vancouver
Neighbourhood houses have been around in Metro Vancouver since 1894—that’s more than 120 years—helping create spaces for community-building and to encourage a sense of belonging in our cities.
Bond to Literacy
Julia Zhu, our program facilitator, met Shirley at a local park while participating in outreach recruiting participants to the Bond to Literacy program. Shirley was right away very interested in the Bond to Literacy program and proceeded to register herself and her young son on that same day. Attending the Bond to Literacy Program was the first time that Shirley and her son had come to Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House.
Social Inclusion: Benilda’s Story
Uprooting oneself from one’s comfort zone is not an easy feat for anyone, but Benilda found it particularly difficult. When her family immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2008, it was her visits to Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House (FHNH) that made her feel connected and at home.
Alberto’s Story: Job search help pays off for newcomers
Alberto* came to see José at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House because he wanted to become an ESL teacher. He needed assistance with elaborating his resume and with job interviews. His resume needed to be better organized, and he needed to find the right wording to convey his skills and experience. He also required confidence in approaching potential employees and facing job interviews.
Social Inclusion: Masi’s story
An avid cook, Masi also often shares her food with staff and residents. She participates in potluck lunches at Kits House, where she shares the Persian food that she has prepared alongside other participants. She and her husband also share their love of music with the local community by performing the violin and drums at various Kits House events. Despite the language barrier, Masi has been on several trips organized by Kits House over the past year, including visits to the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Grouse Mountain, the H.R. MacMillan Space Center and UBC Botanical Garden.
Celebrating literacy with food, games and African dancing
Newcomer families and their volunteer tutors gathered together at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House on July 18. With Scrabble games, jelly beans and vegetarian biryani, they celebrated all the hard work the families had completed over winter and spring, as they learned English.