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.
Millennials and seniors room together as response to Vancouver’s housing crisis
Organizations creating roommate programs to deal with seniors struggling with housing.
Vancouver—Amidst a dire crisis in seniors’ housing in Metro Vancouver, several organizations on the frontlines are creating innovative programs to try to help.
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.
Living Longer and Better
Tracy Lynch, our Seniors Program and Hub Coordinator, met up with the SFU Department of Gerontology this spring to talk about her work at our House, since graduating from their program as a mature student.
Supporting families through affordable childcare
“At the Association of Neighbourhood Houses of BC, we will certainly opt in to the child-care fee reduction initiative,” said Deb Bryant, CEO of ANHBC. “We’re glad to be part of an initiative that provides some financial relief to the families we serve.”
Getting SMART with rock star habits
Wearing his favourite checkered socks and his best pair of blue jeans, Dustin Hogan, a professional speaker and trainer joined the Wednesday English Conversation Class on March 7 to inspire us to set SMART (specific, measureable, articulate, realistic, and timely) goals.
Social Inclusion: Barb’s Story
Barb was homeless for eight months and suffering from multiple barriers and mental health issues–including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Originally from Brunswick House First Nation outside of Chapleau, Ontario, Barb’s poor health kept her indoors after she moved to the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. From then on, she isolated herself from the outside world.