Two organizations in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside that help people transform their lives through meaningful work say the need for their services is greater than ever this year.
Matthew Smedley, executive director and CEO of Mission Possible told Global News that they have seen more than two-and-a-half times the number of people signing up for their programs this year compared to last.
“One of the trends that we’re seeing is more and more people from outside the Downtown Eastside coming to this community, seeking support and opportunities,” he said.
“We’ve seen 136-per cent increase in folks coming in. And we really are looking for other municipalities to recognize that individuals are struggling with poverty, struggling with a lack of opportunities in their communities. ”
Smedley said they want to see other cities around Vancouver step up and help.
“I think what we’re seeing is just, we’re seeing growing need throughout the Lower Mainland,” he added.
“You know, cost of housing, cost of food, everything is increasing. And those who have the least, who are closest to just making it every month, are the ones who are most impacted.”
Smedley said they are seeing more people who live in surrounding communities end up in the same situation they see among the residents of the Downtown Eastside, but the services in those outer communities are unavailable.
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“So folks are actually coming here seeking ways to get support, ways to find jobs, ways to, you know, access what they need to be able to re-enter work,” he added.
Smedley said the increased need is putting a strain on their resources and they need more donations and support to expand and help as many people as they can.
“We’re looking for donors who can fund the employment readiness program that we run, (and) be able to provide training,” he said.
“It provides coaching, it provides food, it provides access to housing, all kinds of things for folks. And then we also partner with folks who want to be customers who can provide work for our social enterprises to come, provide extra property cleaning services, litter, pick-up, those kinds of things.
“And we’re also looking for employers who are willing to hire our graduates. So someone who’s coming in looking for that start is working with us, getting training, and then they’re looking for that next opportunity. We’ve got a whole pool of fantastic candidates for employers to be able to hire.”
Smedley said that one of the biggest issues people face is an opportunity to get started.
“People who’ve been out of work for a lot of years just have big gaps in their resumes,” he said.
“That sets them back in pretty significant ways. And so having a place to get some training, get some support and get some recent work experience and be able to transition into employment outside of our organization is really critical.”
Sarah Beley, the executive director of Working Gear, told Global News that in the last two years, they have increased services from 1,200 people to 2,000 people with the majority coming from outside Vancouver.
“They’re coming from Surrey. They’re coming from Burnaby. And the ones that are coming from Vancouver don’t reside in the Downtown Eastside,” she said. “So I think that’s a bit of a misconception.”
Beley said that because they are located in the Downtown Eastside, people think they only help people in that community but that is not the case.
She said these services do not exist in other communities and that’s the problem.
“We’re fortunate that we have such a rich resource of like social enterprises in the Downtown Eastside, but they don’t really exist in other municipalities. So people are travelling from Surrey or Abbotsford Chilliwack to get help that they need.”
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