Send your comments to otto2002@shaw.ca.

Thank you.

Otto Toews (Ph. D.)

Web Manager

email: otto2002@shaw.ca

As you are aware, ending street homelessness is one of Vision Vancouver’s top priorities. Today, our city moved a big step closer to reaching our goal of ending street homelessness by 2015.

You can make a difference

The first round of third reading debate on Bill C-304 – draft legislation to create a new national housing plan for Canada – has been postponed from its scheduled start on Wednesday, May 5th. The bill has already passed first and second reading in the Commons, and has been amended at committee. The start of the third (and final) reading debate is now expected in June. The start of third (and final) reading debate is now expected in June. Advocates pressing for the bill say that the delay in third reading debate gives an opportunity for supporters to contact their Members of Parliament and urge passage of the long-overdue and much-needed national housing strategy.

For more information, go to http://www.endhomelessnessnow.ca/facts-faqs/bill-c-304-at-critical-stage/.

Location: St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church

Date: July 16, 2010  Time: 8:00pm

Sponsored by: End Homelessness Now & First Baptist Church

The CenturyMen, established in 1969, is an auditioned men’s chorus of professional Christian musicians who are Ministers of music, Concert artists, College Faculty members and one pastor across America and Germany.

The CenturyMen assemble annually from across the United States and Germany for a concert tours in different areas of the United States. Every five years The CenturyMen makes a tour abroad as a concert/ mission tour. Overseas tours have included the nations of England, Wales, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Switzerland, Israel, Brazil, the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

The CenturyMen concert is open to the public. For further information, please contact:

Don Evans, First United Church (Mission)

Phone: (604) 681-8365 Ext 105

Cell: (604) 505-5921

Fax: (604) 681-8928

COPE is sponsoring a day-long discussion about SOLUTIONS to these problems.  What can city government do?  What can neighbourhoods do?  What can non-profits do?  What should we expect from the private sector?  What about co-ops?  What are the new and creative SOLUTIONS to the housing crisis?

Saturday, May 8 – 9:30-3:30 – 411 Seniors Centre, 411 Dunsmuir St.

Friday, April 23^rd 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Tenth Avenue Church, 11 West 10^th Ave, Vancouver

Presentation

Dave Witt, Team Leader, True City

Andrew Zantingh, Pastor, First Christian Reformed Church of Hamilton

Q & A and Discussion

moderated by Jonathan Bird, City Gate Leadership Forum

To learn more about Bill C-304, go to http://www.endhomelessnessnow.ca/facts-faqs/bill-c-304/.

“Myth and Spirituality in A Fair Country”

Tuesday, 7:30 pm March 30, 2010

John Ralston Saul will speak in the UCV Sanctuary. Saul is current President of International PEN, and an award winning essayist and novelist. He is the author of, among other numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, A Fair Country: Telling Truths about Canada. (Epperson thinks this is the most important book on Canada he has ever read.)

This is an extraordinary opportunity for UCV and the wider Vancouver community to hear one of Canada’s most important and influential public intellectuals.

Please spread the news and bring your friends!

(A collection will take place to support UCV’s “Our Children’s Table,” a pre-school literacy and nutrition program.)

Co-hosted by North Shore Unitarian Church

Share the Gold invites you to help link the worlds within our city by creating a human chain along Hastings Street.

A Half-Hour Stand in Solidarity

as together we create

A Human Chain to Share The Gold

Our vision is of a golden chain of individuals standing 3m apart along either side of Hastings Street for 3 blocks from First United, past Carnegie Community Centre and InSite to Pigeon Park

On February 24^th (4.45pm to 5.15pm)

Please wear a yellow scarf – or obtain one at First United at 4.15 pm

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Bill Briscall at 604-215-3047 at Rain city Housing.

MP Hedy Fry will be hosting a community forum on mental health issues on Tuesday, February 9th, from 6:30- 8:30 pm at St. Paul’s Anglican Church at 1030 Jervis St.

City of Vancouver

A sixth emergency shelter for the homeless will open at 747 Cardero Street on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 to ensure shelter options are available throughout the city for a temporary period ending by April 30, 2010.

With the shelter’s opening, 40 additional sleeping spaces will be available through the City’s 2010 Winter Response Program, for a total of 460 spaces. The 2010 program will have 500 temporary emergency shelter beds in total.

The Cardero Street shelter will be operated by RainCity Housing, who have operated housing and shelter for people throughout the Lower Mainland since 1982. At least two RainCity staff will be at the shelter at all times. As with other shelters opened under the 2010 Winter Response Program, shelter users can bring shopping carts and pets and will receive two meals each day.

A community open house is planned for January 26, 2010 to provide information on shelter operations and 24-hour agency contacts for neighbours. A bed reservation system will reduce line-ups and access to adequate washroom facilities will be ensured. The shelter will remain open 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

Emergency winter shelters are funded in 2010 through a $1.2 million contribution from the Government of British Columbia and $500,000 from the City. Shelter locations are chosen based on need and the number of homeless in the area.

Two other temporary shelters opened in December 2009 at 677 East Broadway and January 2010 at 1435 Granville Street to join the three temporary emergency shelters already in operation.

-30-

Media contacts:

Corporate Communications

604.871.6336

RainCity Housing

Bill Briscall

604.671.2169

Update on new City Shelters

Reverend Dr. Steven Epperson and “End Homelessness Now” would like to invite you to a meeting on Thursday, January 28th from 6:30pm – 9:00pm at the Unitarian Church, 949 West 49^th Street (Oak & 49^th), Vancouver. Refreshments and Networking at 6:30pm, Program begins at 7:00pm.

The purpose of the meeting will be to:

1. Provide an update on new City Shelters.  What new Shelters have opened up?  What other Shelters are planned? Do these new shelters need support? Are people already involved?

2. Look at organizing Neighborhood Hubs.  Who is willing to work with other Faith Communities in their area?  Are there Faith Communities willing to adopt a Shelter?

3. Feasibility of establishing an Interfaith Alliance to End Homelessness.  What will this look like?

4. Discuss strategies to have a City Wide Plan to End Homelessness.  What is the role of the Faith Community in prompting government to develop and monitor this plan?

We welcome new members from the faith community who were unable to attend the meeting before Christmas. We encourage you to send a representative if you are not personally able to attend.  Nancy Hall will facilitate the meeting. Nancy has  years of experience in community development and in facilitation of strategic thinking towards improving community health.

Please RSVP if you are able to attend. Thank you.

Amanda Trimble

Administrative Coordinator

First United Church (Mission)

320 East Hastings Street

Vancouver, BC V6A 1P4

Phone: (604) 681-8365 x126

Fax: (604) 681-8928

Email: atrimble@firstunited.ca

Web: www.firstunited.ca