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Giving Tuesday

December 2 A SPECIAL FEATURE OF

Giving Tuesday December 2

Charity campaign brings holiday cheer to seniors in need

ABBY LUCIANO aluciano@nsnews.com

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

‘Tis the season of giving. Whether that be a gift or a card, the gesture goes a long way, especially for those in need during the holidays.

Home Instead in West Vancouver is running its annual Be a Santa to a Senior campaign to bring holiday cheer to lonely or financially challenged seniors on the North Shore.

The campaign’s concept embodies the spirit of Santa and his elves. Home Instead employees collect wish lists from seniors who use the company, and their names and desired gift are written on tags hung on a Christmas tree at the office on Marine Drive. Volunteers then pick a tag, purchase the gift and bring back the item (unwrapped) before the Dec. 8 deadline.

“Christmas time for [seniors]

can be quite a lonely experience,” said Saoirse Letsome O’Rourke, operations manager at the Home Instead in West Vancouver “Creating this program is a way to reach out to let them know that there are people who care about them.”

The Be a Santa to a Senior

campaign is an international initiative at Home Instead locations in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. This marks the 18th year the West Vancouver location is participating, after the project launched just over two decades ago.

This year, the campaign aims to support 200 North Shore seniors,

Everyday,weworktoensureindividuals and families aresafefromviolence, marginalized youthare empowered to reach theirfullpotential through educationand employment, andthat youth, seniors, and families haveaccesstosafe, affordable, and sustainablehousing.

Every dollar donated to Hollyburnstays righthereonthe NorthShore, helpinglocals whentheyneed it most.

ensuring they will receive a gift under the tree on Christmas Day. Popular wish list items include soft blankets, teddy bears, and clothing such as pyjamas and sweaters.

“Our volunteers feel so fortunate to be able to go out and make this huge impact on seniors,” said Letsome O’Rourke. “It’s just such a lovely way to give back to those in that later stage of life and are low income, or perhaps don’t have family members.”

Letsome O’Rourke has heard how the initiative has made a heartwarming impact over the years.

One story that stands out is a volunteer from last year who, unable to find a calendar featuring B.C. national parks, created one using photos they gathered.

“It’s something so simple, like a calendar, but making it so special for them, it’s just amazing,” she said.

After the Dec. 8 deadline,

caregivers will wrap the presents. As an added bonus, the company teamed up with Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin to produce a video promoting the Christmas spirit and giving back.

Caring for seniors is a vitally important task, particularly in an area such as the North Shore with a significant population of seniors, said Letsome O’Rourke.

“It’s just gone from strength-tostrength over the years…. We’re so grateful to be able to run [the campaign] and to be able to give back to our community in that way.”

Those interested in participating in the campaign can visit Home Instead at 2232 Marine Drive from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.

Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

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Home Instead’s operations manager Saorise Letsome O’Rourke (left), Hannah Khoshno and Cristina Tomakin are looking for donations for their annual Be a Santa to a Senior campaign PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

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Giving Tuesday December 2

Doughnut shop owner says donating leftovers ‘a no-brainer’

HILARY ANGUS

Contributing

writer

It would be a hard case to argue that doughnuts are an essential feature of a nutritious diet. But they’re delicious, and they make people happy.

So if people with expendable income get to indulge in the occasional sweet treat, then why shouldn’t people who are struggling?

This was the line of reasoning she was acting on when Alix Finn, the daughter in the mother-daughter duo behind Lower Lonsdale’s Cream Pony, began donating her unsold doughnuts at the end of each day

In 2021, shortly after they opened, Finn and the Cream Pony team made a special edition orange doughnut and donated the proceeds to the Squamish Nation Food Bank in honour of Truth and Reconciliation Day.

Through that initiative, they established a contact at the Nation, and donating their unsold confections at the end of each day became routine. But when the contact left their role, the arrangement became

burdensome to manage for the small business, Finn said.

That’s when Vancouver Food Runners stepped in.

Vancouver Food Runners (VFR) is a food redistribution charity that engages a network of volunteer drivers to pick up surplus food and deliver it to an organization

Using the Vancouver Food Runners program is extremely easy, says Cream Pony co-owner Alix Finn. HILARY ANGUS / NSN Continued on B5

Cream Pony co-owner Alix Finn says it was a ‘no-brainer’ for her business to get involved in a program that gets unsold food into the hands of people in need. HILARY ANGUS / NSN

GivingTuesday December 2

Vancouver Food Runnersvolunteersmakedonating food easy

that can use it.

Their process is incredibly straightforward,Finn said. Businesses or organizationsthat havefood to donate simply message the VFR team in the evening withthe number of boxes of food they’ll need picked up the next day

The VFR team posts the“rescue” intheir app, and volunteer drivers “claim” the rescue,getting in-app instructions about where to pick up the food andwhere it needs tobedelivered.

Finnsaid the VFR team takes careofeverything, andcan either arrange to have the food dropped offatthe organization of their choice, or will find another suitableorganization who canuse it.

The service is free to use, requires no extra effortfor her or the staff, and has been an incredibly reliable waytoensure theirfood is not going to waste,

Finn said.

Oncetheyhadtheir initial meeting, Finnsaid signing up with VFRwas a“no-brainer.”

“Morebusinesses need to know thatthey’redoing this,” she said.

VancouverFood Runners was launched in 2020by Michelle Reining and TristanJagger to address two related issues, according to their recent newsletter. One is that nearly half of allfood producedinCanada ends up wasted, and the second is that oneinfour BritishColumbians experience food insecurity

To date, they’ve completed more than31,000 rescues through their app,which translates to morethan5.5 million pounds of food donated, or just over 4.6 millionmeals,according to their website

Their donors include grocery stores,cafes,restaurants and wholesalers,and their recipients

are140+ non-profits including women’sshelters, neighbourhood houses,senior centres and transitional housing organizations. They arerunning intoanunexpected issue on theNorth Shore though, said Reining, the organization’sexecutive director.

“We have so many volunteers on the NorthShore, literally over 100,” Reining said,but they don’t always have enough food pick-ups to keep them busy,sovolunteers arecrossing thebridges to do deliveries in Vancouver

“If we can get morebusinesses

involved on the North Shore, that would be fantastic,” Reining said, “Because we do have non-profits [there] that need food donations.”

For those looking to help outsideofdonating food, the West Vancouver Foundation’s Give Whereyou Live campaign is currently running amatching campaign for Vancouver Food Runners, and the organization is always looking for volunteers.

But for food businesses on the North Shore, Finn’smessage is clear: Donate your unsold food.

“There’ssomany other ways that smallbusinesses trytohelp the community, and they take a lotoftime and alot of effort,” she said. “Thisisaway that you can directly impact your community, and it literally didn’t take us any extra effort.”

HilaryAngus is aVancouver-based journalist writing for the North Shore News. Shecan be reached at info@hilaryangus.com.

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Volunteers from Vancouver Food Runners rescue some produce, turning potential wasteintofood forthose in need. VANCOUVER FOOD RUNNERS

Giving Tuesday December 2

Harvest Project distributes more than $1M in groceries in 2025

HILARY ANGUS Contributing writer

The Harvest Project has been providing community relief services to North Shore residents since 1993, but according to staff, the volume and intensity of requests they’re receiving has never been higher.

“The North Shore overall is a comfortably well-off community, if you look at some of the big numbers,” said Kevin Lee, Harvest Project’s chief development officer. “However, that comfort is not evenly distributed.”

According to the 2023 North Shore Poverty Reduction Strategy, roughly 19,545 people, or 10.4 per cent of the North Shore’s population, live below the poverty line. The same report indicated that, taken together, the three North Shore municipalities experience higher degrees of inequality than Metro Vancouver, the province and the country. Low income households, it noted, are accessing social services to a greater extent than in previous years.

“There are many households and

many families, many individuals, who find themselves on the margins simply because things happen to all of us from time to time in life,” Lee said.

Clients come to the Harvest Project from all demographics and all areas of the North Shore, Lee said, oftentimes because unanticipated events like job loss, family trauma, divorce or loss of a family member put them into a position of precarity that they are unaccustomed to and unsure how to navigate.

The Harvest Project offers relief services to North Shore residents in several forms: A rent bank which provides no-interest loans to people facing eviction or utility disconnection, grocery support for food-insecure families and individuals, clothing donation and client counselling services.

The compounding crises many individuals are facing and the impacts those crises are having on their mental well-being have become noticeably more severe in recent years, Lee said.

“We’re recognizing that the concerns,

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Harvest Project’s chief development officer Kevin Lee gets in the giving spirit with volunteers manager Jennifer Maurice and volunteer Kim Knapp as the busy Christmas season ramps up PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

Giving Tuesday December 2

Christmas donations help keep Harvest Project running all year

from B6

the mental health challenges, the depth of the need of folks who find themselves at Harvest Project is more intense than it’s ever been,” Lee said “And we’ve been able to step up and address those needs, and work with the realities of 2025.”

In 2025, Lee said the organization distributed more than a million dollars in groceries through their grocery support program, where clients can come “shop” for free at their monthly grocery store.

They’re particularly proud of the quality of food they’ve been able to provide, which Lee said is both nutritious and culturally relevant for newcomer North Shore residents with different cultural food preferences or needs.

“The community has really come through this year,” Lee said, adding that their grocery and clothing assistance programs would not have been possible without the generous support of local residents and businesses who dropped off food, clothing and financial donations

To support what they anticipate to

in 2026, the Harvest Project is currently conducting their Season of Hope holiday giving campaign.

Lee said these two-to-three months of

to maintain their services throughout the year.

For those who wish to support the Harvest Project but are not in a position make financial donations, Lee said they

also have numerous volunteer opportunities and ways to get involved which are routinely updated on their website.

“Our thanks to the community for their real generosity, year over year, as Harvest Project is finishing our 33rd year,” Lee said. “We look forward to seeing that generosity extended, and we continue to be thankful.” Visit harvestproject.org for more information or to make a donation.

GIVING TUESDAY

As we mark Giving Tuesday,Iinvite North Shoreresidents to support alocal organization close to their hearts. Our non-profits lift up neighbours, support vulnerable populations, and keep our community strong.

Continued

Harvest Project volunteer Angela Griffin organizes grocery donations at the North Shore non-profit organization’s headquarters PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

Harvest Project volunteers Geoff, Barb and Vern help prepare food for distribution to North Shore families in need. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

Jonathan Wilkinson Member of Parliament, North Vancouver- Capilano

Giving Tuesday December 2

Christmas Bureau returns, filling in gaps for families in need

ABBY LUCIANO

aluciano@nsnews.com

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Staff and volunteers at a North Shore non-profit are helping ensure in-need families have a brighter holiday season.

The Family Services of the North Shore’s Christmas Bureau is now open at the former Sears location on the second floor of Capilano Mall, providing support to families facing financial hardship this holiday season.

Michele Varley, director of community hub programs for the non-profit, said they expect to help around 3,000 residents this holiday season, a third of whom are children aged 18 or younger This equates to around 1,300 families, Varley said, mirroring the level of need seen last year

“Life is expensive, I think we’re all being cautious about how we’re spending our money. But for our families that have already been cautious and careful about how they’re spending their money, it’s been even harder,” Varley said. “We’re just trying to fill some of those gaps.”

To be eligible for the Christmas Bureau, families must be North Shore residents and meet Statistics Canada’s low-income criteria. If approved, Varley said each family member receives $50 for a gift alongside another $50 for a grocery gift card.

Life is expensive, I think we’re all being cautious about how we’re spending our money.

MICHELE

VARLEY CHRISTMAS BUREAU

Just like any department store, families can select toys and clothing to fit their needs while also accessing other year-round resources offered by the non-profit, ensuring people can celebrate the holidays with peace of mind.

After seeing a heightened anxiety around food security, Varley said the nonprofit is also providing food assistance.

“It’s something that is always top of mind,” she said. “But I think [now more than ever] because of the increases in

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Michele Varley (left), Family Services of the North Shore community hub director, and volunteer Sanima Hosseini stand with the welcome sign at the North Shore Christmas Bureau in Capilano Mall. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

Giving Tuesday

Charity driven by community

grocery prices, which have been steadily going up.”

Family Services of the North Shore partners with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank to offer year-round food assistance. Items available can vary, but often include produce like mushrooms and bok choy, as well as non-perishable foods, Varley said.

The non-profit also offers snacks, tea, coffee, and occasionally pizza to shoppers at the bureau.

“A lot of their income is going towards just to provide shelter for their family, and often they don’t have a lot leftover for food,” she said. “We’re always trying to support with that.”

Varley emphasized the importance of donations and community involvement.

She noted that the number of families accessing the service has nearly doubled since Varley started working at the bureau a decade ago.

“We definitely do have families that move off our list, but we always seem to be onboarding more people,” she said.

With roughly 400 volunteers assisting

this year, the Christmas Bureau is made possible through a community effort, including toy drives organized by fire and police departments, donations from residents in toy bins, and sponsorships that fulfill family wish lists. Their support helps capture the holiday spirit and give back to the community

“Our families tell us often that it’s so much more than the actual items that they’re receiving, it’s the fact that they feel so supported by the community that they live in,” Varley said. “To know that there’s a safe space where they can come.”

The Christmas Bureau is always looking for people to make financial or toy donations to help in-need families. Varley noted a particular need for donations geared towards teens and tweens, ensuring they also have gifts to open during the holidays.

Learn more about the Christmas Bureau at familyservices.bc.ca/find-support/ christmas-bureau.

Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative

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Giving Tuesday December 2

Charity cooking up lunch to raise funds for Indigenous youth

ABBY LUCIANO aluciano@nsnews.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Organizers from a West Vancouver non-profit will soon be cooking up a storm to boost opportunities for urban Indigenous youth.

On Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2), the Urban Spirit Foundation is hosting their 11th annual chili and bannock fundraiser at Park Royal. Alongside the main meal, guests can also enjoy baked goods, vie for raffle prizes and take part in a 50/50 draw

“It’s a lot of fun, it’s very Christmassy,” said Lynn White, executive director of the Urban Spirit Foundation. “We appreciate anything that comes in to help serve our people that much better.”

The Urban Spirit Foundation is a charitable organization providing opportunities for urban Indigenous people living in Metro

Vancouver. Their programs include education and employment training, high school and post-secondary scholarships and bursaries, and community-based projects designed to alleviate poverty.

The foundation sees Giving

Tuesday as an ideal opportunity to support their work.

“It’s a day of giving,” White said. “It’s a good time of year that people are starting to feel a little bit generous in terms of ‘Let’s help out someone who’s a little less fortunate than I am.’”

Each year, the non-profit usually sees around $6,000 come in at the fundraiser. White hopes to raise more funds this Giving Tuesday, as she’s seen the fundraiser sell out quickly in previous years.

“The more that we can bring in, the more that we can give out to help,” she said. “There are 70,000+ urban Indigenous people in Metro Vancouver, so $6,000 doesn’t go very far.”

The Urban Spirit Foundation works in conjunction with the Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS), where White is also the CEO. Money collected helps go back into programs offered by the foundation and ACCESS.

In past years, money raised has funded youth programs providing resources to help children graduate, provided backpacks for back-to-school, and supported a Christmas dinner at the Vancouver

THE WALLS ARE RISING

Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society.

Some of the raffle prizes this year are a gift basket with soaps and body care items, various wines, a laptop and a gift basket donated by Shoppers Drug Mart.

Funds aside, White said the event is also meant to build relationships and meet new people.

“We welcome anybody to come in and share some food with us and have a chat,” she said.

Urban Spirit Foundation fundraiser

Where: ACCESS head office, 108-100 Park Royal South, West Vancouver

When: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Admission: $18

Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative

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Kristen Wealick, Elaine Clare, Sybil Mecas, Lynn White, Sherri Sinclair of the Urban Spirit Foundation serve up delicious chili and bannock at last year’s fundraising lunch. ELAINE CLARE

Giving Tuesday December 2

Tackle agooddeedatCapilanoRugby Club’s annual toydrive

HILARYANGUS

Contributing writer

In aworld of constant change, many people take comfort in tradition,and for many North Shoreresidents, the Capilano Rugby Club’sholiday toydrive has become just that.

The club is inviting the community down to Klahanie Park on the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 13 fortheir 42nd iteration of their annual holidaytoy drive.

“I went to this event when I was akid, so to get to organize it nowasanadult is verycoolfor me,” said Chris Robinson,club captain, whohas been organizing theevent for the past 16 years.

The club is seeking donationsofnew,unopened gifts for kids ages 0-18, which will be donated to the North Shore NeighborhoodHouse, the North ShoreSalvation Army, and Family Services of theNorth Shorefor theirChristmas Bureau. There

will also be boxes for donations of non-perishablefooditems forthe Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

For those planningtobring a gift,Robinson pointedtoguidelines from the FamilyServices of the NorthShorewithgift-buying ideas fortweens and teens, who tend to get neglected most often in toy drives

That list included gift cards for stores like Sephora, Sport Chek, Best Buy, GameStop, and London Drugs, as well as items such as name-brand portable speakers, wireless headphones, backpacks, cross-body bags, and wristlets/pouches.

Thetoy drive is open to absolutely anyone inthe community, Robinsonstressed, whether you’realifelong rugby fan or have never even seen agame.

Healso wanted to extend a particular invitation to new members of the community, noting

CapilanoRugbyClub’s Chris Robinson and his nephewRiley get ready fora previous edition of theclub’s toydrive.This year’s charitableevent will be held at the club Saturday, Dec. 13. PAUL

thetowers and townhouses that have gone up in recent years in the Lion’sGate Village area.

/ NSN

Communitymembers can stopbyfor fiveminutes and simply drop something off, or

stay forthe whole afternoon and get to know their neighbours, with family-friendly activities and afestive atmosphere.

“I think being apositivemember of the community you’re apartofisveryimportant,” Robinson said.

“I think we can all give back, and whether that’sthrough time, money,effort, gifts, Ithink there’sthe capacity for everyone to give back when they can, and this event kind of highlights that forme.”

Capilano Rugby Club annual toy drive

When: Saturday,Dec. 13, noon to 4p.m.

Where: 1910 GlenaireDr.,North Vancouver

For acompletelist of gift ideas from the Family Services of North shore, visit their website at familyservices.bc.ca/ ways-to-give/.