As Vancouver and cities around the world vie for future mega events (Vancouver World Cup bid?) Dr. Frankish believes that it’s prudent to engage in discussion on how cities (and Vancouver in particular) can better prepare themselves to capitalize on the potential social benefits of mega events, particularly for low income and marginalized populations. The 2010 Games made Vancouver the ideal laboratory for that research last year with lessons learned on how businesses can play a more proactive role as socially responsible partners in their communities and the necessary resources and support environment that the City can look to provide and improve upon in preparation for future events.

Following the presentation by Jim Frankish and the panel discussion,   attendees are encouraged to participate in group discussions on how businesses can contribute to positive social change and help create healthier communities, what they think are the conditions needed for business to get on side and involved and resources they would find most useful to do so.

The feedback so far is mixed in regards to the Inner-City inclusivity commitments. Some believe that it was a missed opportunity for the Games to be a catalyst for radical transformation in the inner-city but others celebrate what was able to be accomplished through them. There are many social enterprises, businesses, non-profit organizations and residents that saw direct benefits and the Games raised awareness of many issues, but being such a massive undertaking Frankish believes that there are some valuable lessons learned about how the City, event organizers, and businesses can do it even better next time.

This is an important discussion and we hope to see you there.

To register for this event go here.

Will Allen and the farmers at SOLEfood

In this month’s newsletter, our focus is on all things food-related. We discuss the recent hiring of outreach workers by the Downtown Eastside Kitchen Tables Project. This initiative is a collaboration between Potluck Cafe and Catering and the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House which aims to change the food system in the neighbourhood.  We also detailed our meeting with Growing Power’s Will Allen, an urban farmer who has accomplished amazing things, and his visit to SOLEfood farm.  

To read more, please see the newsletter in full:

February Employment Newsletter

 Other items featured this month include:

• Event Listings
• Job Postings

Let us know what you think!

The event will be taking place on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 from 2:30pm – 4:30pm at the Vancouver Japanese Language School Hall (475 Alexander Street).

The event will give participants a chance to:

• Network with like-minded people;
• Hear BOB’s CEO Shirley Chan give examples of how businesses can help create a better society;
• See a presentation by Dr. Jim Frankish (Centre for Population Health Promotion Research at the University of British Columbia) on research findings related to the 2010 Olympics and the private sector; and
• Brainstorm together to identify other ways that businesses can help create a better society.

Small- to medium-sized business owners and managers may be particularly interested in this event. The event, however, is open to anyone who is interested in the topic of how businesses can help create a better society.

The goal of the forum is to encourage participants to learn, share, and network.

An educational, interactive video on how businesses can help create a better society will be produced from this event. Only notes will be recorded; no video cameras will be used.

To register for this free event, or for more information, please see:

http://blogs.ubc.ca/frankish/business-forum/

It’s not every day that you find a huge sale before the holidays. Then again, Everything but the Kitchen Sink Emporium is no ordinary store.

If you have not been to the Emporium yet, now would be an excellent time to visit.There are many great deals to be had. See their flyer for more details.

As well, there is currently a promotion for those who spend $25.00 or more on items at the store before December 23rd: your name will be entered into the draw to win a Panasonic 26” LCD television!

How good would this face look on a new television?!

Still creeps me out to this day.

As always, proceeds from sales at the Emporium go toward funding the work of the Network of Inner City Community Services Society (NICCSS), which provides many programs for youth and families in the Downtown Eastside, Grandview-Woodlands, and Strathcona areas.

If you stop by, make sure to let us know what kind of deals you snagged! Happy shopping!

875 E. Hastings Street – Open Monday to Friday 11am to 5pm and Saturday from 11am to 4pm.

Ada from BOB (right) asks Chris (left), a BOB client, about his work with Recycling Alternative

To read more, please see the newsletter in full:

December Employment Newsletter

Other items featured this month include:

• Event Listings
• Job Postings

They’re in the running, but we’d like to see them get a whole bunch of votes over the next week and a half leading up to the deadline.

If you’d like to help Strathcona and Vancouver, sign up here and they”ll send you an email a day with a reminder to vote, some pre-made Tweets for you to Retweet, and interesting links about how urban gardens are changing communities. Everyone on this list will also be entered to win great daily prizes! Sign up and you can win:

• A gift certificate from Boardroom Eco Apparel
• A box of gourmet chocolate from Saul Good Gift
• An etched glass water bottle from Eclipse Awards
• A gift certificate from Quench Designs
• Dinner for two at Pat’s Pub
• 500 business cards (including layout) from Special Screencraft
• Or one of many other great daily prizes.

A number of agencies have come posted their wish lists for the holiday season. This includes warm weather attire, as well as other essentials such as food.

Here are some samples of the wish lists:

CBC volunteers working the phones last year

PACE (a group advocating for the rights of sex workers):�
Gifts: Hats, scarves, gloves, socks, pantyhose, pajamas, blanks, holiday cards and postage, picture frames, craft kits, journals
Ongoing needs: new and gently used clothes, coats, new underwear, bus tickets, books, non-perishable food items

Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre
Gifts: new, unwrapped toys for children, gift certificates for teens, winter wear for women, blankets, towels, pillows, non-perishable food items, gift wrapping items (paper, tape)

As well, CBC/Radio Canada will be holding an all-day food drive at their location on Georgia Street on December 3rd. The event runs from 6am-9pm and also offers donors a tour of the CBC facilities and a meet-and-greet with reporters. The day kicks off at 5:30 with the morning show with Rick Cluff. Most grocery stores will also be accepting food back donations.

If you see someone on the street without warm clothing, call the Ambassadors from the Downtown Business Improvement Association (BIA) at 604-689-4357. They will be going around the downtown area with donated goods to give out.

If you know of any other large food drives or agencies with wish lists, please feel free to leave them in the comments section!

With that in mind, W2 Community Media Arts at Woodward’s is putting on an ‘unconference’ called DTES Camp on Sunday, November 7^th from 11-3pm to evoke discussions on themes related to the digital divides right here in Vancouver. As part of the Media Democracy Day events, the DTES Camp will feature film screenings, various speakers, and a collaboration of ideas. The Camp is free and open to anyone who wants to share their thoughts. This promises to be an interesting debate, considering the different types of divides that would presumably affect an area as diverse as the Downtown Eastside.

One idea that will no doubt arise is turning the entire Downtown Eastside into a wi-fi hotspot. The Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council has been championing this for quite some time. There is no doubt that providing access is an important first step. An even larger challenge is ensuring that access is useful; in other words, once access is provided, will people know how to use the technology in an effective manner? Some agencies in the area, such as the UBC Learning Exchange and the Union Gospel Mission, provide computer use and training sessions. Should this be made more of a priority? How do we stop the gap between users and non-users from widening even further?

I could ask questions into the vast world wide web until I turn blue in the face. Better to stop by the DTES Camp and join the conversation.

For more information, visit W2’s website: http://www.creativetechnology.org/.

Potluck Café and Catering

Potluck is a social enterprise in the Downtown Eastside that runs a café and provides catering services, both of which serve hundreds of customers in the area. Potluck offers many great community programs to residents of the Downtown Eastside. They (rightfully) believe that no one should be deprived of quality, nutritious food and are committed to sharing this message.

BOB has maintained a good working relationship with Potluck for a number of years. We have partnered with them on numerous occasions, including collaborating with them for monthly SHINE dinners for clients, as well as employer breakfasts.

Barney and the band

BOB and Potluck also worked together to offer a Banquet Server Training Program last year. As a part of BOB’s Business Links program, clients were taught valuable skills in order to enter the workforce and were given the opportunity to interview with employers once they completed the training.

The night at the Vogue not only supports a fantastic cause, but is guaranteed to be a good time. Tickets can be purchased at: https://tickets.voguetheatre.com/Online/default.asp 

If you are not able to make it to the fundraiser and still want to support Potluck, visit their café at 30 W. Hastings from 8-4 Monday to Friday or donate here.

To read more, please see the newsletter in full:

October Employment Newsletter

Other items featured this month include:

• SFU Theatre Re-hires 10 Inner-City Residents
• Event Listings
• Job Postings