British Colombia Resources / Resources de la
Colombie-Britanique
British Colombia Resources / Ressources de la Colombie-Britanique
BRITISH COLUMBIA
FAMILY PLACE ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
2819 West 11th Avenue Tel.: (604) 738-2819
Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 255-9802
V6K 2M2
The Family Place Association of British Columbia is the
headquarters organization for Family Places in British Columbia,
whose objective is to promote public awareness of the importance of
Family Places and facilitate board and staff education networking.
Family Places across B.C. have slightly different set-ups, but
share a common philosophy--to provide a friendly, supportive and
safe environment for parents, caregivers, and children. Family
Places are committed to building on family strengths and
motivation, encouraging and supporting positive parent/caregiver-
child relationships, providing opportunities for learning more
about parenting and child development, and increasing family
involvement in the larger community. Family Places also support
families from all cultural backgrounds, mental and physical status,
and social conditions (for example poverty, family violence, single
parenthood and inadequate housing).
The following Family Places are examples of organizations
affiliated with the Family Place Association of British Columbia.
They provide services depending on the needs of the families in
their community (for example: parenting classes, clothing exchange,
activities for children, community referral, and toy and resource
libraries):
EASTSIDE FAMILY PLACE
1661 Napier Street Tel.: (604) 255-9841
Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 255-9802
V5L 4X4
WESTSIDE FAMILY PLACE
2819 West 11th Avenue Tel.: (604) 738-2819
Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 738-2850
V6K 2M2
LANGLEY FAMILY PLACE
5339 - 207th St. Tel.: (604) 534-7921
Langley, British Columbia Fax: (604) 534-9884
V3A 2E6
SURREY FAMILY PLACE
10256 - 154 Street Tel.: (604) 583-3844
Surrey, British Columbia Fax: (604) 572-7413
V3R 3P1
BRANCHING OUT FAMILY DROP-IN
Riley Park Recreation Centre Tel.: (604) 257-8545
50 E. 30th Avenue Fax: (604) 257-8639
Vancouver, British Columbia
V5Y 2T9
BURNABY FAMILY LIFE INSTITUTE
32 - 250 Willingdon Avenue Tel.: (604) 299-9736
Burnaby, British Columbia Fax: (604) 299-9731
V5C 5E9
HASTINGS COMMUNITY CENTRE
3096 E. Hastings Street Tel.: (604) 255-2606
Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 253-4528
V5K 2A3
ACTIVE SUPPORT AGAINST POVERTY (A.S.A.P.)
300-1868 5th Ave Tel.: (604) 563-6112
Prince George, British Columbia
V2L 3L2
Active Support Against Poverty (A.S.A.P.) was put together with the
help of End Legislated Poverty. A.S.A.P.'s mission is to act as a
guide for the empowerment, education, and self-determination of the
financially poor and to act as an agent of change for an inclusive
community. Therefore, A.S.A.P. provides help with obtaining social
assistance, preparing résumés, and filling out forms. It also runs
a tenant drop-in clinic. A.S.A.P. has a clothing room where free
clothing is available. A.S.A.P. also provides other services, such
as educational workshops, help in obtaining medical benefits,
poverty games and information on how to write a will for single
parents.
ADVOCACY CENTRE
501 Front Street Tel.: (604) 352-5777
Nelson, British Columbia Fax: (604) 352-5723
V1L 4B4
The Advocacy Centre is geared toward low-income families. Therefore, the Advocacy Centre provides information and advocates
on landlord and tenants issues, social assistance, Unemployment
Insurance, and child apprehension, custody and access. The
Advocacy Centre also provides support to low-income individuals and
has volunteers and staff members who accompany low-income
individuals to meetings and interviews.
B.C. PARENTS IN CRISIS SOCIETY
620, 1155 W. Pender St. Tel.: (604) 669-1616
Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 669-1636
V6E 2P4
B.C. Parents in Crisis Society is a child abuse prevention program.
The organization is a provincial network of self-help groups for
parents who want to break the pattern of isolation and stress that
can lead to abuse. Participation in the groups is voluntary, but
participants may also be referred by professional family services.
B.C. Parents in Crisis Society recognizes the right of
professionals to know whether a referred parent is actually
participating in a group, but any further information will only be
disclosed with the consent of the parent. Groups are led
exclusively by volunteers, trained by the organization.
CAPITAL FAMILIES ASSOCIATION
555 Goldstream Avenue Tel.: (604) 478-1122
Victoria, British Columbia Fax: (604) 478-9199
V9B 2W4
Capital Families Association is an informal, family cooperative
centre. It modifies its programs to reflect the needs of the
families it serves. The Association currently provides a weekly
support group for young mothers, a parents and tots drop-in, a
collective kitchen, and a toy library. Capital Families
Association also offers parent resource groups and the Nobody's
Perfect program.
CONTACT WOMEN'S GROUP SOCIETY
Box 4094 Tel.: (604) 392-4005
70 South 1st Avenue Fax: (604) 392-4145
Williams Lake, British Columbia
V2G 2V2
Contact Women's Group Society was created by women looking for
support. Contact is designed to empower low-income women and their
families.
Contact Women's Group Society runs a women's centre that offers
four different programs:
* The Advocacy Program offering advocacy, educational, and support
services to individuals and families to help them deal with the
challenges they are facing--to help people help themselves
* Kidcare Daycare is a school-based, infancy day care program
providing a safe, healthy and nurturing environment. Working in
conjunction with the Outreach Program, the program provides support
and information for young parents to become self-sufficient.
Counselling and encouragement are offered to assist parents in
building healthy attitudes toward themselves and their children.
* Outreach Kidcare Daycare offered to pregnant and parenting young
people. The Outreach program provides services that foster
independence and promote healthy family profiles.
* Childcare Support Program provides a base of resources that
enhance and encourage positive community involvement in working
toward quality child care. It provides support, information and
education for child care providers in the Williams Lake area. It
provides parents with information about choosing a child care
provider and referral for quality child care.
CRABTREE CORNER
101 East Cordoba Tel.: (604) 689-2808
Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 689-5463
V6A 1K7
Crabtree Corner is an emergency drop-in day care centre for
children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years, and a family
community centre open to Vancouver's Downtown Eastside families six
days a week.
Set in the country's poorest neighbourhood, according to Statistics
Canada (1991), and located in the corner of a parking lot, Crabtree
Corner mainly serves highly impoverished women and children. 80
percent of mothers using the centre are native women, and 90
percent live on welfare. According to the organization, the
greatest needs of the community it serves are "an adequate income,
respect, dignity, child care, housing, support, anti-racism and
anti-sexism." Emphasis is placed on recruiting workers for their
intimate personal experience of the problems facing the women who
come to Crabtree Corner. The organization does not consider that
its only job is to lighten the material hardship facing the women,
and the small number of men who use the centre, but devotes
significant time and effort to dealing with the issues of violence
and racial, sex and class discrimination that families must also
face.
Community programs range from free midday meals three days a week,
to a clothing counter, and include Nobody's Perfect sessions, an
information and reference centre, a weekly fitness class at the
YWCA, pediatric appointments, a support group for women in single-parent families, etc. These activities often provide very
impoverished families with the material support they need to
develop. They also lead to "informal" interaction in the form of
companionship and counselling for the families involved.
The Crabtree Corner team has taken a particular interest a
preventive program focusing on fetal alcohol syndrome and neonatal
abstinence syndrome. The program was described by the director of
Crabtree Corner in an article in the Canadian Journal of Obstetrics
and Gynecology & Women's Health Care (Vol. 4, No 6, 1992), entitled
"Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Education and Prevention."
Crabtree Corner is also involved in a large number of local,
regional and federal coalitions for the defence of the rights of
low-income families, and for access to health services. As a
component of the Vancouver YWCA's social and community services,
Crabtree Corner consults families on an informal and constant basis
in order to adapt to the changing needs of the families
participating in its programs.
CRANBROOK WOMEN'S RESOURCE SOCIETY (CWRS)
20B 12th Ave North Tel.: (604) 426-2912
Cranbrook, British Columbia Fax: (604) 426-3373
V1C 3V7
Cranbrook Women's Resource Society, formed in 1977 by a group of
women from the community, provides services for low-income women
and their children. The CWRS conducts advocacy with social
services and on legal issues. It also offers job strategies and
"wonder women" workshops, so women can learn plumbing, mechanics,
and electrical work to save money. Furthermore, CWRS strives to
help mothers living on low-income budgets to break the isolation.
CWRS teaches alternative healing, runs a collective kitchen,
provides support to battered women and offers a child care support
program.
CWRS believes that all women should have a safe, confidential, and
comfortable space where they can meet, share, learn, and work
together. It is a place where women in crisis situations can
obtain support counselling and referrals to local agencies. It
lobbies and works to change political, social and economic
situations that discriminate against women. It also supports and
encourages women making decisions in their lives.
DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE WOMEN'S CENTRE
44 East Cordova Tel.: (604) 681-8480
Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 681-8470
V6A 1K2
Downtown Eastside Women's Centre, set up by women from the
neighbourhood, is geared toward low-income women and their
families. DEWC provides a safe place for women in the area. The
Centre provides basic services to women; hot meals, haircuts,
showers, phones, a secure mailing address, laundry facilities,
advocacy, help in finding housing and programs to improve their
health and ability to survive on the streets of Vancouver. The
Centre is unique, in that it is specifically and exclusively for
women and their children in the inner-core of Vancouver.
DEWC is committed to assisting women with immediate and crisis
needs, as well as supporting them to make long-term changes in
their health, family, employment and housing situations.
The goals and purpose of DEWC are as follows:
* To provide a comfortable environment for women in the downtown
eastside area of Vancouver, as an alternative to poor housing and
drab hotel conditions.
* To provide recreation and self-help rehabilitation programs to
help alleviate the lack of proper facilities in the area for women.
* To act as a source of information by helping women with referrals
concerning their basic needs.
* To facilitate the opportunity for women of different ages and
ethnic backgrounds to interact on an interpersonal level.
* To educate the general public about the conditions and issues
affecting women in the area.
* To work toward constructive social change in the areas of
economic and social well-being of women.
DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION (DERA)
4-9 East Hastings St. Tel.: (604) 682-0931
Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 669-5499
V6A 1M9
The Downtown Eastside Residents' Association came into existence in
1973. Residents organized the Association to improve their
neighbourhood and renamed it the "Downtown Eastside". Over the
years, residents have worked hard for decent and affordable
housing, jobs and incomes on which they could live, community and
recreational facilities, park space, safer streets and community-
based neighbourhood planning.
DERA advocates for and assists residents of the Downtown Eastside
with welfare rights, housing, pension, UIC, income tax and opening
bank accounts. Services are available in English and Cantonese.
The organization has actively participated in a number of local,
provincial and national committees and coalitions. DERA also
offers a slide show and neighbourhood tour to students and others
interested in learning social, ethnic and economic history.
In an effort to help prevent homelessness, DERA also runs a
relocation service which deals with people in emergency housing
situations, such as illegal eviction, a building's closure for
health or safety reasons, or as the result of a fire.
DERA also develops its own housing in the neighbourhood.
DERA's objectives are as follows:
* To stay informed about life in the community;
* To educate themselves about ways of improving life in the
community;
* To act collectively to bring about the changes needed to improve
life in the community;
* To co-operate freely and honestly with organizations and people
willing to assist in improving life in the community;
* To expose and publicize the inadequacies they discover in
legislation, regulations and services;
* To fight the indifference and corruption they experience or
become aware of;
* To pursue their objectives in a spirit of goodwill and unity.
END LEGISLATED POVERTY (ELP)
Suite 211, 456 West Broadway Tel.: (604) 879-1209
Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 879-9229
V5Y 1R3
Based in Vancouver, End Legislated Poverty brings together both
local and provincial organizations working in the field of poverty.
ELP's goal is to defend the rights of low-income families and
promote social change, especially with respect to welfare policies
and labour laws. ELP provides advocacy, referral, public
education, campaigns, and forums on the issues of poverty. Workers
and members of the Board of Executives are all people who have
personally experienced poverty.
KNOCK ASK SEEK FIND ANSWERS (KASFA)
Box 99 Tel.: (604) 458-2249
Spences Bridge, British Columbia
V0K 2L0
KASFA refers low-income families and individuals to appropriate
services and offers them support and advocacy. The organization
works out of the home of a woman who has been receiving social
assistance. She does this advocacy work on a volunteer basis.
NORTH OKANAGAN COMMUNITY RESPONSE ADVOCACY PROJECT (NOCRAP)
c/o Vernon Women's Centre Tel.: (604) 549-2847
3406, 28th Avenue
Vernon, British Columbia
V1T 6N6
The North Okanagan Community Response Advocacy Project is an
organization that runs without funding with the help of volunteers.
Its goal is to educate low-income families about their rights
through workshops. Therefore, this group wishes to empower low-
income families by giving them the tools necessary to fight the
system. NOCRAP also provides crisis intervention.
NORTHSHORE HARVEST PROJECT
166 W. Esplanade Tel.: (604) 983-9488
Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 987-5813
V7M 1A3
Northshore Harvest Project is a basic needs and life skills centre,
helping individuals and families who are going through a
transitional period in their lives, including refugees and new
immigrants.
North Shore Harvest runs a community kitchen for teaching low-cost
nutritional cooking, and a Lifeskills Forum classroom assisting
with budgeting, finance, résumés, and educational and motivational
help. With the program Dress for Success, it also supplies fashion
clothing for the job market. North Shore Harvest provides for
basic needs in the form of personalized nutritionally balanced food
hampers, baby food, baby goods, some household products and
seasonal clothing, to low-income individuals and families on the
North Shore, from Deep Cove to Horseshoe Bay.
This centre runs under the philosophy that people have the
creativity to overcome poverty and that changes can be made by
working together. The mission statement of the Northshore Harvest
is to cover basic needs, so that the centre may focus more on
developing positive lifestyle habits, providing instruction and
encouragement for self-reliance and independence.
NORTH SHORE WOMEN'S CENTRE (NSWC)
3093 Lonsdale Avenue Tel.: (604) 984-6009
North Vancouver, British Columbia Fax: (604) 980-4661
V7N 3J6
The goal of the North Shore Women's Centre is to empower women by
improving their economic, social and political status. The Centre
provides information, referral services and some assistance in job
searching. The organization is at the centre of an information and
referral network for women of Vancouver's North Shore. It
publishes a newsletter, The Nellie.
The North Shore Women's Centre runs a drop-in resource centre with
a feminist perspective. The NSWC helps women find information on
issues such as housing, employment, health and support services.
NSWC also offers a support group for single mothers. It provides
services to facilitate job searching, such as on-site computer and
printer for producing résumés and letters, and a photocopier for
personal use, as well as a job posting board and other job-search
resources. NSWC also has a reference library where women can get
books, magazines, newsletters, video and audio tapes and news
clippings on topics of interest to all women.
ONE PLUS ADVOCATING ASSOCIATION
669 Haywood Street Tel.: (604) 492-8536
Penticton, British Columbia Fax: (604) 492-4334
V2A 4W8
One Plus Advocating Association was incorporated in January 1995.
Its philosophy is that knowledge of rights gives power to low-income people. The Association's goal is to provide support and
information on services available in the community. One Plus also
offers support to low-income families and individuals who need
assistance with Social Service or other bureaucracies.
PORT COQUITLAM AREA WOMEN'S CENTRE SOCIETY
2420 Mary Hill Road Tel.: (604) 941-6311
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia Fax: (604) 941-9275
V3C 3B1
In keeping with the feminist philosophy of supporting the right of
women to be full and equal members of society, Port Coquitlam Area
Women's Centre Society offers information and referral,
counselling, a drop-in centre and a library to women in the
Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, and Loco areas. The Port
Coquitlam women who use services at this Centre are on low incomes
or don't have access to their husbands' incomes. The Women's
Centre provides ongoing education, young moms' self-help group,
child care, clothing exchange, food vouchers and computer training.
The Port Coquitlam Area Women's Centre Society is also associated
with the Coquitlam Women's Transition House and The Path Centre for
women who are victims of violence.
QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLAND WOMEN'S SOCIETY
Box 207 Tel.: (604) 559-4743
Port Clements, British Columbia
V0T 1S0
The Queen Charlotte Island Women's Society is an organization that
provides a wide variety of services to women in seven communities
in Queen Charlotte Island, a low-income area. The Women's Society
has an holistic approach and is geared toward the empowerment of
women. Services offered at the Women's Society include two
community programs: assistance for victims and a women's
counselling program. Furthermore, this organization also provides
services to low-income women and their children such as advocacy,
educational programs, workshops and support groups.
RICHMOND ANTI-POVERTY SOCIETY (RAPS)
c/o 110-7000 Minoru Boulevard Tel.: (604) 279-7060
Richmond, British Columbia Fax: (604) 279-7069
V6Y 3Z5
Richmond Anti-Poverty Society, which was started by women on
welfare with the assistance of a counsellor, is a volunteer-led
support group designed to assist people living in poverty toadvocate for each other. RAPS runs support groups and teaches the
skills needed for personal growth. RAPS also offers a community
garden, welfare rights information, a community kitchen, Latin
outreach, community recreation, and fund-raising workshops.
SOCIETY OF ORGANIZED SERVICES (S.O.S)
245 West Hirst Ave. Tel.: (604) 248-2093
P.O. Box 898 Fax: (604) 248-8433
Parksville, British Columbia
V9P 2G9
Society of Organized Services is a non-profit society established
to provide volunteer services, referral services and emergency
assistance for families and individuals. S.O.S. was established to
provide measures to alleviate needs of an emotional, mental and
physical character for persons who are socially or economically
disadvantaged, and those whose needs are not met through government
agencies or services, or charitable organizations.
SOUTH SURREY-WHITE ROCK WOMEN'S PLACE
15318, 20th Ave Tel.: (604) 536-9611
Surrey, British Columbia Fax: (604) 536-6362
V4A 2A2
South Surrey-White Rock Women's Place is a drop-in and resource
centre for women. The Women's Place is a non-profit centre
providing free services to women in the community since 1979.
Services include information and referral, peer counselling,
lending library, resource files, free clothing exchange (My
Sister's Closet), and education and personal growth workshops. The
South Surrey-White Rock Women's Place also provides free support
groups for battered women, single mothers, adult survivors of
sexual abuse, a lesbian support group and a disabled women's group.
This organization also offers a single mothers' support group, as
well as a survivors of abusive relationships group, a self-help
lesbian group and disabled women's group. Women's Place runs a
peer counselling service.
TERRACE ANTI-POVERTY GROUP
200 - 4721 Lazelle Tel.: (604) 635-4631
Terrace, British Columbia Fax: (604) 638-0078
V8J 1T3
Terrace Anti-Poverty Group, created in 1983, provides advocacy
services to low-income families and individuals. Its goal is to
overcome social injustice by providing the information required by
people living on low incomes. The Terrace Anti-Poverty Group was
set up as a result of the efforts of unemployed people. The group
provides a food bank, open one week every month. Furthermore, this
group, which operates without government funding, also organizes
fundraising activities, such as bingos, to pay their expenses.
TLINGIT FAMILY LEARNING CENTRE
Box 203 Tel.: (604) 651-7739
Atlin, British Columbia
V0W 1A0
The Tlingit Family Learning Centre offers programs to the Taki
River Tlingit First Nation families and was set up by a member of
the community. The Family Learning Centre empowers and strengths
low-income families. It offers an after-school program, language
classes taught by two elders, nutritious meals, a resource library,
employment counselling and training. The Tlingit Family Learning
Centre employs mothers for the preschool and child care program.
The activities at the Centre focus on preparing Tlingit children
academically and socially for public school. The Centre also helps
Tlingit parents develop culturally relevant parenting skills, so
they can provide for the physical and emotional health of their
children.
TOGETHER AGAINST POVERTY SOCIETY (TAPS)
615-620 View St. Tel.: (604) 361-3521
Victoria, British Columbia Fax: (604) 361-3541
V8W 1J6
Together Against Poverty Society was incorporated as a non-profit
society in 1989 to address the concerns of low-income individuals
and families. TAPS provides advocacy for people experiencing
problems with welfare, tenancy, unemployment insurance and other
poverty issues. TAPS therefore strives to empower low-income
families and individuals in their interactions with social service
providers through advocacy, advice and informational services.
TAPS also provides speakers on poverty issues, including legal
rights and responsibilities under federal and provincial social
programs. Furthermore, by organizing public forums, workshops and
presentations, TAPS educates the general public about the problems
facing low-income individuals and ways to address issues of class
discrimination.
WEST KOOTENAY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (WKWA)
420 Mill Street Tel.: (604) 352-9916
Nelson, British Columbia Fax: (604) 352-7100
V1L 4R9
Founded in 1974, the West Kootenay Women's Association was set up
to sponsor the fledgling Nelson Women's Centre, then in its second
year. Since then, the WKWA has sponsored a number of projects.
One was Kootenay Womenworks, which was an extremely well-received
training program offering employment preparation to women who were
having difficulty finding paid employment. In addition, the WDWA
founded the Advocacy Centre. Through the years, the association
has provided space and the opportunity for women to come together
and share their skills and knowledge.
The purpose of the Association is as follows:
* To promote, lobby and advocate for the rights of all women to
have social, economic, and physical control of their person
regardless of race, class, sexual orientation, physical or mental
ability, age, spiritual or political beliefs.
* To supply and render service of a charitable and educational
nature to women.
* To establish resources for women.
At WKWA education sessions are offered on such diverse topics as:
assertiveness; women's self-defence; handywomen's skill sharing;
pornography, and harassment awareness and strategies; international
women's issues; employment; violence against women; and sexual
orientation and health.
WILLIAMS LAKE COMMUNITY KITCHEN
c/o Salvation Army Tel.: (604) 392-2423
272 Borland St
Williams Lake, British Columbia
The Williams Lake Community Kitchen runs three groups for single-
parent families. This community kitchen, which for some women is
the only opportunity they have to get out of their homes, helps
them raise their self-esteem. The cost of this program is $1 per
family member for four meals; it runs three times a week. Day care
is available; women participating in the groups take turns looking
after the children. This Williams Lake Community Kitchen is
located at the Salvation Army, which provides the groups with
kitchen facilities and some vegetables.
WOMENFUTURES
Community Economic Development Society Tel.: (604) 737-1338
217-1956 West Broadway Fax: (604) 736-8697
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6J 1Z2
WomenFutures is a non-profit organization promoting and
facilitating the full participation of women in community economic
development projects. To this end, WomenFutures has developed
three types of activities:
1) Education and training activities for women working in community
economic development, in conjunction with women's groups. They
comprise:
* workshops on community economic development for and by women;
* official presentations to different levels of government; and
* a resource centre on government programs and community
development practices and on women involved in economic
development.
2) A Loan Guarantee Fund: the Fund guarantees loans for communityeconomic development activities developed by women. For example,
the Fund was used to renovate a crafts store and helped purchase
equipment for a business operated by a women's collective.
Eligibility requirements for the Guarantee Fund reflect the
commitment WomenFutures has made to a cooperative approach
promoting women's independence and control over their resources.
3) Research activities that have led, in particular, to four
publications on community economic development by and for women:
* More than Dollars; a Study of Women's Community Economic
Development in British Columbia, some projects undertaken by women
in British Columbia.
* Counting Ourselves in: a Women's Community Economic Development
Handbook, (in conjunction with SPARC, British Columbia's Social
Planning Council), a manual for community workers developing
workshops on the subject of community economic development and
women.
* Women Get Credit: an Introductory Kit on Alternative Financing,
on savings groups, lending circles, barter systems and loans
guaranteed funds.
* A Guide to Business Development for Non-Profit Organizations.
