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                  E-Newsletter August 2014

Mark Your Calendars


Artifact (Art and Craft Sale)
12pm to 6pm on July 26 and July 27 at Bute and Davie (the Rainbow Crossing)
 

Pride Lunch ($5) & Free Movie Screening: A Jihad for Love
12pm on July 29 at GNH

 

Pride Lunch ($5) & Free Movie Screening: Milk

12pm on July 31 at GNH

 

Afternoon of Kickin' It 
3-4pm on August 24 at Lord Roberts
(Brought to you by the Young Ideas Caucus)


The 2nd Annual West End Food Festival
September 18-22 

Brews and Chews, a Pop-up Pub Night
7-9pm on September 18 at Gordon Neighbourhood House

*Seniors Community Planning Table, next meeting is on  Friday August 29.  (no meeting July 25) 

Neighbourhood Small Grants Recap


2014 has been the biggest year yet for Neighbourhood Small Grants and Greenest City Neighborhood Small Grants at GNH! The Resident Advisory Committee awarded 54 Neighbourhood Small Grants and 27 Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grants for a total of 81. Many projects are already underway or have already been completed, but there are many more to come!

You can stay updated by visiting the ‘What’s Happening’ page on the Neighbourhood Small Grants website (http://neighbourhoodsmallgrants.ca/whats-happening) and by looking out for posts on the GNH Facebook and Twitter pages. Thank you to the Vancouver Foundation and the City of Vancouver Greenest City 2020 Fund for your generous support; thank you to the members of the Resident Advisory Committee for your many hours of dedication to the program; and thank you to all project leaders for your imaginative ideas and awesome commitment!

WE Young Ideas Caucus


Did you know that 48% of the people residing in the West End are between the ages of 20 and 39? Gordon Neighbourhood House recognizes the need for programming, activities and initiatives specifically geared towards bringing people together through social interactions. The Young Ideas Caucus focuses on engaging young adults through a variety of events, such as, creative workshops, food tastings and community outings.

Our pilot event, Brews & Chews: Pop-up Pub Night, will highlight craft beer and food pairings, from local retailers. Brews & Chews will take place on Thursday, September 18th from 7 – 9 pm at Gordon Neighbourhood House. For more information or to get involved in the WE Young Ideas Caucus, please contact youngideas@gordonhouse.org

 

If you are you interested in issues affecting children and families in the West End, then this committee is for you! Take action and become part of West End Families in Action to discuss issues and to advocate for the needs of children and families in the West End.    

This advisory committee was initiated by West End families, and with the support of Gordon Neighbourhood House was formed in May 2014. Its mandate is to act as an advisory body to Gordon Neighbourhood House regarding matters pertaining to enhancing access to GNH’s services for children and their families, and to identify and suggest solutions to gaps and barriers that impede the full participation of children and their families in the community and city.     

For more information or to join the committee, please contact Agata Feetham,   Program Director, at agata@gordonhouse.org

Fresh Curbside Market


Gordon Neighbourhood House is currently exploring the possibility of hosting a pilot project of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. The project is focused on bringing an affordable mobile produce market to the space in front of the Neighbourhood House on Tuesday afternoons from 1pm-6pm. 

For the next couple of weeks, we’ll be setting up a tent in front of the Neighbourhood House on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to chat about this and our other food programs with our neighbours, so if you’ve got a minute, stop by and say hello!

If you’re unable to, you can let us know what your thoughts are at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DYNTP8R, or by emailing andrew@gordonhouse.org

Welcome to Susanna Millar, Lead Farmer


Gordon Neighbourhood House is pleased to welcome Susanna Millar, our new lead farmer. Having completed a permaculture design course at Quail Springs, and a BA in Social Work at McGill, Susanna brings a diverse skillset and a passion for urban farming to the team at the Neighbourhood House. She's a lover of many types of music, and, while far from a master, she enjoys playing the guitar. 

Summer Camp


Gordon Neighbourhood House’s Summer Camp is underway. With successful, fun-filled trips to Playland, playgrounds and pools the new staff and children are learning about everything Vancouver has to offer. The Summer Camp team consists of 5 energetic and active staff. Tristan, our Summer Camp Coordinator; Brooke, our Summer Camp Assistant Coordinator; Alyse, Amanda, and Victor, our Summer Camp Leaders all come with differing backgrounds and interests, creating an engaging and educational summer camp experience. Although we only have 30 spots, there are a few openings remaining. With outings such as an overnight camping trip, a Canadian’s baseball game and a sandcastle competition to look forward to. 

If you would like to register your child for summer camp, or would like more information, please contact Isabel Ashton, Children and Youth Programmer at isabel@gordonhouse.org.   

UFO Co-op Partners with GNH


The Gordon Neighbourhood House is pleased to announce its partnership with United for Organics(UFO) Co-op, an established organization whose goal is to increase access to healthy, local and organic produce. 

UFO Co-op is a community-based network of like-minded people dedicated to ensuring that fresh, healthy, organic food is made available to families and individuals at affordable prices.  Committed to supporting a sustainable organic food production and distribution system that respects the environment, UFO purchases from local organic farmers whenever possible and maintains an environmental consciousness in its operation.  Also committed to networking knowledge about local and global issues, UFO  members can make informed decisions about their food choices.

UFO members order online and a distribution market is now being held every second Tuesday morning at 8:00 am at Gordon Neighbourhood House.

This video provides a peak at just how the market operates: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs-2h-fgFQo

For more information on the UFO Co-op, please email ufocoop@gmail.com

THANK YOU TO AMEX CANADA!


On the mornings of Thursday June 26, July 3, and July 10, volunteers from AMEX Canada came to GNH to lend their support to the Clean Team as part of the Vancouver Sun United Way Days of Caring campaign. The volunteers put our new brooms and dust pans from BEST Service Pros to use, sweeping up cigarette butts and other litter on Davie, Denman, and Robson streets and logging a grand total of 50 volunteer hours. Thank you to the organizations that made these three awesome days possible: AMEX Canada, the Vancouver Sun, and last but definitely not least, the United Way of the Lower Mainland. And, of course, thank you to the Clean Team’s main community partner, the West End BIA, and to BEST Service Pros and Starbucks for your generous donations of cleaning supplies and coffee. Together we grow!

GNH Community Advisory Board


Congratulations to the newly elected GNH Community Advisory Board. There were three new members elected. They are:

Kathleen Leahy (NEW)
Kathleen Leahy has been a resident of the West End for over 15 years. As a resident of Mole Hill, Kathleen was active for over ten years along with a dedicated group of tenants in helping to save Vancouver’s last block of intact heritage houses while creating affordable housing. Initially as a member of the Mole Hill Living Heritage Society board and later as vice chair of the Mole Hill Community Housing Society, she actively worked to garner support and ensure residents could actively participate in the redevelopment. Kathleen is a huge fan of the neighbourhood house model, having worked at Kiwassa Neighbourhood House for a decade in youth, employment, family and seniors programs. In her current position as the director of the UBC Learning Exchange, a community-university initiative based in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, she brings and continues to develop skills in program development, partnership and collaboration, fundraising and event planning, and enabling people from the community and university to work together to bring about positive change.   

Robin Parry (NEW)
Robin Parry is a registered social worker from Australia who lives and works in the West End. He has been in Vancouver for 4 years. His experience includes employment in queer sexual health, queer community development, and mentorship of vulnerable youth; and volunteering with street involved folk, sports leagues, student groups, and as a union steward. He is also a writer with several poems and short pieces published.   

Jill Porter (NEW)
Jill Porter calls the West End home and has over fifteen years of experience in strategic planning, community capacity building, collaboration and partnership development with non-profits, schools, all levels of government and the private sector, with a focus on inner-city communities.  She is currently employed at UBC as the Community Development Advisor with the Centre for Community Engaged Learning where she works with community partners and staff to identify and develop projects that enhance student learning and respond to emerging needs in local communities.

They join the re-elected members of the Community Advisory Board: Matthew H. Schroeter,  Eva Krizek,   Laura Hill,   Rikka B. Vassal, Thomas Kemple, Shayna Halliwell  and James Kim.

Volunteer Opportunities


There are lots of exciting volunteer opportunities to get involved with at Gordon Neighbourhood House! Assist our Out of  School Care staff by engaging children in fun activities and out-trips, help out at our friendly front desk during lunch hour or keep our neighbourhoods looking beautiful by supporting the hardworking Clean Team. Offer assistance to one or more of the many events taking place during the West End Food Fest, or help with the set up/clean up of the monthly West End Senior’s Planning Table. 

If any of these great volunteer openings interest you or you have any questions, please contact volunteer@gordonhouse.org.

Community Herb Farm


Have you seen our first West End Community Herb Farm? It is located at 1075 Burnaby (and Thurlow)? Need some thyme or rosemary for tonight's dinner? Help yourself! It is a free Community Herb Farm please also feel free to plant your favourite herb at the site as well. Thank you to our partners at Gordon Nelson Inc. for working with Gordon Neighbourhood House to make the first West End Community Herb Farm possible. We hope to be launching a few more next spring/summer.

To get involved in our urban farming initiatives please contact our Lead Farmer Susanna Millar at susanna@gordonhouse.org.

Gordon House Farms


Quietly soaking up the sun behind Gordon Neighbourhood House lies a small but bountiful Urban Farm. It is as diverse as the people it feeds—heads of lettuce bloom next to herbs, brassicas, and carrots in two 2’ x 20’ plots. Urban agriculture is one of Gordon Neighbourhood House’s newest projects, and represents a fresh focus on growing food in the West End community. Its primary function is to produce nutrient dense produce, which is then harvested on site and used to create healthy meals for the low-cost Community Lunch program, as well as for use in various other programs. 

Nestled in the 1500 sq. foot courtyard of an apartment building at Jervis St. (and Davie st) is Gordon Neighbourhood House's newest farm. The space has been graciously provided and set up by Gordon Nelson Inc. These plots are used to grow and produce for the low-cost Community Lunch program, summer pop-up farm stands, and new programs aimed at increasing access to nutrient-dense, fresh, local food for our neighbours. This farm is hoped to be one of many within the coming years as we work to envision our food philosophy. If you’d like to come get your hands dirty, learn about seasonal foods, urban farm practice, herb uses, and harvest some beets, greens, and beans, we’d love to have your help! Come enjoy the sun and share your love of food. Any level of experience is welcome. Together we grow! Please contact Susanna at susanna@gordonhouse.com, or call 604-683-2554 for details. 
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Gordon Neighbourhood House acknowledges and honours the fact that our community lies on unceded Indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples.
Copyright © 2014 Gordon Neighbourhood House, All rights reserved.

Phone: 604 283 2554              
Email: welcome
@gordonhouse.org

Mailing Address: 1019 Broughton St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2A7, B.C. Canada

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