Individuals in the community are feeling tough economic times - and those same economic hardships are impacting non-profit organizations that help make our community a better place to live. New Westminster is fortunate to be home to all sorts of non-profit organizations that help on numerous fronts, including the homeless, youth, and those recovering from injuries and addictions.
In 1996, The Record launched a Guide to Giving to provide residents with information about some of the organizations needing help at Christmas - and throughout the year. Every year since, we have dedicated our front page and opened up our news pages to help encourage folks to learn about the groups dedicated to helping others in this city, and encourage our readers to lend a hand wherever they are able. These organizations are grateful for whatever you can offer, whether it's a financial donation, a few hours of your time, or an item on their wish-list. Thank you for taking the time to get acquainted with just some of the compassionate folks in New Westminster.
HONOUR HOUSE
Honour House often has a full house a year after opening its doors in New Westminster.
Honour House provides temporary housing and support to Canadian Forces personnel, veterans and first responders (police, fire and ambulance services) and their families while they are in Metro Vancouver receiving medical care and treatment.
"There's really a need," said Marg Gordon, who was hired as the general manager earlier this year. "Part of the reason I was hired was to get the word out."
Honour House welcomes cash donations, which can come in the form of onetime gifts, monthly donations, legacy gifts, memorial and tribute gifts, membership ($20 per year) or fundraisers. Funding is also needed to help redesign Honour House's website.
Since opening in September 2011, Honour House has noted specific needs and these items have been placed on a wish-list.
They include items ranging from household items (toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, dish-washer soap, laundry products, garbage bags, cleaning supplies and light bulbs), to bedding (white bed sheets, duvets and covers - queen size), white bath towels, an X-Box 360 system, Nintendo Wii, LCD projector, laptop computer and IPad.
"We really need volunteers too," Gordon said. "Now that we are so much busier, it is imperative. We have fabulous volunteers."
Honour House has "fabulous" volunteers already, but Gordon said a few more would be useful to help with housekeeping, administration, communications/social media/website, events and ground maintenance.For more information or to help Honour House, call 778-397-4399 or visit www.honourhouse.ca.
LOWER MAINLAND PURPOSE SOCIETY FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES
It's not uncommon for tears to flow when volunteers from the Lower Mainland Purpose Society for Youth and Families deliver hampers to needy families.
The non-profit society provides social, health and educational programs and services to New Westminster, Burnaby and the Tri-Cities. Its current programs include family and early childhood programs, youth programs, daycares, drug and alcohol addiction program and HIV/AIDS programs and a secondary school.
The society is currently accepting donations of any size for its annual Christmas hamper program.
"This is our 21st year," said administrative assistant Grace Lomat. "Usually we do more than a hundred families every year."
While the society has already matched a hundred families, many more are on the waiting list. People can choose to sponsor a family and buy items themselves, or contribute individual items such as toys, clothes, other gifts and food towards hampers.
The Purpose Society also offers the 150 Club, which provides gift bags for people who are faced with housing issues and live with a compromised immune system. Donations of items such as tooth brushes, deodorant, socks, gloves, hats, scarves, note pads, pens, lip balm, small packages of cookies and candy are appreciated for the gift bags.
"They are very happy about it," Lomat said of the response of folks getting hampers and gift bags. "Last year we received a lot of thank you letters."
The Purpose Society is grateful for the donations it receives from the community at Christmas and throughout the year. Donations are welcome year-round, as they help the society purchase items for a food bank that's offered weekly for the HIV/AIDS outreach program.
Anyone interested in helping out the Purpose Society can call 604-526-2522.
ST. BARNABAS CHURCH
The need for assistance continues to grow at the community outreach programs at St. Barnabas Church.
The church is preparing for its annual Christmas Day dinner, an event that normally attracts more than 140 people.
"Our numbers are going up," said associate warden Roxee Forrest. "The need is just growing."
With an increasing number of people accessing the church's community lunch on Thursdays and its emergency food cupboard on Fridays, it's anticipated the Christmas dinner will also attract more diners than last year.
Donations of cash, turkeys, and other items for the dinner are greatly appreciated.
In addition to donations for Christmas, St. Barnabas Church would be grateful for donations of nonperish-ables for its food bank.
"It's every Friday but people can come once a month," she said. "It's an emergency food cupboard."
Each week, 60 to 100 people attend the community and access the emergency food cupboard.
"What's really needed for the people who come in is men's and women's razors and shaving supplies," Forrest said. "Blankets and towels would be appreciated. Socks - everybody needs socks."
Underwear (particularly for men in size medium) are another need, as is coffee.
"We just can't afford to give out much coffee," Forrest said. "It is so expensive."
Year-round, St. Barnabas Church operates a thrift store that generates much-needed funds for its programs. Donations of household items and clothing are always welcome and can be dropped off Wednesday to Saturday at the 1010 Fifth Ave.
Cash donations are appreciated throughout the year, as they allow St. Barnabas to operate programs such as a community lunch and the emergency food cupboard and to buy any specific items that are needed for the programs. To help St. Barnabas Church, call 604526-6646.
MONARCH PLACE
Monarch Place expects to provide Christmas hampers to about 75 families this holiday season.
WINGS - Women In Need Gaining Strength - offers Monarch Place, a 12-bed emergency first-stage shelter for women and children, Chrysalis Place second-stage house, outreach support services and other community programs.
In addition to the annual Christmas reunion that's held early in December each year, Monarch Place seeks to spread some holiday cheer through its annual Christmas hamper project. Last year, Monarch Place also provided hampers to about 75 families in need of assistance during the holidays with food and/or presents.
Monarch Place also seeks to ensure families leaving the transition house have some of the supplies they need to live on their own. Items needed include plates, cutlery, pots and pans and bedding.
Year-round, Monarch Place and Chrysalis Place need a variety of ongoing items to keep up with the demand for their services from the women and children they're helping.
Items include: bus tickets; bedding for single beds (blankets, quilts, sheets, pillow cases and pillows); large Rubbermaid or Tupperware storage containers; towels and face cloths; dish towels and dish cloths; craft and art supplies; birthday cards and gift bags; CDs and DVDs (music and movies for women and children); boxes of chocolates or candy; pantry goods; coffee; cooking pots; cutlery (especially teaspoons); cutting knives; office supplies; deodorant; hair dye; makeup; umbrellas; and underwear (all sizes for women and children).
For more information or to help Monarch Place, call 604-521-1888.
NEW WESTMINSTER FAMILY PLACE
Items for kids and moms are at the top of New Westminster Family Place's Christmas wish list.
Family Place offers parent education programs, support groups, workshops, volunteer programs and free drop-ins for parents and children. The drop-ins feature playtime, crafts and snack time.
"We always need juice, mixed cereal for our snacks," said Marjorie Staal, executive director. "Craft supplies - they are so expensive. We go through lots of them."
Family Place welcomes donations of feminine products for moms who bring their little ones to the drop-in.
Volunteers are always needed for the playroom, where they work with the children, read stories, and help set up the room for the drop-ins. Family Place offers drop-in programs Monday to Saturday at its main location at 93 Sixth St.
Family Place also operates a drop-in at Lord Kelvin Elementary School on Thursdays and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. (while school is in session) and at Hospitality Project on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for food bank collection days.
Staal added that small apple juice boxes are also appreciated, as Family Place sends home a snack pack with kids who attend the drop-in at the food bank.
For more information or to help Family Place, call 604-520-3666.
PACIFIC VOLUNTEER EDUCATION AND ASSISTANCE TEAM FOR ANIMALS
A New Westminster group needs foster homes, volunteers and donations to help animals in need.
Pacific Volunteer Education and Assistance Team for Animals - VEATA - has a mandate to educate the public and to offer assistance to low-income pet owners and pets of people in crisis, such as people going into transition houses, detox centres or extended hospital stays. It also provides support to the city's emergency pet services program, which helps people such as pet owners who are impacted by fire.
"Our number one need currently is foster homes," said Cheryl Rogers, a member of the society. "Most of the animals that we foster are cats and dogs, although we have had small animals such as rats and guinea pigs. We will try to find foster situations for any species. Generally the length of time is no more than two months; however, occasionally fosters can be for a longer period of time. Fostered animals are returned to their owners."
The society is also in need of volunteers to assist with its fundraising and community events, including the Doggy Fun Day event held at Queen's Park every August. Volunteers are also needed to develop and deliver education programs for schools and other public forums.
"Our long-term goal is to get issues of humane treatment of animals, responsible pet ownership and disaster preparedness with regard to animals introduced into the school curriculum," Rogers said.
VEATA also appreciates cash donations, which would help deal with mounting veterinary costs and nutritional food and other pet-related needs for low-income pet owners.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the society, fostering a pet, or making a financial donation can contact the society at [email protected] or Box 31, 667 Columbia St., New Westminster, V3M 1A8.
ROYAL CITY HUMANE SOCIETY
Christmas may not be an ideal time to adopt a new pet, but it's a perfect time to help animals in need.
Since 1994, the Royal City Humane Society's volunteers have been running foster and spay/neuter programs, providing shelter and adoption operations and advocating for the welfare of animals. The non-profit society, which deals with feral, abandoned and surrendered animals, welcomes volunteers at its cat shelter.
"We have between 20 and 30 cats at the shelter," said Jeannette Blanchard, president of the society. "We want homes. It's probably a tricky time for homes. It's busy for everyone."
While people may want to wait until after the holidays to adopt a cat, the society has a great need for donations of cash and supplies to help cats and cat owners.
"We can use donations of litter and food. Our low-income families have a hard time getting through Christmas," Blanchard said. "At normal times, we get so many calls for that. I am sure we will get lots."
The society buys specific types of food for the cats in the shelter, but welcomes donations of any cat food and litter that it can disperse to low-income families with cats. Cash donations are always appreciated as they enable the society to buy whatever supplies are needed.
Volunteers are always in great demand at the Royal City Humane Society's shelter, as its goal is to provide the cats with as much socialization as possible so they're more adoptable.
"We have five shifts of volunteers a day, seven days a week," Blanchard said. "The cats are really well cared for and have lots of contact. It's really important, especially for cats that haven't had a family for awhile."
For more information or to help the Royal City Humane Society, visit www. rchs.bc.ca or leave a message at 604-5246447.
Westminster House
Westminster House is seeking assistance to help bring joy to women in recovery at Christmas.
Westminster House offers a home-like setting for adult women who are recovering from addiction. The Julien House Society is grateful to everyone who has helped make 2012 a success - and appreciates donations that help support women in recovery.
GIVI "New Westminster was amazing to us last year," said development assistant Susan Hogarth about the response to last year's Guide to Giving. "It was amazing - we cried."
At Christmas, Westminster House likes to provide a gift to each of the women staying at the home. Gift ideas include slippers, backpacks, MP3 players, mascara and other "pretty things," housecoats, movie passes and coffee cards - things that help on a day-to-day basis.
"They are on a very limited budget. Nobody has any money," Hogarth said. "We don't have anything fancy here. People just want to feel good."
Because the women are out-and-about in the community going to meetings and participating in life, items such as umbrellas, raincoats, boots, socks, toques, scarves and gloves are appreciated at this time of year.
Hogarth said the facility's needs include an industrial strength vacuum, synthetic pillows and commercial cookware. Big-ticket items on the dream wish list include a van to take the women to different events and a freezer.
"The ultimate gift would be a new perimeter fence," Hogarth said. "We want to have a six-foot fence in our back yard."
Financial donations are always welcome, as they help Westminster House with its programming.
To help Westminster House, call Susan Hogarth at 604-524-5633 or send donations to Westminster House, 228 Seventh St., New Westminster, V3M 3K3. People can also donate online via www.westminster house.ca.
NEW WESTMINSTER FIREFIGHTERS CHARITABLE SOCIETY
New Westminster firefighters are grateful for the community support they receive to enable them to help out around town.
All New Westminster firefighters belong to the New Westminster Firefighters' Charitable Society, which raises funds year-round to help causes such as sick kids and the needy.
The pediatric unit at Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster Family Place and the Royal City Education Foundation are among the recipients of donations from the charitable society.
The New Westminster Firefighters' Charitable Society is currently collecting donations of toys that will be dispersed to various organizations.
"We have some fantastic friends. "Royal City Centre is doing a toy drive for us.
Starlight Casino is doing a toy drive for us. They are collecting toys for us that we can re-donate," said Glen Bailey, president of the charitable society. "We are not the experts. We are just a bunch of firefighters trying to help out in our own little way. We know people who can tell us what they need or want."
The charitable society also contributes money to projects such as meal programs at inner city elementary schools and the Union Gospel Mission. Organizations must apply annually for funds from the society.
The New Westminster Firefighters' Charitable Society makes an annual donation to the B.C. Professional Firefighters Burn Fund, but the rest of the money is dispersed to groups operating in New Westminster. Local firefighters donate all of their time to the society to keep administrative costs low.
Year-round, donations of cash and toys can be dropped off at the Glenbrook fire hall (1 East Sixth Ave.) Monday to Friday from 8: 30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cheques can be made out to the New Westminster Firefighters' Charitable Society, 1 East Sixth Ave., New Westminster, V3L 4G6.
The New Westminster Firefighters' Charitable Society will be raising funds at the annual Christmas tree chipping event (Jan. 5 and 6, 2013) and the paper shred-athon (June 2013). Both events take place in the Canada Games Pool parking lot.
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Part two of the Guide to Giving will be published in The Record's Friday, Dec. 14 edition.
