Need doesn’t go away at Christmas – for people in need or the organizations helping them.
The Record’s annual Guide to Giving features many of the organizations in the community that help those in need, as well as animals and various groups in need of a helping hand. The organizations have all expressed gratitude for the generosity of New Westminster residents – at Christmas and throughout the year.
This is the final instalment of the three-part Guide to Giving.
New Westminster Family Place
New Westminster Family Place aims to provide a safe, fun and supportive environment for families with young children.
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 need the usual things. More than ever we need pure apple juice. That’s for snack for the children,” said executive director Marjorie Staal. “We can use cans of coffee too.”
The items would be much appreciated for the three drop-in programs operated by Family Place. Family Place offers drop-in programs Monday to Saturday at its main location at 93 Sixth St., as well as 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 Wednesdays for food bank collection days.
Volunteers are needed for the playroom (particularly at Lord Kelvin), where they work with the children, read stories, and help set up the room for the drop-ins.
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.
Family Services of Greater Vancouver
It’s not too late to play Santa for needy families in New Westminster.
A year ago, Family Services of Greater Vancouver stepped in to fill a void when the adopt-a-family program in New Westminster was at risk of being discontinued.
The Caring Neighbours program, as it’s now called, matches donors to families and seniors in the community.
“We do have quite a few families left that we haven’t been able to match this year,” said Patricia Steiner, coordinator of community education and development services. “We could still really use cash donations. We can buy gift cards. We can give them to people that we haven’t been able to match.”
The program matches families in need with sponsors who buy food and gifts for those families
Throughout the year, Family Services of Greater Vancouver appreciates donations of cash and gift cards, which help people involved in its programs. If people have some spare time, volunteers are always needed for various programs.
For more information, call Family Services of Greater Vancouver at 604-525-9144.
Royal City Humane Society
If the folks at Royal City Humane Society could get their wish from Santa Paws, it would be for financial assistance and foster families for their four-legged friends.
For the past 19 years, 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 for its cat shelter.
“We always are in need of financial assistance for low-cost spaying and neutering,” said society president Gail Beau. “That’s really what we want to focus on going forward.”
The society also helps low-income pet owners with some of the costs of emergency veterinary services.
“We can only do that through generous donations,” Beau said. “That is our source of income.”
The society also welcomes foster families, who can temporarily care for cats, and volunteers who can help out at the society’s cat shelter. A volunteer with event-planning skills would be a dream come true.
“That would be at the top of our wish-list,” Beau said.
Donations of cat food are always appreciated, as it helps the society feed cats at the shelter and living in feral colonies.
For more information or to help the Royal City Humane Society, visit www.rchs.bc.ca or leave a message at 604-524-6447.
Salvation Army
Toys, food and financial donations help the Salvation Army assist those in need at Christmas and beyond.
Cadet Sharon Tidd said the Salvation Army’s Christmas kettles will be at locations around town until Dec. 24.
“They are out there till Christmas Eve,” she said. “It is our primary fundraiser and helps provide the services through the next year.”
The Salvation Army appreciates financial donations and non-perishable food items throughout the year. Items such peanut butter, tuna and canned goods are among the items needed for the organization’s year-round emergency hamper program.
“At this time of year, toques, mittens and scarves are welcome, so they can be handed out on the street,” Tidd added.
The Salvation Army is once again running the local toy bureau. People are welcome to drop off a toy at the toy bureau space located in Royal Square mall, which is at Eighth Avenue and McBride Boulevard.
“We are anticipating around 400 families. Some of them have five and six children,” Tidd said. “The thing we are looking for is gift cards for the teens.”
After registering with the toy bureau, parents are able to shop for their kids.
The Salvation Army welcomes donations of socks, underwear and T-shirts for men in its shelters.
Those include Stevenson House, a 14-bed facility in New Westminster, and Bridge House, a transition housing program just across the border in Burnaby.
To help the Salvation Army, call 604-521-0363.
Shiloh-Sixth Avenue United Church
Shiloh-Sixth Avenue United Church continues to reach out to those in need.
In addition to supporting numerous 12-step programs, the church also provides a space for the Hospitality Project. The Hospitality Project provides assorted services to people in need, including advocacy, and a warm and dry place for people to wait to access the food bank on pickup days.
A family resource centre, a drop-in for children run by New Westminster Family Place, a free clothing and household goods exchange, refreshments and a variety of community services are among the other offerings at the Hospitality Project. The Hospitality Project always welcomes items that it can give out to people in need, including warm clothing, toques, socks, gloves and work boots.
Financial donations are appreciated as they allow the Hospitality Project to buy items that are needed at any given time.
The Hospitality Project is offered at Shiloh-Sixth Avenue United Church Monday to Thursday. Anyone wishing to donate or volunteer can call the Hospitality Project at 604-522-3443.
Union Gospel Mission
Coffee is a hot commodity at the Union Gospel Mission in New Westminster.
The mission provides a full breakfast from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., as well as soup and other food later in the morning.
“Coffee seems to be our gold here,” said manager Bill Wong. “We go through so much coffee.”
The Union Gospel Mission’s wish-list also includes towels, as it has shower facilities on site for those in need. Financial donations are always appreciated as it allows the mission to buy whatever is needed at any given time.
The Union Gospel Mission served turkey dinner and all the fixings at its Christmas dinner that was held earlier this month.
“We did just over 300 meals,” Wong said. “Everybody got fed really well.”
In addition to taking care of folks’ basic needs such as nourishment, the mission offers a variety of life skills programs in the afternoon.
Anyone wanting to help the Union Gospel Mission can call 604-525-8989 or drop by the mission at 658 Clarkson St.
Westminster House
Westminster House hopes to put some presents under the tree at Christmas and give the gift of education all year long.
Westminster House offers a homelike setting for adult women who are recovering from addiction.
“We provide a traditional Christmas for our clients,” said development assistant Susan Hogarth. “We need coffee cards, hats, scarves, gloves and socks – and the gift of education.”
Founded by the Julian House Society in 1981, Westminster House appreciates financial donations that allow it to support women by giving them the tools they need in sobriety.
“This year we are really pushing for the gift of education to our program graduates,” Hogarth said. “We want our program graduates to be successful in their new lives.”
To help Westminster House, call 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.westminsterhouse.ca.
