Last week, we shared the key issues we’re advocating for ahead of the upcoming election, including funding voluntary detox and treatment (NOT involuntary treatment). At the start of the last provincial election, two years ago, FIRST UNITED’s Social Justice Committee put together a statement about our position on voluntary/involuntary treatment. It's now 2026 and another provincial election but our stance hasn't changed. “FIRST UNITED has been serving the DTES community, including those who have mental health challenges, brain injuries, and people who use drugs, for over a century. As an organization with deep relationships and ties in the community, and as those who have seen firsthand the outcomes of failed policies like this, we vehemently object [to involuntary treatment].” Read our more of our stance here: firstunited.ca/resources/fir…

Thank you to Canadian Memorial United Church for welcoming us this past Sunday! Katie Bricknell Koncan, Acting Co-Executive Director, shared the ways we’re serving the community in our new building and ways folks can get involved through volunteering. We're so grateful to @cdnmemorial for their support of our work and belief in our vision of a neighbourhood where everyone’s worth is celebrated and all people thrive!

Today is the final day to vote in the municipal election! We encourage you to exercise your right to vote and make a difference in your city. Let us know if you're voting today or if you voted earlier this week! #VanPoli

Join our team of volunteers who help support FIRST UNITED’s work in a variety of different ways. For the past few weeks, volunteers have been supporting our voter info pop ups, helping lower barriers for people in the Downtown Eastside to vote in the municipal election. This includes providing helpful information like what IDs are required and how to obtain them. Volunteers will also help people vote in the upcoming provincial election when our building is a polling station (during advanced voting days October 18-20, and on election day, October 24). Volunteers will help wayfind so that voters can find their way to the polling area. There are also plenty of opportunities for volunteering outside of elections. If you’d like to support our work in the DTES, upholding dignity, belonging and justice, take a look at our volunteer page for upcoming opportunities and to sign up: app.betterimpact.com/PublicO… #dtes #volunteervancouver

The provincial election takes place on October 24 and we want to encourage everyone to vote! Advanced voting starts this Friday, October 16 and goes until Wednesday, October 21. We encourage you to look into the candidates running in your riding and their respective parties’ platforms. Some of the key issues we are advocating for: • prohibiting pet bans in rental contracts; • tenants’ right to install cooling equipment and prohibit clauses that restrict cooling devices; • rent stabilization (vacancy control); and • funding voluntary detox and treatment (not involuntary treatment). You can learn more about some of these key issues and our recommendations, detailed in our most recent law reform platform, titled Inclusion, Fairness & Stability: Advancing Solutions for the Right to Housing in BC at firstunited.ca/how-we-help/l…. #bcelxn #bcpoli

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s that time of year, when most of us gather with loved ones around a meal to give thanks. Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to provide a special Thanksgiving meal for our neighbours in the Downtown Eastside, so they don’t have to miss out. And it doesn’t end with holiday meals. Throughout the last year, you helped us provide 118,000 meals to the Downtown Eastside! And this year, we’re increasing our meal service to provide 180,000 meals! This Thanksgiving, will you help us serve more meals to meet the growing needs of the DTES? A meal costs us $5.50. When you give $55, you'll provide 10 meals to our neighbours in the DTES. Make a gift here: firstunited.ca/gift-meals-to… 🍽️ We need to raise $15,000 by 11:59pm on Mon, Oct. 12! Help us reach our goal this Thanksgiving. #HappyThanksgiving #DTES

Yesterday, we invited the Downtown Eastside community to join us for a special Thanksgiving lunch: turkey with all the trimmings, including mashed potatoes covered in gravy, cranberry sauce and roasted carrots! We were so excited that this year, folks got to enjoy this popular meal in our new dining hall! And in our new space we’re increasing our meal service by over 50% this year to serve more people in the DTES. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we need to raise $15,000 for our meal program by Monday. Each meal costs us $5.50. In honour of Thanksgiving, will you give $55 today to provide 10 meals for our neighbours in the DTES? Gift meals to the DTES for Thanksgiving here: firstunited.ca/gift-meals-to… #Thanksgiving #DTES

The provincial election is coming up on October 24th, and we’re excited to share that our building at 320 East Hastings will be a polling location on both election day and advanced voting days. We’re thrilled to be an accessible location for the Downtown Eastside community to engage in democracy! Please note that we’ll only be a polling station for the provincial election, not municipal. The dates and times are: 1. Advance Voting: October 18, 19, 20 on the second floor from 8:00 am-8:00 pm 2. Election Day/Final Voting Day: October 24 on the first floor, in the dining hall, from 8:00 am-8:00 pm #DTES #BCElections

Today, we held our first voting info pop up for the community! Vinson Shih, Staff Lawyer - Special Projects, and volunteer Nina were stationed near the entrance of our building to answer any questions related to voting in the upcoming municipal election on October 17. “[We want to] increase democratic participation and make sure elections are as low barrier as possible. For community members, especially in the Downtown Eastside, ID [is] a huge issue. So, we want to make sure that people are able to vote if they want to.” To help limit barriers to voting, Vinson created a pamphlet with information on when and where people can vote, what kind of IDs are required and how to get the appropriate ID. We’re not endorsing candidates but we are encouraging people to vote and use their voices to make a difference in their city! We’re holding more voting info pop ups on Oct. 9, 13 and 14.

Today is the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Gender-Diverse Peoples. It’s a day to honour the lives of those who are missing or have been murdered, continue to spread awareness, and advocate for justice and accountability. Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people disproportionately experience violence. According to the Assembly of First Nations, Indigenous women are 4x more likely to be victims of violence than non-Indigenous women. Indigenous women make up 16% of female homicide victims and 11% of missing women, despite Indigenous people only making up 4.3% of the country's population. (afn.ca/rights-justice/murder…) On this day National Day of Action, will you join us in taking action? Here are some ways: • Read the 231 Calls for Justice. • Write a letter or email to your government official to demand systemic change (referring to the 231 Calls for Justice). Change needs to happen at every level of government. Ask them to take action on not just addressing the violence but also preventing it. • Support family and loved ones of MMIWG2S+ by sharing their stories, posters, fundraising campaigns, etc. • Attend a local vigil or memorial to honour and remember those who have gone missing or have been murdered. • Follow and amplify groups like UBCIC, Moose Hide Campaign, and Native Women’s Association of Canada, who are leading this work. #NoMoreMMIWG2S

We wish to inform you that our Executive Director, Amanda Burrows, has announced her candidacy for the Vancouver – Strathcona riding for the upcoming provincial election on October 24. Amanda is currently on her pre-planned sabbatical until November 30th. Katie Bricknell Koncan and Rob Vandermey are Acting Co-Executive Directors for the duration of her leave term, regardless of the outcome of the election.  Should Amanda be successful in her candidacy, she will resign from her position as ED and the Board of Directors will engage in an executive search process that will begin in the following weeks. The Board of Directors has developed a robust succession plan to prepare the organization for continuity of services and success. Amanda was hired by the Board of Directors to lead FIRST’s ongoing operations and the completion of our transformational $92 million redevelopment project and to create and implement a new and inspiring strategic plan. During her tenure with FIRST UNITED, she has been invited to consider public office, including to run for Mayor earlier this year. With the new building open and the organization in a place of stability, Amanda views this as the right moment to accept those invitations. Regardless of the outcome of the provincial election, FIRST UNITED will continue to be guided by Katie and Rob as committed leaders, along with a strong and experienced leadership team, and a dedicated Board, ensuring continued stability and strength through this period. Read the full announcement here: firstunited.ca/news/announce….

Thank you to University Hill Congregation for choosing FIRST UNITED as the supported charity for September's "Had to Be There: Concerts for a Cause." We had the pleasure of attending this past Sunday to enjoy Brazilian music from Coxibamba (Mario Silva and Sangito Bigelow). We're so grateful for the opportunity to attend and for the support of our work in the Downtown Eastside.

Today, on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we invite you to join us in reflection and action. Last week, Rev. Lauren Sanders, Spiritual Care Manager, set up a Truth and Reconciliation altar for residents of our shelter to engage and reflect: “For many years, Indigenous children were taken from their families and communities and forced into Residential Schools. Others were separated through Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, and ongoing systems that disrupted language, culture, family and belonging. We remember the children who never came home. We honour Survivors, families, and communities who continue to carry these experiences. Truth and Reconciliation calls us not only to remember the past, but to ensure that these harms are never repeated, denied, or forgotten. What helps us build a world where every child is valued, every culture is respected, and every community can thrive? Share your answers with us in the comments.” Today, will you join us in putting reconciliation into action in one or more of the following ways: 1. Reflect on Rev. Lauren Sanders’ question: “What is needed for a better future? What helps us build a world where every child is valued, every culture is respected, and every community can thrive?" Share your thoughts in the comments. 🧡 2. Attend a local Truth and Reconciliation event firstunited.ca/resources/nat… 🧡 3. Learn and unlearn through the resources provided in our 2026 justice-themed Advent calendar that explores ways to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action 59 and 60. firstunited.ca/resources/adv… 🧡 #NationalDayforTruthandReconciliation #reconciliationinaction

In honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation tomorrow, FIRST UNITED screened the film Smoke Signal (the first feature-length film written, produced and directed by Indigenous Peoples of North America) in our dining hall for community members and staff, complete with delicious frybread. The Spiritual Care team also set up a table in the entryway of our building, with the question: “What did you need when you were a child?” If you’re still looking for local events to attend, we’ve compiled a short list here: firstunited.ca/resources/nat… #NationalDayforTruthandReconciliation

In preparation for the upcoming municipal election, we’ve compiled a list of candidate forums, debates and town halls where you can meet and hear from candidates. This list will be updated periodically. We encourage you to attend these events and ask candidates questions about important key issues. Check out the list here: firstunited.ca/resources/202… #vanpoli #vanelxn

“Many people in British Columbia now are folks who are one step away from needing a housing subsidy — one actual paycheque away.” vancouversun.com/news/nearly…

Summer is over and we anticipate an increase in visits to our new building, whether it is to hang out and seek shelter from the rain or to use any of our services. We’ve got the space to welcome people in, but our services don’t happen without you. Will you chip in to help make an impact in the Downtown Eastside and give $25, or whatever you can, to chip in today? As the weather gets colder and wetter, and more people come to us for support, we need your help to meet the community’s needs. Make a gift at firstunited.ca/donate-now/on…. Your gift will help us buy: • raincoats, panchos, umbrellas, socks and underwear; • toiletries like deodorant, shampoo, soap, and toothbrushes; • envelopes and postage for our Mail Program; and • much more to ensure the community has everything they need and deserve.

Enjoy some Brazilian music while supporting FIRST UNITED’s work! Happening this Sunday at 2pm at Epiphany Chapel. Tickets here: eventbrite.ca/e/had-to-be-th…