Summer BBQ aims to help those on the DTES
Posted August 11, 2012 9:55 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – For many, the summer tradition of a barbeque in a park is nothing but a dream. But an annual summer event organized by the Union Gospel Mission is hoping to change that for those living on the Downtown Eastside.
The Mission, along with local restaurants, will grill up over 5,000 hamburgers at the Oppenheimer Park on East Cordova, but the UGM’s Keela Keeping says today is about a lot more than just food.
“We want people to get connected to our programs and to know what Union Gospel Mission is all about,” Keeping notes. “We’re not just food and shelter but we want to move people along through the continue of care. We want to offer them recovery, housing, education, employment — whatever their needs are.”
She adds the event also helps those on the DTES feel less marginalized, even if it’s for just one day.
“Everyday people are going on holidays, they’re going to parks and that’s not often available to people in this community. So this is something that feels fun and normal and is theirs,” Keeping believes.
One-hundred-and-eighty volunteers are helping prepare the gourmet burgers, provided by Glowbal Restaurant, along with almost 2,000 pounds of coleslaw and fruit salad.
