Information centre raised awareness |
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Forty non-profit organizations that work in the Downtown Eastside participated in Downtown Eastside Connect. This public information centre was open during February and welcomed visitors from Vancouver and around the world including international media from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the LA Times. Journalists from Switzerland, Japan, Germany, Finland, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and France also stopped by and most were connected to non-profit groups to assist with stories.
Like many people who live in Vancouver, a woman who came into the Downtown Eastside Connect public information centre during the Olympics believed that more affordable housing is needed in our city. However, as a resident of Mount Pleasant, she was opposed to a proposed supportive housing site on East Broadway. "She was concerned about the location, what it would look like, its height, and its density. She also thought that because there were so many people in the community voicing concerns, the fears must be legitimate," said Karen O’Shannacery, Lookout Emergency Aid Society’s executive director, who was at the centre at the time. The two engaged in a lengthy conversation during which Karen was able to show the visitor that the Broadway site is part of an integrated strategy for supportive housing throughout the city. "It was a great opportunity to try to dispel some of the myths she had heard," added Karen. "I explained that a higher number of tenants allowed for a greater number of support staff to help the tenants move forward with their lives. In the end, she thanked me and said she would now support the project in her neighbourhood." Lookout was one of 40 non-profit organizations participating in Downtown Eastside Connect and Karen’s conversation was one of many that participating housing providers engaged in during February when the centre was open. Over 1,500 people visited the centre to learn more about innovative initiatives underway in the Vancouver neighbourhood. "The opportunity to meet people who either lived in the community or who were curious about what is happening there was a major benefit of participating in Downtown Eastside Connect," said Karen. "It was great to be able to raise awareness. We were facing a potential onslaught of media in the area looking for sordid tales. It was wonderful to be able to turn that around and instead show some successes." |
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