Sunday, November 06, 2005

Downtown Eastside residents find fulfilling work in gardening

Emerging Hope is a program that empowers residents of Vancouver's poverty-stricken downtown eastside by providing employment. Many are people who normally have difficulty finding suitable employment due to homelessness and addiction.

I spoke with a woman whose life had been changed by this program. She told me that, without Emerging Hope, she'd still be on the street. "It's hard to find a job when you're sleeping in alleys," she said. "No one wants you." Through this program, she's discovered a renewed sense of self-worth, and a love of gardening: "I love creating something beautiful."

Proceeds from sales of Emerging Hope services and products provide hours of paid employment. Programs include Wreaths of Hope, Baskets of Hope, and E-scape Landscaping Services. You can help by buying a wreath or basket, hiring E-Scape for yard work, or donating one or more of the items on their wishlist. See their website for details or call 604-873-9025.

1 Comments:

Blogger Stuart said...

Great post Andrea. Well done for talking about something that has an even more lasting effect that gardening alone.

5:34 PM  

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