In Our Community

Apologies for the lack of blog posts in the last couple months, it’s been busy couple months around the BEST Offices. We have some wonderful news about some of the charitable organizations that we are currently supporting and a new one that we are excited to get behind – Thanks to Karen Murray, our site administrator, for getting BEST involved.
It’s hard to believe that the Union Gospel Mission (UGM) moved into their new Hastings street facility one year ago, which enabled the UGM to turn their existing facility into a women and children centre. This has allowed the UGM to provide more shelter, offer “pre-recovery” programs, and provide greater dignity and life skills for their guests. BEST sends a big thank you to all the volunteers and outreach workers at the UGM that work so hard every day.

For more information on the UGM and their new facilities click here.

With summer just around the corner, Union Gospel Mission is also preparing to send hundreds of children to camp. Once school is out, many underprivileged children must fend for themselves during the day, while their parents are working to pay the bills and feed their family. For these kids, a summer camp experience can make an incredible, long-lasting impact. This year, a small group of long-time UGM donors pooled together $22,450 to put towards a 55 Hour Online Matching campaign and inspire others to donate. Compassionate donors like you rose to the challenge and surpassed this target! In just over 2 days, email donations totaled $23,063. Other online donors, connected with UGM via Facebook and Twitter, added another $4,445!

You can still donate to the UGM Kids camp by following this link! Help support a great cause.

BEST has also started to get behind the Vancouver Rape Relief & Women’s Shelter (VRR). Our inspiring team member Karen Murray has volunteered extensively at the VRR in 2011 and has gotten BEST involved in helping support the Vancouver Rape Relief & Women’s Shelter Walkathon this year.

VRR was the first rape crisis centre in Canada:  the phone lines have been open 24/7 since 1973, even though they haven’t been government-funded since 1981!  The transition house receives a small amount of government funding and raises the rest in the community in order to keep the lights on (and the secret door open) for women escaping abuse.  Together these two services help abused women and their children to find safety and fresh beginning.

If you feel inspired to help the VRR or support their walkathon please donate any amount, large or small, by clicking here.

Thanks from the BEST Service Pros Team!