UPDATE: FEB 23, 2021

Thank you to everyone who has supported this program! We have closed this fundraiser for now, but if you are looking for other ways to support Chinatown seniors, please consider supporting our community partners:

• Chau Luen Society - Support seniors COVID-19 programming
• Yarrow Society 世代相傳 携手同行 From My Hands to Yours

See full update below!

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As we are seeing COVID-19 cases spiking locally, the Chinatown Cares program continues to operate, providing fresh, culturally appropriate groceries to elders in the Chinatown / DTES / Strathcona neighbourhoods. 

Back in March, our community came together to raise $23,320, which covered startup costs and operations all the way through until September. In the fall, we received additional grant funding to keep the program running through the end of 2020.

Thanks to the generous support of community members and local organizations, the program has delivered over 1,500 bags of groceries to 130+ elders, providing uninterrupted service for over 8 months! The program will continue to operate throughout the winter holidays, to ensure the safety of our elders. Our hope is to keep the program running for as long as there is a need, but we need your help! 

By helping us reach our fundraising goal of an additional $12,000, we will be able to extend the program until the end of March 2021. This brings us to one full year supporting Chinatown elders in their independent living situations during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Reaching our goal covers:

• Operational and packing labour
• Personal Protective Equipment for team members and packaging supplies 
• Additional subsidy support for 20 seniors each week

Any additional funding beyond the $12,000 will be used to continue the program beyond the end of March 2021.

To date, we have:

• delivered over 1,500 bags of fresh culturally appropriate produce to seniors in the neighbourhood;
• distributed 100 handmade reusable masks donated by community members;
• built and maintained relationships with 130+ elders through phone call check-in's; and
• provided seniors with health and safety pamphlets, translated by c19help.ca into Traditional and Simplified Chinese.

Throughout the early stages of the project, we recorded the steps we took, as well as best practices for building and operating this program, and developed these into a free resource guide for other communities who may be interested in starting a similar program. It is free to access at: bit.ly/CTGroceryProg  

We couldn’t have done this without our wonderful community partners, including Bao Bei for lending us space and staffing support, and Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice for building and maintaining connections with elders. 

If you have the means, please consider making a donation to the Chinatown Cares program this holiday season. And don’t forget to share this fundraiser widely! 

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Chinatown Cares is a collaborative project between:

• Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice
• S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
• hua foundation
• Chinatown Today
• Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie
• Vancity Credit Union

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Chinatown Cares in the media:

• 27 November 2020 — Yahoo Canada News: ‘How do we find comfort in food?’: Seniors in Vancouver get unique Chinatown grocery support
• 22 May 2020 —  Cold Tea Collective: Asian-led initiatives supporting the Vancouver community during COVID-19
• 25 April 2020 —  Vancouver Sun: Volunteers change tactics to help vulnerable, disconnected seniors
• 2 April 2020 — South China Morning Post: Coronavirus: Grocery project comes to rescue of Vancouver’s Chinatown elders, alone and scared to go out for food

(Header photos by Felicia Chang & Christina Lee)