Union Gospel Mission’s Transforming Communities Grant is awarded to churches and local not-for-profit organizations that are working to lessen the impacts of poverty, homelessness, and addiction in their communities. In small and big ways, these community groups are making a difference where they live.
In October, one of these groups saw real breakthrough.
The Richmond Food Aid Delivery (FAD) Coalition formed in 2015 to support a growing number of people struggling with homelessness who could not access typical food services in the city.
The churches and nonprofits in the Richmond FAD Coalition are:
- Church on Five
- Gilmore Park United Church
- Kehila Society of Richmond
- Our Saviour Lutheran Church
- Richmond Presbyterian Church
- Richmond Food Bank Society
- Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition
- The Salvation Army (Richmond)
- St Alban’s Anglican Church
- St Joseph the Worker Catholic Parish
- Union Gospel Mission
An outreach worker, with the support of this network, connects with the most vulnerable people in Richmond, delivering hot meals, clothing, and making connections to other resources. The Coalition has seen the need increase to more than 70 meals a day, with the recent Homeless Count reflecting the growing issue of homelessness in the city.
The focused and collaborative work of the Richmond FAD Coalition began to gain traction in the community. In 2022, the Church Relations team at UGM produced an Outreach Inventory Report that caught the attention of the CBC and a local Richmond news outlet, and resulted in a meeting between the Coalition and Richmond City Council.
After more fervent advocacy by the Coalition, in October, Richmond City Council passed a motion to address the growing need within 45 days. Unlike all the other motions at that meeting, this one, proposed by Councillor Kash Heed, was passed unanimously by the city councillors.
This is just one example of the change that can happen when churches, local support organizations, and governments work together to alleviate need in their communities. We hope you’ll join us in continuing to imagine and advocate for a world without poverty, homelessness, and addiction.
To learn more about how UGM can support your church in alleviating poverty, homelessness and addiction in your neighbourhood, please visit https://ugm.ca/church-relations.
For more information about the Transforming Communities Grant, visit https://ugm.ca/transforming-communities-grant.
