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Blog
Read our latest blog posts
Every Child Matters. Recognizing Orange Shirt Day and The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
09/29/2021
Since 2013, September 30th has been observed as Orange Shirt Day, a movement to recognize the colonial legacy of residential schools and commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. Orange Shirt Day recalls the experience of residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad. When she was six years old, she was cruelly stripped of her new orange […]
Read Article7 Simple Ways You Can Build Your Resilience
09/15/2021
Lessons In Resilience You Can Apply To Your Life: By Nicole Hui As you know, September is always a busy month, and this year it’s only worse. With the fourth wave of COVID-19 hitting across the country, a federal election well underway, back to school season and more, the transition from summer to fall may […]
Read ArticleWhat You Need to Know About the Opioid Overdose Epidemic in 2021
08/25/2021
You’ve probably heard about the Opioid Overdose Epidemic on the news – or maybe you’ve lost a loved one to an illicit drug overdose. Maybe, it feels like you keep hearing the same things over and over – and you aren’t even sure what they really mean. Or, maybe, like so many of us – […]
Read ArticleLearning to set the table again?…who would have thought?
07/23/2021
As the pandemic has reconfigured how we serve our communities, these two food program leaders rethink what it means to be hospitable and give some practical suggestions on how to approach returning to hosting those in our communities in the midst of a new normal, one step at a time. Main Article Returning to Hospitality […]
Read Article20 Fun, Easy Activities Under $5 To Keep Your Kids Busy This Summer
07/14/2021
By Nicole Mucci Summer is well under underway. If our recent record-breaking heatwave (not to mention spending most of Summer 2020 dealing with COVID restrictions) has taught us anything, it’s that parents need to keep some fun at-home activities on hand for our tiny humans. With that in mind, we’ve gathered some fun, affordable ($5 […]
Read Article10 Bucket List Hikes To Conquer Near Vancouver This Summer
06/24/2021
Hiking season is here again! By Nicole Hui Hey Vancouver, happy hiking season—aka one of our favourite seasons! After a long season of what felt like never-ending rain and even the coldest Vancouver June Day in decades, we are finally enjoying sunny skies that are perfect to kick off hiking season. Fun (or not so […]
Read Article06/08/2021
Investing in Our Tomorrow When Holly and her children first moved to Vancouver in 2007, they lived in a crowded three-bedroom basement suite with relatives. Eventually, they found housing in the Strathcona neighbourhood right around the corner from UGM. Since venturing through the doors for a meal, UGM has been a core part of their […]
Read Article05/28/2021
By: Kari Bergrud The concept of a ‘third space’ was new to me, or so I thought, but when it was explained I could instantly picture many of the third spaces that I have had over the course of my life. The vintage and second hand shops that I would go to just to visit […]
Read Article10 Simple Daily Practices To Improve Your Mental Health
05/21/2021
Happy Mental Health Awareness Month! By Nicole Hui May is Mental Health Awareness month! Focusing on your mental health can begin with this blog post, because we’re bringing you practical tips to help improve your mental health and wellbeing, starting today. Because your mind, body and soul deserve to be healthy and happy! Did you […]
Read ArticleThe Power of Empowering Stories
04/21/2021
Informed Consent – What Is It? Why Does It Matter? Written by: Lindsay Wu, Community Engagement Coordinator People in our community are inspiring. Despite facing intense challenges like homelessness, poverty and addiction, our neighbours live out remarkable stories of resilience, transformation and hope every day. These stories must be told. But how can we at […]
Read Article6 Easy Ways to Declutter Your Life This Spring to Start Fresh
04/16/2021
Less Stuff, Less Stress I think we can all agree that, despite popular belief, “less” can be better—like less stress, less clutter, less burnout. Spring is in full bloom and the new season and extra light is providing a dose of hope. In light (pun intended) of fresh starts, this is the perfect time to […]
Read ArticleUnion Gospel Mission Serving the LGBTQ2S+ Community
04/15/2021
Occasionally we at Union Gospel Mission get questions from the public about our LGBTQ2S+ community in Metro Vancouver. We appreciate these questions, because it provides an opportunity for us to be clear about our policies and practices. You may have heard of other organizations called ‘Union Gospel Mission,’ both across Canada and the United States, […]
Read Article03/24/2021
Jonathan: Dave, before moving to Ottawa and founding Parish Properties, you were co-pastoring a congregation here in Vancouver. Did that experience contribute to you launching Parish Properties? Dave: In a roundabout way, yes. The inciting incident in terms of my shift was in Vancouver, where I was part of a more charismatic, performance-driven Sunday expression […]
Read Article6 Easy Ways to Celebrate the Women in Your Life This International Women’s Day
03/04/2021
These Ideas Are So Simple And Impactful By Nicole Hui Behind every successful woman is herself—but it never hurts to have some support along the way! International Women’s Day is coming up March 8, reminding us all to celebrate the strength of women, stand up for gender equality, and uplift the women in our lives. […]
Read ArticleCherishing Life’s Little Miracles
02/12/2021
A UGM Love Story To Celebrate Rodger & Barbara’s Story By Jenessa Chan “As soon as Rodger saw me, he knew I was the one he was gonna marry,” Barbara says. Though it’s been over 40 years since then, she’s still bewildered by his certainty. “It was just a gut feeling,” Rodger explains. “I just […]
Read ArticleRelationship Tips from this Couple of 35+ Years
02/11/2021
How To Keep The Spark By Nicole Mucci Do you ever wonder how some people can make being married look easy? Are you hoping to fill your love toolbox with practical knowledge? We’ve got you covered — or more accurately, Barbara & Rodger, two long-time Union Gospel Mission staff, and lovebirds of nearly 40 years […]
Read Article01/26/2021
By: Louise Tischhauser “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, and in that waiting a new character in community; and in community, solidarity and hope for 2021 and beyond.” Romans 5:4 We are all somewhere (or everywhere) on Paul’s spectrum. Suffering. Persevering. Building character. Hoping. In these present times, […]
Read ArticleHow To Weather The Winter Blues: Top 5 Ways to Bring the Sunshine Back
01/12/2021
Fact: It’s 2021 now. Fact: COVID did not magically disappear. And you basically feel like you are living one big groundhog day. Fact: Blue Monday is approaching this week (the ‘saddest’ day of the year) and you have the January blues. (Womp, womp.) Did you know the Winter Blues are an actual thing? According to the […]
Read ArticleMerry Ideas for a COVID Christmas: 9 ways to celebrate a really difficult year
12/16/2020
Sing it with me, to the tune of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas”: I don’t want a lot for Christmas, There are just some things I need… A couple masks in my stocking, And that new COVID-vaccine. I don’t wanna be alone, Love to have guests in my home, Make my dreams come […]
Read ArticleFinding Community… Even In The Storm Drain
11/20/2020
Who Cares for the City? By Kari Bergrud Welcome to the first edition of the UGM Church Relations InCommon- Community News! As a department at Vancouver’s Union Gospel Mission, our vision is for the Church and communities to be woven together, pursing the Common Good and actively participating in Christ’s call for human flourishing. By […]
Read Article11/12/2020
For months, the government has been telling all of us: “Stay safe by staying home as much as you can.” Imagine hearing that message if you didn’t have somewhere to call home. It’s devastating. I work in the Downtown Eastside and, for so many people I know and love, that’s a painful reality. Having nowhere […]
Read ArticleCrises Colliding: What You Need to Know About COVID-19 & The Opioid Epidemic
10/15/2020
What happens if the very measures that are supposed to keep you safe from COVID-19 put you at risk of another deadly crisis? For many of our neighbors struggling with mental health and addiction, the collision between COVID-19 and the opioid crisis has escalated into a new level of urgent threat. Deaths of our neighbors […]
Read ArticleSeptember, School & Self-Care During COVID-19
09/09/2020
We’re now 6 months into the turbulent airplane ride also known as COVID-19 and if you’re a parent like me, you still feel like you’re hurtling through the continuously bumpy skies. Metaphorical air masks are dangling, and if you haven’t done it already, you need to put yours on first before you can help anyone […]
Read ArticleHiking for Our Lives: Nature as a Lifeline in COVID-19 — and Beyond
08/11/2020
When the world feels like it’s crashing down all around us, drinking in a fiery sunset can remind us that there’s still hope. Whether it’s hiking to a mountain peak or camping by a pristine lake, getting out in nature is a crucial lifeline. But beyond rescuing our sanity during COVID-19, nature is also saving […]
Read ArticleSave Your Sanity With These 6 Parenting Tips For Summer
07/15/2020
Summer means freedom, especially for kids. Except this time, you’re feeling trapped smack-dab in the middle of a global pandemic. There were no how-to survival guides on parenting during school lockdown restrictions — and you’re desperate for new ideas. Now, you’re trying to figure out how to stay sane this summer, while you’re juggling more […]
Read Article3 Reasons Why We Need to Invest In Women (And How We’re Going to Do It)
07/06/2020
Can you believe that we’re already halfway through 2020? Neither can we! This milestone is especially exciting for Union Gospel Mission because that means we’re steadily inching closer to 2021, when our brand new Women & Families Centre can open up and welcome hundreds of women and children to safety and stability inside. We’ve been […]
Read ArticleBridging The Fringes: What It’s Like Delivering Help During a Pandemic
06/12/2020
We never know what we are going to find when we jump inside our rescue vehicle and set out for the day. All we do know is that people always need help, and they need help now more than ever. A day as an Outreach Worker at Union Gospel Mission means that we are driving […]
Read ArticleLearning & Unlearning: Building an Anti-Racist Community at UGM
06/09/2020
The past few weeks we have all been grappling with the racist violence that has shaken our world. We have refocused our attention on the deep pain being inflicted on minorities, whether they be Black, Indigenous or People of Colour (BIPOC). More than ever, we are becoming more aware of the deeply rooted racism that […]
Read ArticleMothers Day: Celebrating Our Superheroes
05/04/2020
While things sometimes feel like they’re falling apart around us, there’s a hidden group of women silently and resiliently holding us all together with their superhuman efforts—our moms. As we approach Mothers Day, there are two things they desperately need right now: to be celebrated for their everyday heroics and for us to be there […]
Read ArticleThe Business of Hope During COVID-19
04/28/2020
In the midst of hardship, we know it’s still possible – and essential – to maintain hope. I know, I know, how can we possibly say that while stores are boarded up, livelihoods are put into question, and everyone is struggling? While all completely true, this pandemic is most definitely also bringing out the best […]
Read ArticleBeing Kind and Spreading Hope in the Time of COVID-19
03/19/2020
This week has been strange and unsettling! At times, it’s felt anxiety-inducing and apocalyptic. Events are being cancelled and people are required to self-quarantine. Many are exhibiting unexpected hoarding behaviours out of a drive to survive the next weeks. In many other ways though, it’s also brought hope and incredible acts of innovative community and […]
Read ArticleBeing the Church in the Time of COVID-19
03/17/2020
This week has been a bit strange and unsettling! At times it’s felt anxiety-inducing and apocalyptic. Events being cancelled and people requiring self-quarantines. Many are exhibiting unexpected hoarding behaviours out of a drive to survive the next weeks. In many other ways though, it’s also brought hope and incredible acts of innovative community and support, […]
Read ArticleHow UGM is Urgently Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic
03/11/2020
Updated July 24th 11:26AM, 2020 We’re so grateful for your support as we confront the COVID-19 crisis together. UGM is committed to continue safeguarding our community amidst this COVID-19 pandemic. Ever since the pandemic was declared, we have been taking swift and urgent emergency steps to safeguard our guests, volunteers, and staff. We know our […]
Read ArticleA Love Story that Will Make You Believe in Love Again
02/10/2020
As Valentines Day closes in, we’re all bombarded by love. It feels like it’s in every shop, window, or social media post. Not only are we constantly reminded of how much we all want love, but also how it might have betrayed us in the past. We have literally every reason to question love: couples […]
Read Article5 New Year’s Resolutions with a “Twist”
12/23/2019
Let’s face it – New Year’s Resolutions can be a bit discouraging, especially when you look back on the trainwreck of last year’s goals. Usually they fade away by the second week of January, if not earlier, and it can be tempting to not even bother. So here’s some “resolutions” that will not only be […]
Read ArticleHow a Homeless Man Found His Voice This Election
10/18/2019
If you’re anything like me, voting in the federal election didn’t exactly fill you with joy. Impatiently standing in line. Marking it with an “X,” moving on with your day. Voting is a chore, just something we might do if we have time. At least, that’s what I thought…until recently, when my perspective on voting […]
Read ArticleWhy The Best Jobs in Vancouver are Non-Profit Jobs
09/30/2019
Picture this: you groggily roll out of bed and begin getting ready for work with coffee in hand, when you notice something is suspiciously absent from your usual morning routine. Somewhere between breakfast and the front door, the realization slowly hits you that, unlike your typical work day, your feelings of apathy and reluctance are […]
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