Meet Our Volunteers – The Door Is Open

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- MissionOur vision is to continue the mission of Christ and the work of the Church under the mandate of Catholic Charities. Our mission will be to lessen the social alienation of the poor, the homeless, and the single room tenants of Vancouver by funneling the community resources available to us. We will do this through the following projects: We will provide our patrons with shelter during the day by running a drop-in center where they can relax and socialize or have a light meal. We will provide our patrons with safe respite during the day from the dangers of the street. We will run for our patrons a recreation program of video entertainment, computer access and free general interest books and magazines. We will run a community service hours project as an outlet for the Elizabeth Fry Society program of the B.C. Justice Department to compensate the community for its victimization We will provide a space for religious and secular groups who offer social service programs for the community and require a physical location to run these programs. Under the inspiration of Jesus Christ we recognize the inherent value of our patrons and will exemplify the beatitudes through our relationship with patrons by emphasizing the following values: We have a patron-driven attitude. We…
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- Free Lunch ProgramThe quality of the lunch we offer daily to our guests continues to improve considerably. This is a result of our contacts with several Catholic Parishes, youth groups and Catholic elementary and high schools who volunteer as well as provide good quality food for our soup and sandwich free lunch. This is in addition to donations from the food bank and other food donors. Our daily capacity to feed the hungry is about 400 people.
- Women’s GroupThe women’s group reach between twenty-five and fifty women using this program on a regular basis. Women meet every Wednesday over a well-balanced meal to discuss such issues close to them as housing, clothing, nutrition and other topics of interest and concern. Housing being the most crucial issue is discussed at length in a group setting and in a one-on-one environment. Most of the women live in small hotel rooms with no access to kitchens. Some are even forced to live on the street with no shelter or food. These women depend on The Door Is Open to meet with others in the same situation, to share a meal and their experiences with new friends, and also engage in some arts and crafts.
- Information, Support and AwarenessHere the clients come to us needing solution-oriented suggestions on how they can help themselves to live a more fulfilling and rewarding life. Our daily work promotes a sense of dignity and self respect among those that need it most, the less fortunate. Most of our guests lack the resources and means to make a better life for themselves. With education, guidance and strong support anything is possible. This program has been a great success as witnessed by the change of their attitude and behavior.
- Youth Groups and StudentsWe have had the delight of introducing some youth groups to the ministry. As we have become more known in the community, we have had an increase participation of students and youth groups who want to share their energy and talents to make the community a better and safer place. This has been a rewarding experience for all involved. Each year there are over seven hundred shoeboxes filled with gifts for the homeless made by students from different schools. This program provides the homeless with the knowledge that people care about them and it provides young people with a valuable experience in charity which may encourage them to do more in the future.
- Clothing ProgramAs we give clothing all year round, we are always in need of donations. It is especially needed during the cold winter months when many of our visitors have little in the way of appropriate clothing to get them through this time of year. We supply clothing for men, women, and children. We also supply sleeping bags and blankets to make the nights a little less difficult.
- Food BankThe staff of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank helps to make it possible for us to feed the many that arrive on our doorstep everyday. On the first three Thursdays and Fridays of every month the food bank brings to The Door Is Open approximately seven hundred bags of food for our clients. The bags of food are given freely at the front door between the hours of eight-thirty a.m. and ten-thirty a.m. We are especially thankful for the continuous support from the Food Bank.
- VolunteerWe are very fortunate to be able to offer a wide variety of gifts and services to our clientele. None of this would be possible without the help of our many volunteers. Our volunteers are from all walks of life with no boundaries between race, age, gender, or social economic status. These volunteers work tirelessly to accomplish the tasks at hand. Volunteers are the very essence of our existence and set a great example for others to follow. Helping others is at the heart of what we do. You are needed here.
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Meet our Volunteers: Joji

Joji was first introduced to the Door is Open in 2021 by her friend, Evelyn, a regular volunteer. Initially, the intention was that Joji would fill in whenever Evelyn was unavailable, but this ultimately led to Joji becoming a regular volunteer as well. When asked why she chose to volunteer Read more…

By The Door Is Open, 1 yearMarch 16, 2024 ago

Meet Our Volunteers

Meet our Volunteers: Jeanie

Seven years ago, Jeanie had not heard of The Door is Open (DIO). Now, except for a break caused by the pandemic, she has been at DIO every day of the week! Jeanie attends Mass regularly at Holy Rosary Cathedral and remembers Fr. Eason talking to her about joining the Read more…

By The Door Is Open, 3 yearsMarch 5, 2022 ago

Meet Our Volunteers

Meet our Volunteers: Jackie

I have been volunteering at the Door Is Open since one morning in October of 2012 when my friend, Alice, and I walked into the facility and met with the manager, Julia Ruggier. Her eyes lit up, because two of their long-standing Wednesday volunteers had recently moved away and retired. Read more…

By The Door Is Open, 5 yearsMarch 2, 2020 ago

Meet Our Volunteers

Meet our Volunteers: Yoshi

Yoshi was always interested in volunteering in the Downtown Eastside, and when she moved into the neighbourhood a few years ago, she took the opportunity to research charities where she would be able to help. Because she feels that food is a fundamental necessity, she knew that she wanted to Read more…

By The Door Is Open, 5 years ago

Meet Our Volunteers

Remembering Eleanor

The Door is Open (DIO) staff and volunteers were sad to hear of the passing of Eleanor Cook, a ‘retired’ long-time volunteer at DIO. Eleanor was a devoted volunteer at DIO. She was responsible for expanding our Wednesday Women’s Breakfast program beyond a bowl of cereal and a cup of Read more…

By The Door Is Open, 6 yearsSeptember 20, 2019 ago

Meet Our Volunteers

Meet our Volunteers: Gwen

Meet another of our wonderful volunteers! Gwen helps to prepare and serve meals and takes care of our “clothing room” – sorting and distributing our clothing donations. We asked Gwen to share the story of how she became involved with community, and what she enjoys about it. This is what Read more…

By The Door Is Open, 6 yearsSeptember 18, 2019 ago

Meet Our Volunteers

Meet our Volunteers: Wendy and Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Wendy, two talented quilters, have been spending Wednesday mornings at The Door is Open, teaching some of our ladies the art of quilting. Each Wednesday, they bring their sewing machines and other quilting supplies, and spend several hours with a small group of women. Elizabeth and Wendy brought Read more…

By The Door Is Open, 7 years ago

Meet Our Volunteers

A Tribute to Judy Christo

We were very saddened to hear of the passing of Judy on August 30, 2017. Judy was a long-time dedicated volunteer at The Door is Open and she will be missed by staff, volunteers and guests alike. She helped with the distribution of the Food Bank supplies, and in more Read more…

By The Door Is Open, 8 yearsOctober 5, 2017 ago

Meet Our Volunteers

Saint Vincent de Paul of the North Shore

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul of the North Shore (SSVP) hosts two meals each month for guests of The Door Is Open. A hot breakfast of eggs, sausages, and fresh Belgian waffles is served on the first Saturday of each month, and a hot lunch of chili with Read more…

By The Door Is Open, 8 yearsJuly 24, 2017 ago