The Union Gospel Mission was kind enough to invite the Dot Com crew (myself, Sally, Sarah, Stephen Fung, Ed Lau and Greg Morgan) down for lunch and tour their facilities. The UGM is one of the charities I support. Over the years, John Chow dot Com readers have open their hearts and wallets when I call on them to help UGM feed the hungry and homeless of Greater Vancouver.
Founded in 1940 as a small soup kitchen, UGM now has satellite facilities in Surrey, New Westminster, Mission and downtown Vancouver, and provides services from employment training to affordable housing solutions. UGM serves over 280,000 meals each year, and provides shelter for almost 10,000 individuals a year
The Mission is located in the Downtown Eastside, the poorest neighborhood in all of Canada, and serves as a beacon of hope for the homeless and hungry. It just so happens that the house I grew up in is located right across the street from the UGM. Yes, I grew up in the poorest neighborhood in Canada. It’s been quite a journey.
The video below shows UGM’s new mobile mission van, which brings the mission to the people. There’s also an interview of John, who is now a UGM outreach worker.
