Cooking with Purpose at The Dugout

At Captain Scott Legacy Society, Volunteer Wave is all about showing up where community connection and care come together in meaningful ways. One of our recent volunteer experiences took place at The Dugout, a welcoming living room space in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside that offers a safe and supportive environment for community members.

For this event, our volunteers came together to turn rescued and donated food into something warm and nourishing: soup made with care, teamwork, and intention. Working with food that might otherwise have gone to waste, the group helped transform ingredients into meals that could be shared and enjoyed, reinforcing the importance of food recovery and reducing waste in our communities.

We were also fortunate to have Long, one of our seasoned Volunteer Wave members, join us for the day. With a background as a food scientist, Long brought both experience and curiosity to the kitchen, helping guide the process and sharing insight along the way. His presence added a unique layer to the experience, showing how diverse skills can come together in volunteer spaces to create something meaningful.

What stood out most was the spirit of collaboration. Volunteers worked side by side, chopping, stirring, and preparing food, while also sharing conversation and connection throughout the day. It was a simple but powerful reminder that volunteering can be both practical and deeply human.

Partnerships like this with The Dugout reflect what Volunteer Wave is all about: accessible, hands on opportunities that support local organizations while building community at the same time. We’re grateful for spaces like The Dugout that open their doors to volunteers and for the chance to contribute in a way that feels both useful and grounded.

We look forward to continuing to work alongside community partners across Vancouver and creating more opportunities for people to show up, give back, and be part of something bigger than themselves.