Filling the Weekday Gap at Belkin House in Downtown Vancouver

As rain drizzled over the streets of Downtown Vancouver on Monday, September 29, 2025, the kitchen at Belkin House was alive with the sounds of laughter, clinking dishes, and steaming espresso machines. While most people were settling into their workweek, twelve volunteers from the Volunteer Wave community gathered to turn a rainy weekday morning into a moment of purpose and community care.

The Volunteer Wave community has been growing steadily over the past few months, attracting volunteers with diverse backgrounds and flexible schedules. This growth has opened new doors for weekday volunteering—filling some much-needed support gaps for our community partners when staff resources are stretched thin. For Belkin House, an emergency shelter and transitional housing facility serving up to 224 residents, that support makes a real difference in daily operations.

During the morning shift, our volunteers—ranging from working professionals to post-secondary students and recent graduates—jumped into a variety of roles to keep things running smoothly. Some helped prepare and serve meals in the Belkin Haus Café, while others supported cleaning and organizing tasks or assembled first aid kits for Belkin House’s outreach vehicles. Many volunteers found themselves learning something entirely new: one group practiced using a commercial dishwasher for the first time, another group proudly mastered the espresso machine, crafting americanos and lattes with care.

As the shift drew to a close, the group gathered for a shared volunteer meal of perogies, salad, and dulce de leche cake. The warm food and easy conversation were a welcome pause after a morning of hands-on service. What stood out most that day however wasn’t just the tasks completed, but a sense of connected purpose from strangers coming together to give back. On a day that began gray and rainy, the energy among volunteers was bright and contagious. It was a reminder that volunteerism doesn’t only happen on weekends or during large-scale events—it happens in small, steady acts of service that sustain our community day by day.

Belkin House continues to be one of our Volunteer Wave community’s most beloved partners, offering both meaningful work and moments of connection. As one volunteer reflected, “It felt good to be part of something that keeps people cared for, even in small ways.” We’re excited to continue supporting Belkin House through future weekday shifts and weekend projects alike.

Want to get involved?

Join the Volunteer Wave community on Bloomerang to RSVP for upcoming volunteer sessions and discover other ways to spread care and connection across our local community.