This winter, our team had the opportunity to return to Belkin House to support both kitchen duty and the clothing drive market on December 14, 21, and January 11, and 18. With a group of five to six volunteers each visit, we divided into two teams: one supporting the kitchen and the other running the clothing drive. In the kitchen, our volunteers assisted with making sandwiches, cutting vegetables and cakes, filling drinks, cleaning, and serving residents. With the great gui

On January 17 , our Volunteer Wave team had such a great time making soup for The Dugout in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside using the Watari Kitchen. We cooked up honey pork chipotle and potato soup and spent the shift chopping, stirring, and sharing laughs while putting together something warm and nourishing for people in the neighbourhood. The Dugout is a long‑standing charity and community space that supports residents of the Downtown Eastside. It is known as a “community li

The Volunteer Wave community kicked off the new year with an Arts and Crafts Party at Southview and Terrace Seniors Residence on January 3, 2026 . To make sure there was something for everyone, our volunteers hosted five different activity stations, allowing residents to participate at their own pace and comfort level. The stations included glass bottle painting, paper quilting, pointillism-inspired painting, a conversation table for non-crafty participants, and a live doodle

December was a busy month for our Volunteer Wave team, and we were so excited to spend it supporting a new community partner, Watari Counselling and Support Services. Located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Watari is a wellness centre and multipurpose community space built with the community for the community. Each month, hundreds of people rely on Watari for meals, food hampers, showers, laundry services, fresh haircuts, spaces to rest, counselling, public health support,

On December 13 , our Volunteer Wave team had an absolute blast spending the day with residents at Southview and Terrace Seniors Residence. We got to host a musical bingo session, featuring hit songs from the 50s all the way to the 90s. Our volunteers loved seeing the seniors sing along, laugh, and get competitive as the music played. It was such a fun way to bring people together and create a lively, joyful atmosphere. Supporting seniors is always meaningful, and events like

Looking back at December, one of our favourite parts of the holiday season was getting to volunteer with organizations that go all out to support families during Christmas. From toy sorting to gift wrapping, our Volunteer Wave team was busy helping make the season a little brighter. One of our Christmas highlights was volunteering at the Surrey Christmas Bureau Toy Depot on December 12 . Our volunteers helped organize shelves, sort and place toys, and support families as they

Volunteering at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank is always a highlight for our Volunteer Wave team. Whether we’re in Vancouver or Burnaby, it’s one of those places that reminds us why showing up for our community really matters. We volunteered on December 6, January 8, and January 15 , helping out with both food distribution and produce sorting. During distribution shifts, volunteers get to interact directly with community members while helping hand out food. These moments are

December 6, 2025 was a busy and meaningful day for the Volunteer Wave community. After one group of volunteers spent the morning packing and gift-wrapping over 60 Boxes of Hope for Whole Way House senior homes, a second, smaller group headed over to Veterans Manor in the afternoon to help run Saturday Bingo with residents. Our volunteer group included individuals who grew up in countries such as Romania and China, where bingo wasn’t a familiar classroom game. For them

On November 29, 2025, the Volunteer Wave community partnered once again with The Dugout to prepare nourishing meals for people who drop in each day for support and connection. Located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, The Dugout offers a safe and welcoming living room style space for community members experiencing homelessness, including those staying in nearby shelters. Visitors can stop by for coffee, water, snacks, washroom access, and a place to rest, watch TV, and feel a

On November 24, we once again visited The Salvation Army Belkin House to support both the kitchen team and the ongoing clothing drive. Although we had only 5 volunteers to cover both tasks, everyone worked together with great teamwork and positivity to deliver the best experience possible for the residents. We are especially grateful for Olive and Alvin, who warmly accommodated and supported us throughout the entire visit. For kitchen support, two of our three volunteers were

After many months of teamwork, The Dugout and our Volunteer Wave community are finally able to make nutritious soup for the individuals who drop by The Dugout—a safe “living room” space in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The Dugout provides a welcoming environment for community members experiencing homelessness, including those staying in nearby shelters. Visitors can stop in for coffee, water, snacks, washroom access, and a place to rest and watch TV. Earlier this year, The

On November 18, Captain Scott Legacy Society had an amazing opportunity to join the Surrey Christmas Bureau as the very first group of volunteers in 2025, officially kickstarting this year’s season of giving. Despite having just 1 week to recruit volunteers, our team was able to gather 9 volunteers. It wasn’t difficult to look for support, our group is filled with energized and dedicated volunteers who are always looking for opportunities to give back and support families in

This November, our Volunteer Wave members spent three meaningful days at Belkin House Salvation Army, supporting their programs in a variety of ways. On November 8, 10, and 16 , volunteers stepped in wherever help was needed—prepping ingredients in the kitchen, making meals, tending the rooftop garden, and sorting clothing donations. Most of our time was spent in the kitchen, helping staff get meals ready for residents. Belkin House provides meals, care, and essential resourc

On October 26, 2025, our Volunteer Wave community returned to one of our favourite local shelters, Belkin House, to continue what we started a month earlier. This time, our volunteers split into two teams: one supporting the kitchen on the main floor and the other working on our ongoing community garden restoration project upstairs. It was a bustling day of great conversation, smiles, and transformation, all taking place under one roof at Belkin House, an emergency shelter an

Our Volunteer Wave members have had several opportunities recently to support the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, helping make nutritious food accessible to families and individuals across the region. On October 25 , our team joined the Food Bank for a distribution shift. Volunteers prepared grocery selections, restocked items, and assisted clients as they came through the doors. Even in a busy environment, there was a sense of connection in every interaction. Small gestures—a k

On October 18, we had the chance and privilege of teaming up with the Chinese Community Policing Centre to prepare and distribute 400 sandwiches for the community in the downtown east side. Volunteers spanned the full spectrum, from middle-schoolers to working professionals, all brought together by a shared desire to give back. We divided into 2 teams: one taking on 200 ham sandwiches, the rest creating 200 strawberry & chocolate sandwiches. Meanwhile, every bag was hand-deco

On October 10, our Volunteer Wave team joined Belkin House for their Thanksgiving dinner, working alongside eight general volunteers from the shelter. In total, our volunteer team counted about 18 people, with more coming and going throughout the evening. Belkin House created a restaurant-style experience for residents at their shelter. Residents came in, sat down, and were waited on by volunteers. We took their orders, had the meals prepared in the kitchen, and brought them

On October 4, 2025, our Volunteer Wave community stepped out for something a little different—a volunteer social hosted during Best Buddies Canada’s first-ever Vancouver Friendship Walk at the University of British Columbia. Best Buddies Canada and its UBC chapter share a mission close to our hearts: creating opportunities for authentic friendship, mentorship, and inclusion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their vision is simple yet powerful—

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, attr

The Volunteer Wave program was founded on the idea of fun, flexible, and exploratory volunteerism—creating space for busy people to give back when they can, while learning about new causes, meeting new people, and trying something different. On September 27, 2025, we began a project that aligns with all of our Volunteer Wave goals. We launched the first phase of a new gardening project in partnership with Belkin House, an emergency shelter and transitional housing facility in