Harvest Project is calling on North Shore residents to help give their neighbours a hand up this holiday season.
To mark its 30th year of service, the community-based urban relief organization is asking the community to give a gift in honour of its milestone anniversary.
“The North Shore is known to be an affluent community, and yet there are significant numbers of our neighbours who are getting by with low incomes, a large number of single-parent families, a growing ageing population moving to fixed incomes, and new residents who are trying to gain a foothold in a new country,” Development Officer Kevin Lee says.
“There is a challenge in finding rental accommodation at all, and then an incredibly difficult challenge around the affordability of those accommodations, across the North Shore.”
The North Shore has recently been described as the most expensive rental market in Canada, with an average rent of approximately $2,700 a month.
“If you look at the incomes for people who are on the margins, that consumes 100% of their available income before you get to childcare and other basics,” Lee says.
“Not to mention food insecurity. Food prices have gone up 17% over the last year. That’s pressing just about everyone, but especially folks who are struggling to obtain a living wage or to get and stay housed.”
Harvest Project is asking North Shore residents to help out their neighbours this holiday season. A cash donation provides the organization with funding to continue offering care for those facing overwhelming challenges.
Among its many services to those in need, Harvest Project provides coaching, a rent bank, grocery, nutrition advice, clothing support and more, to help each individual move to a brighter future.
Here’s how your gift is used to give a North Shore neighbour a hand up:
$60 provides for a first visit and a connection with a new client
Each person’s individual circumstances are considered when creating an action plan for new clients.
“There is tremendous diversity for each person’s situation and we are very careful to match the client care partner with the individual client,” Lee says.
“We spend a lot of time listening and connecting that client with resources inside Harvest Project.”
$125 provides grocery and nutrition support for a family in need
“We find that folks who are stressed financially or struggling in their domestic situation are often not able to plan meals or get organized for nutritious eating,” Lee says.
Not only does Harvest Project have a nutritionist on staff, but they also have an on-site grocery store where a family representative can have the autonomy to select supplemental groceries free of charge.
$300 provides for a month's services for a household
For $300, provide a family with all the support services offered, including coaching, counsel, rent bank options, art therapy, job and financial coaching, groceries, and clothing support.
To make a donation to help those in your community receive a life-changing hand up today, visit m.charitableimpact.com/Pwbb.
