In this month’s newsletter, our focus is on our appreciation for the employers and agencies we have worked with throughout the year. We also give year-end highlights of BOB’s accomplishments in 2010 and discuss the Event Catering training that took place in November at W2 Media Arts Centre.

Ada from BOB (right) asks Chris (left), a BOB client, about his work with Recycling Alternative

To read more, please see the newsletter in full:

December Employment Newsletter

Other items featured this month include:

• Event Listings
• Job Postings

For the past several months Strathcona BIA has been in the running for a $90,000 grant from the Aviva Community Fund to build 20-30 microgardens in Strathcona, part of Vancouver’s inner city. The grant winners are determined through an online voting contest. They’ve already made it through the first round,and now you can support them by voting for their idea 10 times (once per day) between December 2 and December 15 as they compete in the semi-final round against 29 other projects across Canada. AND THERE ARE PRIZES FOR YOU TOO!

They’re in the running, but we’d like to see them get a whole bunch of votes over the next week and a half leading up to the deadline.

If you’d like to help Strathcona and Vancouver, sign up here and they”ll send you an email a day with a reminder to vote, some pre-made Tweets for you to Retweet, and interesting links about how urban gardens are changing communities. Everyone on this list will also be entered to win great daily prizes! Sign up and you can win:

• A gift certificate from Boardroom Eco Apparel
• A box of gourmet chocolate from Saul Good Gift
• An etched glass water bottle from Eclipse Awards
• A gift certificate from Quench Designs
• Dinner for two at Pat’s Pub
• 500 business cards (including layout) from Special Screencraft
• Or one of many other great daily prizes.

For the first time in decades in Vancouver, the weather outside is truly frightful. At least the mountains look amazing. With the frigid temperatures comes an increased need for warm clothing for those unable to afford much themselves.

A number of agencies have come posted their wish lists for the holiday season. This includes warm weather attire, as well as other essentials such as food.

Here are some samples of the wish lists:

CBC volunteers working the phones last year

PACE (a group advocating for the rights of sex workers):�
Gifts: Hats, scarves, gloves, socks, pantyhose, pajamas, blanks, holiday cards and postage, picture frames, craft kits, journals
Ongoing needs: new and gently used clothes, coats, new underwear, bus tickets, books, non-perishable food items

Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre
Gifts: new, unwrapped toys for children, gift certificates for teens, winter wear for women, blankets, towels, pillows, non-perishable food items, gift wrapping items (paper, tape)

As well, CBC/Radio Canada will be holding an all-day food drive at their location on Georgia Street on December 3rd. The event runs from 6am-9pm and also offers donors a tour of the CBC facilities and a meet-and-greet with reporters. The day kicks off at 5:30 with the morning show with Rick Cluff. Most grocery stores will also be accepting food back donations.

If you see someone on the street without warm clothing, call the Ambassadors from the Downtown Business Improvement Association (BIA) at 604-689-4357. They will be going around the downtown area with donated goods to give out.

If you know of any other large food drives or agencies with wish lists, please feel free to leave them in the comments section!

Access to the internet is something that many people take for granted. As I write a blog post or check my e-mail, I do not usually stop to marvel at the wealth of information that is readily available to me. A search engine is so ubiquitous in most people’s lives that the proper name Google has now become a verb. However, the more importance our society places on the ability to use a computer, the further behind it leaves those with little to no access.

With that in mind, W2 Community Media Arts at Woodward’s is putting on an ‘unconference’ called DTES Camp on Sunday, November 7^th from 11-3pm to evoke discussions on themes related to the digital divides right here in Vancouver. As part of the Media Democracy Day events, the DTES Camp will feature film screenings, various speakers, and a collaboration of ideas. The Camp is free and open to anyone who wants to share their thoughts. This promises to be an interesting debate, considering the different types of divides that would presumably affect an area as diverse as the Downtown Eastside.

One idea that will no doubt arise is turning the entire Downtown Eastside into a wi-fi hotspot. The Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council has been championing this for quite some time. There is no doubt that providing access is an important first step. An even larger challenge is ensuring that access is useful; in other words, once access is provided, will people know how to use the technology in an effective manner? Some agencies in the area, such as the UBC Learning Exchange and the Union Gospel Mission, provide computer use and training sessions. Should this be made more of a priority? How do we stop the gap between users and non-users from widening even further?

I could ask questions into the vast world wide web until I turn blue in the face. Better to stop by the DTES Camp and join the conversation.

For more information, visit W2’s website: http://www.creativetechnology.org/.

Potluck Café and Catering will be holding their annual fundraiser featuring Barney Bentall & the Grand Cariboo Opry at the venerable Vogue Theatre on December 11, 2010. For the past few years, Potluck and Barney have provided a toe-tapping good time for those in attendance. The show is comprised of humourous monologues and all sorts of amazing musical guests. This year’s performance promises to be better than ever!

Potluck is a social enterprise in the Downtown Eastside that runs a café and provides catering services, both of which serve hundreds of customers in the area. Potluck offers many great community programs to residents of the Downtown Eastside. They (rightfully) believe that no one should be deprived of quality, nutritious food and are committed to sharing this message.

BOB has maintained a good working relationship with Potluck for a number of years. We have partnered with them on numerous occasions, including collaborating with them for monthly SHINE dinners for clients, as well as employer breakfasts.

Barney and the band

BOB and Potluck also worked together to offer a Banquet Server Training Program last year. As a part of BOB’s Business Links program, clients were taught valuable skills in order to enter the workforce and were given the opportunity to interview with employers once they completed the training.

The night at the Vogue not only supports a fantastic cause, but is guaranteed to be a good time. Tickets can be purchased at: https://tickets.voguetheatre.com/Online/default.asp 

If you are not able to make it to the fundraiser and still want to support Potluck, visit their café at 30 W. Hastings from 8-4 Monday to Friday or donate here.