Squamish Helping Hands

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Squamish Helping Hands Food. Shelter. Community. Vision: An end to homelessness and hunger in our community

In Partnership with others Squamish Helping Hands provides food, shelter and community to individuals and families in the Sea to Sky Region who are vulnerable and who may be living with or threatened by poverty and homelessness. Since 2006 we have been successfully meeting the need, providing programs and services at the FireHouse Shelter - a building donated by the District of Squamish with Operational funding from BC Housing. From these humble roots - men and women sleeping on mats on the floor of the old firehouse 365 days a year - we have learned much about the importance of community, about caring for people with barriers and what it means to provide life line services with respect and dignity. We know that it takes a community to solve the issues of poverty and homelessness. We know that partnership and collaboration among service providers is essential. We know that for a community to be successful, to be a thriving and vibrant place to live, everyone has to matter, every citizen must be valued. We know that we have a responsibility to our participants, to our community and to the social services sector as a whole to be leaders in best practice and undo the Us & Them mindset. We know that we have to lean in toward synergies and away from silos: alone we may be able to go fast but together we go far....

The Leadership Team:
Executive Director: Maureen Mackell
Finance: Marc Schutzbank
Admin/Fund Development: Carol Coffey
Programs & Services: Lisa Young
Chef/Community Food Services: Venita Fung
Operations/Enterprise: Karen Berrisford
HR/Executive Admin: Wendy Shard

Recent discussions with local candidates yielded specific answers on key issues that affect our work.Chris Pettingill, I...
10/15/2026

Recent discussions with local candidates yielded specific answers on key issues that affect our work.

Chris Pettingill, Incumbent Councilor and 2026 Candidate for Council, spoke about community partership.

Get out and vote!

We are thrilled to announce that Venita Fung, our Director of Community Food, has been nominated by the Squamish Chamber...
10/15/2026

We are thrilled to announce that Venita Fung, our Director of Community Food, has been nominated by the Squamish Chamber of Commerce as a Business Leader of the Year in 2026.

Venita is a fierce champion of creating efficient, community-minded food systems that reduce organic waste and feed people living in need in our community. From operating the Squamish Food Bank to connecting with local grocers to ensure good food doesn't end up in the garbage, Venita is well-deserving of recognition.

Voting is open now until October 23. Click here to cast your vote!

https://squamishcc.awardify.io/voting/2026-squamish-chamber-business-excellence-awards/business-leader-of-the-year-award

Local candidates gave us their thoughts on community partnership.John French, Incumbent Councilor and 2026 Council Candi...
10/15/2026

Local candidates gave us their thoughts on community partnership.

John French, Incumbent Councilor and 2026 Council Candidate shared his thoughts.

Polls close on Saturday--make sure your voice is heard!

We asked candidates to tell us more about issues that relate to our work.Here is Sarah Ellis, candidate for council.Get ...
10/14/2026

We asked candidates to tell us more about issues that relate to our work.

Here is Sarah Ellis, candidate for council.

Get out and vote :)

With four days left until the last chance to vote, we asked all candidates to answer a few questions pertaining to our c...
10/14/2026

With four days left until the last chance to vote, we asked all candidates to answer a few questions pertaining to our community.

Jenna Stoner, Councillor Incumbent and Mayoral Candidate, has the first word.

Don't forget to vote!

It's Woman's History Month! This month presents an opportunity for us all to better understand how marginalized woman an...
10/13/2026

It's Woman's History Month! This month presents an opportunity for us all to better understand how marginalized woman and gender diverse individuals are uniquely impacted by homelessness within our community. The causes of homelessness are gendered and intersectional.

A recent study by Western University interviewing individual's experiencing homelessness found that 91% of woman-identifying participants had experienced violence. The same study found that 1 in 6 single mothers live in poverty - heightening risk of housing loss - and 90% of families using emergency shelters are headed by single women, pointing to an inadequate system response.

Discrimination further effects the experiences of Two-Spirit, transgender, nonbinary, q***r, and gender-diverse people in navigating the housing system, particularly at a young age. There is a deep need for gender-responsive housing, policy and programs across Canada that uphold participant dignity, human rights, and safety.

We are proud to support women and gender-diverse people in our work at Under One Roof. In addition, we regularly partner with the amazing team at PearlsSpace who focus on this work exactly, and encourage anyone who can support their services a little extra this month to do so.

Pearl's Value & Vintage

Squamish Helping Hands has been operating for 20 years this October. To commemorate and honour all of the work we do to ...
10/10/2026

Squamish Helping Hands has been operating for 20 years this October.

To commemorate and honour all of the work we do to keep our community safe and healthy for all we will be hosting a guided Open House for the public on Tuesday October 27 from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

A happy hour and b**r launch of Squamish Helping Hops at Howe Sound Brew Pub will follow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.. We look forward to sharing this event with everyone!

In the second week of Socktober, we'd like to draw attention to the resources that are available for those currently exp...
10/08/2026

In the second week of Socktober, we'd like to draw attention to the resources that are available for those currently experiencing foot related problems.

At Under One Roof, we offer low-barrier, nurse-led Foot Clinics to address the disproportionate impact on foot health people face while experiencing homelessness.

According to one study cited by Wounds Canada, two thirds of people experiencing homelessness identified as having an issue with their feet.

Access our foot clinics through our Open Door Health (ODH) program: Phone: 604-390-3001
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 604-898-6366

Today is Day ONE of Advanced Voting in the Squamish municipal election. Voting is taking place at the 55+ Activity Centr...
10/07/2026

Today is Day ONE of Advanced Voting in the Squamish municipal election. Voting is taking place at the 55+ Activity Centre today from 8 a.m.–8 p.m.

Find more information on our elections and advanced voting system on the Squamish District website, linked above.

Thank you to Geraldine Guilfoyle, the Squamish Multifaith Association, and all the kind and energetic volunteers, staff,...
10/05/2026

Thank you to Geraldine Guilfoyle, the Squamish Multifaith Association, and all the kind and energetic volunteers, staff, and community partners who helped make our 2026 Thanksgiving Food Drive a success.

Our donations of food totaled a whopping 7,163 pounds--almost 10 percent more than 2025--with an additional $4,105 in dedicated cash donations.

More importantly, however, we saw teams of more than 80 volunteers, staff members, and partners showing up to provide donations, sort stock, and help make sure no one in our community goes hungry.

Thank you for your contributions and your care. It really matters and it really counts.

Address

37871 Third Avenue
Squamish, BC
V8B1B8

Telephone

+16043903000

Website

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