PLEA Community Services Society of BC

10/06/2026

❤ October is Foster Family Month in BC.

This month, we’re recognizing and celebrating the thousands of foster parents across BC who open their homes and hearts to provide safe, nurturing and inclusive homes for children.

At PLEA, we’re also celebrating the dedicated caregivers who open their homes to support children, youth and adults through our Family Caregiving program.

Our caregivers provide much more than a place to live. They offer connection, stability, encouragement and a sense of belonging, helping the people they care for feel safe, valued and like they belong.
And they don’t do it alone. PLEA provides ongoing support, training and guidance to help caregivers feel confident and supported every step of the way.

🏡 Could opening your home make a difference in someone’s life?

Learn more about becoming a PLEA Family Caregiver:

youth caregiving: https://www.plea.ca/work-with-us/youth-caregiving/
adult caregiving: https://www.plea.ca/work-with-us/adult-caregiving/

09/30/2026

Each year, on September 30, we pause to honour the children who never returned home from residential schools, Survivors, their families, and their communities.

This day is both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. Together, they serve as a reminder of the tragic history and ongoing impacts of residential schools, and as an opportunity for reflection, learning, and healing.

Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots initiative that raises awareness of the intergenerational impacts of residential schools and promotes the message that Every Child Matters. The orange shirt has become a powerful symbol of the culture, freedom, and self-esteem that was taken from Indigenous children over generations.

The date of September 30, was chosen because it was the time of year children were taken from their homes to residential schools. It also sets the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying efforts in the school year ahead.

Across the country, communities, local governments, and schools come together on this day in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations to come.

At PLEA, our work with children, youth, families and caregivers reminds us every day of the importance of listening, learning and building relationships grounded in respect, understanding and cultural safety. Truth must come before reconciliation, and we each have a role to play in turning awareness into meaningful action.
Today, we remember. We listen. We learn. And we recommit to walking the path toward reconciliation together.

🧡 Every Child Matters.

On September 30, we encourage everyone to:
Wear orange
Take part in local commemorative events
Learn and reflect on the history and legacy of residential schools

Supports are available:
Former residential school students: 1-866-925-4419
Hope for Wellness Help Line (24/7): 1-855-242-3310 or connect via online chat

09/29/2026

09/28/2026

A heartfelt thank you to all the staff, community organizations, vendors, artists, and participants who came together for this meaningful day of reflection, learning, and community in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Together, we honour Survivors, remember those who never came home, and commit to building a future rooted in truth, respect, and reconciliation. 🧡

Thank you for being part of this important day and for helping keep the spirit of reconciliation moving forward.

09/27/2026

Join us today, along with Katzie First Nation, Fraser River Indigenous Society and Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Community Services at Memorial Peace Park in City of Maple Ridge for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event.

This event is a free, family friendly day of learning, reflection, connection and reconciliation.
There are Indigenous artists, vendors, community organizations as well as food trucks and interactive activities.

We will be here until 3pm and welcome everyone to this meaningful event.

09/23/2026

🧡 Join us, along with Katzie First Nation, Fraser River Indigenous Society and Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Community Services this Sunday in Maple Ridge for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

On Sunday, September 27, the community will come together at Memorial Peace Park from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for a free, family-friendly day of learning, reflection, connection and reconciliation.

The event will feature Indigenous artists and makers, community organizations and local vendors, offering an opportunity to learn, connect and support local community members.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a time to honour Survivors, listen and learn, reflect on the history and ongoing impacts of residential schools, and consider the meaningful steps we can each take toward reconciliation.

📍 Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge
📅 Sunday, September 27, 2026
🕤 9:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
🎟️ Free and family-friendly

We encourage you to share this post with your friends, family and community, and help spread the word about this meaningful event.

We hope to see you there. 🧡

09/21/2026

📣 We’re hiring!

PLEA Community Services is looking for a Casual On-Call Intensive Support & Supervision Program (ISSP) Worker to join our Vancouver Coastal Youth Services team in the Sea to Sky region.

In this role, you’ll provide one-to-one support and supervision to youth involved in the criminal justice system, helping them work toward rehabilitation, healthy living and successful integration into their communities.

We’re looking for someone with:
✔️ A bachelor’s degree in social sciences, human services or a related field
✔️ At least one year of recent experience working with high-risk youth and/or youth involved in the criminal justice system and their families/caregivers
✔️ Availability for at least one 7-hour weekday and one 7-hour weekend shift per week, including days and evenings

Interested in making a difference in the life of a young person?

👉 Apply today and learn more about the position here: https://recruiting.ultipro.ca/PLE5100PLEA/JobBoard/e48bd2c4-862c-4f93-bb23-9b558c45c292/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=d0860ef9-debb-4793-ac46-1938556a9067

09/19/2026

We’re sharing this important event happening in Surrey this weekend. ❤️
The Bear Creek Red Dress event is an opportunity to honour and remember Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S+) and to learn more about how we can take action.

If you’re in the Surrey area, consider attending and showing your support.

The annual Bear Creek Red Dress event will take place on September 20, 2026 at Bear Creek Park in Surrey (13750 - 88th Avenue, Surrey).

This important event is organized annually by HEU members and other union and community members to honour and commemorate murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S+).

If you live in or near the Surrey area, you are welcome to participate in this powerful event and learn about how to take action on MMIWG2S+.

If you're interested in attending or volunteering, you can find out more details here: https://www.heu.org/bear-creek-red-dress-2026

09/18/2026

📚Books that invite us to listen, learn and reflect

As National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches, our Knowledge Keeper, Ernie Cardinal, is sharing some of the books that have shaped his understanding of Indigenous history, culture, colonialism and reconciliation.

But this isn’t simply a list of book recommendations.

Through personal stories, reflections and a little humour, Ernie shares why these books have stayed with him and what they might offer those of us who are continuing our own learning journey.

From graphic novels to powerful works of fiction and books exploring the Indian Act, Land Back and Reconciliation, Ernie’s picks offer different ways to listen, learn and see things from an Indigenous perspective.

📖 Read Ernie’s full list and his personal reflections on each book here: https://www.plea.ca/news/ernies-picks/

09/16/2026

Six months to go in PLEA’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan!

It’s hard to believe we’re already entering the final six months of Going from Good to Great, PLEA’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan.

Over the past four years, we’ve been working to strengthen PLEA’s foundation, expand our reach, enhance our services and build an even stronger, more sustainable organization for the future.

Our work has been guided by six pillars: Structure for Leadership, Collaborative Excellence, Sustainable Stewardship, Innovative Housing, Outcomes Measurement, and Ally to Reconciliation.

As we enter the final stretch, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the progress we’ve made, the priorities that have evolved, and the work that remains.

In his latest update, PLEA CEO Tim Veresh shares some of that reflection and looks ahead to how we can carry this work forward beyond the end of the plan.

👉 Want to learn more? Read Tim’s full update and revisit PLEA’s Strategic Plan here:
https://www.plea.ca/news/charting-our-path-forward-2022-2027-strategic-plan-progress-update-2/