First United - Vancouver Downtown Eastside

First United - Vancouver Downtown Eastside FIRST UNITED is a service provider in the downtown eastside of Vancouver BC In general, we serve adults with complex needs.

First United Church Community Ministry Society (commonly known as First United) is an inner-city ministry of the United Church of Canada committed at its heart to the struggle for social justice, offering programs of advocacy, housing, and healing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES). We honour the call to seek justice when we meet individual needs, advocate for social change, and provide sanct

uary in the heart of the city. First United strives to be a respectful resource to the DTES and to those who are most in need of a welcoming place to be, to find support, and to feel safe. We have been operating in the DTES for over 135 years, and plan to keep our doors open to the neighbourhood as a place to find sanctuary and connection. Our vision is a neighbourhood where every person’s worth is celebrated and all people thrive. Our mission is to seek a just society by nurturing each person’s spirit through ministry, housing, advocacy, and community service. Our values are acceptance, discernment, empathy, accountability, and social justice.

On Monday, June 1st, we had the honour of ringing in the next chapter of FIRST UNITED with 200 of you in our new buildin...
06/05/2026

On Monday, June 1st, we had the honour of ringing in the next chapter of FIRST UNITED with 200 of you in our new building at 320 East Hastings!

It was a day of celebration and gratitude as we looked around the new dining hall where we were gathered and saw the faces of so many people who played a role in bringing this building to life.

The day started with an intimate and powerful ceremony at the Hastings entrance of our building to unveil and bless the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh artists and the beautiful artworks they contributed to the building. Artists from each Host Nation were present with their families. Thank you to HOST Consulting for their work in organizing the ceremony.

We also announced that we officially reached and surpassed our $39 million fundraising goal! 🎉 We couldn’t have done it without the collective support and generosity of so many of you. Thank you!

Now, we have a stretch goal of $40 million to cover important startup, furnishing and activation, and contingency planning costs. For more info, visit buyabrick.ca.

Thank you for helping us reach this milestone. This new space will support us in continuing and expanding our work to provide dignity, belonging and justice to the DTES community.

📸 by Maxine Bulloch Photography

06/03/2026

“Climate change isn’t coming, it’s here.”

Today, Amanda Burrows, Executive Director, and Dr. Sarah Marsden, Director of Systems Change and Legal, spoke at City Council in favour of City Staff’s recommendation to give effect to the right to cool. This was a report on the motion put forward by Councillor Lucy Maloney and Councillor Sean Orr back in November.

We’re thankful that Council unanimously voted to amend bylaws so that landlords can no longer restrict tenants from using portable cooling devices. This comes as we’re approaching the 5-year anniversary of the 2021 heat dome in which 117 people in Vancouver died from extreme heat.

This is just the first step for the City when it comes to responding to extreme heat and climate change, but it is a very crucial step. ☀️❄️

Thank you for helping make our 19th Annual Golf Tournament a success. 🏌🏼‍♀️Together, we’ve raised over $207,000 for our ...
05/30/2026

Thank you for helping make our 19th Annual Golf Tournament a success. 🏌🏼‍♀️

Together, we’ve raised over $207,000 for our programs and services!

Thank you to all the golfers, donors, sponsors, and auction participants.

These funds come at a meaningful time for FIRST UNITED, as we are preparing to move into our new building soon. Your donations and participation help us strengthen our ability to support the community.

Thank you for helping uphold dignity, belonging and justice and helping us get closer to a neighbourhood where everyone’s worth is celebrated and all people thrive.



📸: Avi Feinberg

All donations will be matched up to $35,000 from now until 11:59pm on Monday, May 25th!In honour of our 19th Annual FIRS...
05/21/2026

All donations will be matched up to $35,000 from now until 11:59pm on Monday, May 25th!

In honour of our 19th Annual FIRST UNITED Golf Tournament, generous donors have stepped forward to match all gifts to our programs and services.

Whatever you give will be matched and your impact will go twice as far in the Downtown Eastside!

Give now and have your gift matched: https://firstunited.ca/golf26-matching

05/21/2026

Have you taken a look at our online auction page? A few items have already sold!

Place a bid on your desired item at https://www.32auctions.com/firstunited2026.

Our online auction is part of our 19th Annual FIRST UNITED Golf Tournament, which is an integral part of our annual fundraising. Proceeds from the auction will support our programs and services, providing dignity, belonging and justice to our neighbours in the Downtown Eastside.

This year our goal is to raise $20,000 through our auction.

Place your bids now at https://www.32auctions.com/firstunited2026! Auction closes on Monday, May 25 at 11:59pm!

Our online auction is now live and ready for your bids! This year's online auction, part of our 19th Annual Golf Tournam...
05/15/2026

Our online auction is now live and ready for your bids!

This year's online auction, part of our 19th Annual Golf Tournament, features 45 enviable items and experiences, from golf course packages, restaurant gift cards, local attractions, and more!

Our goal is to raise $20,000 through our online auctions this year to support our frontline work in the Downtown Eastside.

You can get some great deals while helping provide access to dignity, belonging and justice for our neighbours in the DTES.

Start bidding now at https://www.32auctions.com/FIRSTUNITED2026!

For Red Dress Day, yesterday, staff and volunteers distributed red roses to community members around Oppenheimer Park. 🌹...
05/06/2026

For Red Dress Day, yesterday, staff and volunteers distributed red roses to community members around Oppenheimer Park. 🌹

Red dresses hang from the windows of our locations as a visual reminder of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Gi...
05/04/2026

Red dresses hang from the windows of our locations as a visual reminder of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit folks.

This injustice is very present and ongoing as Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people disproportionately experience racialized and gendered violence, not just in the Downtown Eastside but across Turtle Island.

We stand with families and loved ones who have been neglected, dismissed and denied any form of justice. We grieve with them.

This Red Dress Day (May 5th), we encourage you to take action. Here are two events in Vancouver that will take place on the day:

1) Indigenous Women Rise is hosting an event at Grandview Park from 2pm-4pm.
2) Butterflies in Spirit is hosting a Documentary Screening of ASI BUSCAMOS ASI AMAMOS (This is How We Search, This is How We Love), including a panel discussion, reception and Q&A. The event starts at 3pm (documentary screen starts at 6pm) and takes place at the SFU Woodwards Building (see event graphic for more information).

We’re entering a new era at FIRST UNITED and we need your help to start strong. In June, we’ll be moving into our new bu...
04/29/2026

We’re entering a new era at FIRST UNITED and we need your help to start strong. In June, we’ll be moving into our new building where we’ll be able to grow our programs to serve more people in the Downtown Eastside.

We can’t wait, but we need to reach our $60,000 goal by April 30th (that’s tomorrow!) to make this happen.

Will you contribute and give $25 today? You’ll help us meet the needs of our neighbours in the DTES when we finally operate out of our new building.

You can make a gift here: https://firstunited.ca/donate-now/one-time

It’s a really exciting time for us as we prepare to move into our new building.We’re about to grow a lot with new progra...
04/26/2026

It’s a really exciting time for us as we prepare to move into our new building.

We’re about to grow a lot with new programs, and we're looking forward to serving more people in the Downtown Eastside, but we need folks who care and believe in what we’re doing to help make it possible.

Will you join us in helping the DTES and chip in with $25? We need to raise $60,000 and we’re over halfway there. Give online today to help us reach our goal: https://firstunited.ca/donate-now/one-time.

Your gift will allow us to expand programs like meals, help us relaunch paused programs like Footcare, and start brand new programs like our library.

Address

320 Hastings Street East
Vancouver, BC
V6A1P4

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4pm
Friday 8:30am - 4pm

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