PHS Community Services Society

10/03/2026

🎉 WE DID IT! THANK YOU, TEAM PHS! 🎉

Thanks to our incredible community, our PHS Run Team raised over $33,500 for PHS's Vancouver Food Program Expansion Project! ❤️

Our Food Program currently prepares and delivers 3,900+ nutritious meals every day to supportive housing and shelter residents and people experiencing food insecurity in Vancouver's DTES. 

A huge THANK YOU to: 💙 Our generous donors�💙 Our PHS team runners who fundraised💙 Our amazing race-day volunteers

Special thanks to: 👏 Aaron Keitlah, 👏 Ahmad Ghahary, Community Apothecary, 👏 Samir Al-Bizri, 604 Donate & Junk It, 👏 Varun Banthia, 👏 Alessandro Masi, Columbus Meat Market, 👏 Patrick Beattie, 👏 Andy Mossop, 👏 Andy Healey, 👏 Jean Prieur, 👏 Nadia Chasse, 👏 and all the runners who helped PHS exceed our goal

Together, you're helping us move closer to a brighter future where more people have access to nutritious meals and essential support.

https://bit.ly/4x8JxfR

10/02/2026

💙 A heartfelt thank you to Value Village on Victoria Drive in Vancouver! 💙

We are incredibly grateful to Value Village on Victoria Drive for their generous donation of clothing to support guests staying in PHS shelters.

As we head into the colder and wetter months, we're seeing a growing number of seniors accessing our shelters and in need of warm winter coats, winter clothing, and winter boots to help them stay warm, dry, and safe. Donations like this make a meaningful difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Thank you, Value Village, for your ongoing generosity and commitment to supporting people in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Your kindness helps ensure that shelter guests have access to essential clothing and comfort when they need it most. ❤️

❄️ Want to help?
If you have gently used or new winter coats, warm clothing, winter boots, or other cold-weather essentials that you would like to donate, we'd love to hear from you.
📞 Contact us at: (778) 580-5472 or
📧 Email: [email protected]

Together, we can help keep our neighbours warm, dry, and cared for this winter.

10/01/2026

Our seniors have spent a lifetime caring for their families, building communities, and contributing to society. Now, many of them need support to continue living safely and independently.

Supportive housing provides more than a place to live. It offers residents access to care services, social activities, nutritious meals, and a sense of belonging that can make all the difference in a person's quality of life.

Often people living with substance use or mental illness disorders rapidly age, so many people in their fifties are navigating mobility issues and chronic health needs that require specialized supports.

At PHS Community Services Society over 43% of the population served is now considered a senior.

As the number of older adults continues to grow, so does the need for affordable and accessible supportive housing options.

Together, we can advocate for solutions that help seniors remain connected, supported, and respected in every stage of life.

Read more about the needs of seniors living in supportive housing: https://www.phs.ca/seniors/

❤️ Every senior deserves a safe place to call home.

09/30/2026

Today, PHs Community Services Society reflects on the many Indigenous people living in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Indigenous people continue to be disproportionately affected by homelessness, poverty, mental illness, and substance use-related harms. As we reflect on the truths of Canada's history, we are reminded that reconciliation requires action, including addressing inequities in housing, health, and food security.

Artist: Khasalus Kolten Grant is a multidisciplinary artist with family ties to the Musgamagw Dzawadaenuxw, Kwakiutl, Tlowitsis, Squamish, and N’Quatqua St’at’imc Nations.

Learn more about PHS's Indigenous Health Services. https://bit.ly/phs-indigenous-health

🧡

09/29/2026

We are overjoyed with the decision in the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF)!

Thank you Eris Nyx, Jeremy Kalicum and legal counsel Tim Dickson and Stephanie Dickson for making history.


Photo courtesy: CBC Ben Nelms

09/27/2026

A heartfelt thank you to R&M Mechanical for their generous $10,000 donation to PHS’s Vancouver Food Program.

Special recognition goes to Ricco Grippo, President of R&M Mechanical, whose ongoing commitment to our community has helped PHS exceed its fundraising goal for the second year in a row.

This remarkable contribution helps support a program that provides more than 3,900 meals every day, including over 2,000 hot meals, for thousands of extremely marginalized people who rely on nutritious food and compassionate care.

Thank you, Ricco and the R&M Mechanical team, for helping nourish our community and make a lasting difference.

Cheer us on with a donation during or after the race: https://bit.ly/4x8JxfR

09/25/2026

We're getting closer! 💛

The PHS Run Team has raised $19,000 toward our $30,000 goal for the PHS Vancouver Food Program.

With only 2 days left and $11,000 still to raise, your support can help provide more than 3,900 meals every day.

Can you help us cross the finish line? 🏃. https://bit.ly/4x8JxfR

09/24/2026

Running for food security in the DTES 🏃🍽️

This Sunday, Samir from 604 Donate & Junk will take on the Under Armour Eastside 10K to raise funds for PHS Community Services Society's Vancouver Food Program.

Every day through his work, Samir sees the realities facing people in the Downtown Eastside and understands how important community support can be.

PHS's Vancouver Food Program serves more than 3,900 nutritious meals every day to thousands of supportive housing and shelter residents who rely on ready-made nutritious meals because they do not have access to kitchens or cold storage.

"As compassionate human beings, we cannot ignore someone who is struggling," says Samir.

Help Samir and the PHS Run Team reach their $30,000 fundraising goal and ensure more people have access to healthy meals.

Donate today and support food security in our community. ❤️
https://bit.ly/4x8JxfR

09/21/2026

As National Seniors Day approaches, we raise awareness of inadequate supports for seniors. The Times Colonist (Victoria) editorial highlights the growing number of seniors becoming homeless for the first time, as well as the need for investments in supportive housing to assist seniors.

Some live in shelters, but they weren’t created — or funded — to meet the needs of an aging population.

09/18/2026

Shift happens! was created by members of 's The Shift peer newsroom, which is made up of writers living in the DTES like Julie who regularly contribute to the newsroom. Tuesday evening, Julie sat on a panel with five other fellow reporters from The Shift to share how their unique perspectives are important in reshaping the narratives often expressed by mainstream media. Julie and her peers at The Shift are dedicated to showcasing the creativity, kindness and capacity of community members living in the DTES. Keep up the great work .