Upper Room Mission Vernon

06/02/2026

Across BC, nearly 1 in 4 people now experience food insecurity. That statistic is no longer distant or abstract — we see it every single day here in the Okanagan.

At the Upper Room Mission, more individuals, seniors, families, and working people are turning to community meal programs and emergency food support just to make it through the week. Hunger is growing quietly in our communities, and the need continues to rise.

As a frontline organization, we believe this conversation matters. Food insecurity is not just about empty cupboards — it’s connected to housing instability, mental health, addiction, isolation, and poverty.

We recently shared more about what hunger looks like in the Okanagan, why it’s increasing, and what we can do together as a community.

Read more on our website about Hunger in the Okanagan. https://upperroommission.ca/hunger-in-the-okanagan/

Together, we can respond with compassion, dignity, and hope. Help us ensure people in our community are cared for.

05/27/2026

On May 9th, we had the privilege of welcoming James from The Company Barbershop to the Upper Room Mission, where he generously donated his time and talent to provide haircuts and beard trims for our guests.

Many of the individuals we serve do not have regular access to personal care services, and the gratitude shown that day was incredible to witness. Simple acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.

Thank you, James, for caring for our community and for helping our guests feel seen, valued, and encouraged. Your generosity made an impact far beyond a haircut.

You can visit The Company Barbershop here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563680540191

05/25/2026

Behind the beauty of our community are neighbours struggling to afford groceries, housing, and basic necessities. At the Upper Room Mission, we see the impact every day through the growing number of meals, snack packs, freezer meals, and shelter supports being provided to people in need.

In March 2026 alone, the Mission served:
• 2,538 meals
• 212 freezer meals
• 362 Winter Shelter Program meals
• 440–480 snack packs

But a meal is about more than food. It can become the starting point of connection, support, shelter, wellness care, and hope for a better future.

We’ve shared more about the growing reality of food insecurity in Vernon and how the community can help in our newest blog post. Read the full article and learn how you can support our neighbours in need:
https://upperroommission.ca/hunger-in-the-okanagan/

05/19/2026

For many in our community, a warm meal is more than food.
It’s dignity. Connection. Hope.

Every weekday at Upper Room Mission, we provide free hot meals from 12–2 PM for anyone in need of support. We also offer frozen meals and snack packs for those facing food insecurity beyond meal hours.

This meal program is often the first step for people seeking help, safety, and belonging.

As food costs continue to rise, your support helps ensure no one is turned away hungry.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/15295?v1=true

Donate today to help us continue serving people in need in our community.

05/07/2026

What does community look like at the Upper Room Mission? Every day, we support people who come through our doors needing help with food, shelter, support, and hope. But something else happens here too. People come simply because they feel a sense of belonging.

Community is built in the small moments — conversations over coffee, games, shared laughter, remembering someone’s name, asking how they’re doing, and taking the time to truly know people.

Our staff intentionally walk alongside our guests, and over time those relationships often grow into genuine friendships. One beautiful example of this is the friendship between our staff member Hardeep and Mr. Wolf. Their connection is joyful, authentic, and deeply human. It reminds us that dignity, kindness, and friendship matter.

This is humanity at its best.

Thank you for continuing to support the work of the Upper Room Mission. Your support helps create a place where people are not only cared for, but known, valued, and welcomed into community.

05/06/2026

Do you see addiction primarily as a choice, a disease, or a deeply personal response to pain and brokenness? We’d love for you to read our latest blog post and join the conversation.

Is Addiction a Choice, Disease, or Something More? In my role at the Upper Room Mission, I get asked a lot of questions about the people we serve daily—especially around people struggling with addiction. Many of these questions, I believe, stem from misinformation and misunderstandings about human...

05/05/2026

Today, on Red Dress Day—the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S)—we pause to remember, to mourn, and to stand in solidarity.

At the Upper Room Mission, red dresses hang as a visible reminder of lives taken too soon, voices silenced, and families and communities who continue to carry deep loss. Each dress represents someone who is not forgotten.

Today, we remember.
Today, we lament.
Today, we stand for justice.

04/30/2026

We are incredibly proud to celebrate two amazing members of our team — Amy Flater, our Operations Manager, and Dawn Morgan, our Shelter Coordinator — who have both been nominated for the Community Impact Award.

This award recognizes a woman whose leadership shows up not just in strategy, but in the everyday moments that matter most to the people who need it most — and that couldn’t describe Amy and Dawn any better.

Day in and day out, they lead with compassion, strength, and a deep commitment to serving our community. Whether it’s behind the scenes or on the front lines, their impact is felt in countless lives.

Amy and Dawn, thank you for the heart you bring to this work. We are so grateful for you and honoured to have you on our team.

Give them some praise in the comments!!! 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏

04/24/2026

Our volunteers are the heartbeat of the Upper Room Mission ❤️ In 2025, nearly 70 incredible volunteers gave 5,140 hours of their time — the equivalent of $102,800 in impact if those hours were staffed.

But what they bring goes far beyond numbers:
Compassion. Dignity. Connection. Hope.

These photos capture just a few of the people who make this place feel like belonging.

We are deeply grateful.

Interested in joining this amazing team? Click the link below to apply.
https://upperroommission.ca/volunteer/

04/22/2026

We’re so excited for Bruce as he moves out of the shelter and into his new home at the Willows! A heartfelt thank you to Dawn and everyone who helped make this possible.

This is exactly why case management at the Upper Room Mission matters. We walk alongside people in their struggles, believing in their ability to move forward.

Grateful to have been part of Bruce’s journey today.

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Bruce found a way forward—and others can too. Your donation to our Double the Roadmap match campaign helps provide the case management support that makes stories like his possible.

https://upperroommission.ca/double-the-roadmap/