WELCOME TO OUR BACKYARD
Let’s talk about what’s happening in our own backyard
At Family Services of Greater Vancouver, we walk alongside clients as they navigate life’s challenges. Our Backyard is where we come together to share stories, provide resources for the community, and create dialogue about complex issues such as homelessness, trauma, and poverty. There’s more to every story, so let’s dive in.
Stories
-
There’s More to Sara’s Story
Sara came to Canada as a refugee with her five children, her elderly mother, and nothing else but a backpack. When her family arrived, they needed help. “I wish people knew that refugees coming to Canada come with a lot…
-
Here to Support Families: An FSGV and VPL Partnership
We love teaming up with other organizations to give people more: more access, more support, and more resources. This month, we collaborated with Vancouver Public Library for a Family Day pop-up event all about meeting families where they’re at. In…
-
Action Speaks Louder Than Words
Ayaaz Jamal came to the 2022 Soirée fundraiser as a guest. He left that night feeling inspired and ready to take action. Learning about our impact—including a client experience in Project Parent, our day-to-day work with youth experiencing homelessness, and…
-
Together, We Prosper
Family Services of Greater Vancouver has offered financial literacy coaching and workshops since 2006. What started as a small program has evolved into a high-impact financial empowerment service that bridges multiple program areas across the agency, serving low-income and at-risk…
-
What is Poverty Reduction?
At Family Services of Greater Vancouver, we often talk about the work we do in “poverty reduction.” But what does this really mean? There are a few definitions of what it means to live in poverty, from Canada’s Low Income…
-
Creativity in Counselling: Meet Katrina, a Trauma Counsellor at FSGV
Katrina Grabner (she/her) is a Registered Clinical Counsellor at FSGV with an MA in Psychotherapy and specialization in art therapy. Katrina has always worked with non-profits and she’s always been an artist – so this line of work was a…
-
Directions: Past, Present, Future (Part 3)
Did ya miss parts 1 or 2? Part 1 | Part 2 In Part 2, we focused on some of the ways that being youth-informed has shaped our programming from the youth-made zine The Slice to Move Out Kits for those leaving…
-
Directions: Past, Present, Future (Part 2)
Did ya miss part 1? READ IT HERE In the last post we focused on the ways that we at Directions Youth Services and Family Services of Greater Vancouver are taking actions to support homeless youth by giving them safe…
-
Directions: Past, Present, Future (Part 1)
This October, as a combined celebration of Safehouse (one of Directions’ foundational programs) and in honour of Homelessness Action Week, we’re taking a look at the past, present, and future of Directions.Read on to learn about how we are taking…
-
Youth Mental Health: Meet Angel, Clinical Counsellor at Directions
Angel Sakkua (she/they) works as the Clinical Counsellor at Directions Youth Services. They are a queer, racialized woman working on the traditional, ancestral, and stolen territories of the Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), and Stz’uminus (sha-main-us) Nations…
-
Exploring the 2S in 2SLGBTQIA+
Quarterly, the Justice & Equity Committee at FSGV hosts Lunch and Learns. These are open to all staff and the range of topics covered can be anything under the justice, equity, and inclusion umbrella, from body diversity and disability to…
-
Included Every Step of the Way
To get a better understanding of PRIYD’s approach to service delivery, we asked our ISWs a few questions about misconceptions of autism, activism, resources, and more.