Tag: Stories
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Room to Learn about Yourself: Stories from the Directions Pre-Employment and Life Skills Program
Jennie from the Pre-Employment and Life Skills Program at Directions Youth Services (of FSGV) shares stories about what her program does and what the impact is for youth who attend her workshops.
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Respecting the Person Behind the Story: FSGV’s Client Story Philosophy
There’s no doubt: stories are powerful. In the non-profit sector, they help people outside of the work understand its impact, inspire community support, and bring complex issues to life. They put a face to the work, particularly when it’s a…
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In Their Own Words: Client Quotes from 2025
At Family Services of Greater Vancouver, we don’t often share client stories. It’s a balance of reasons which mostly comes down to prioritizing keeping people safe: sharing a story before you’re ready can be re-traumatizing and nobody owes us their…
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An Impact You Can See: Supporting Local
“You’re a local charity, I like that. I don’t have to turn on my TV to see what my donation is going to. Living downtown, I can just walk out my door and it’s all around me.” These words come…
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More Than Food and a Bed: Care with Dignity at the Core
When we first walked in the door, a youth worker asked us if we were hydrated. Sitting down in the staff office to start the interview, a different youth worker asked if we wanted water, tea, or coffee. About 20…
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A Conversation with Mari, Trauma Counsellor at FSGV
Mari, a Trauma Counsellor at FSGV, is currently working toward getting her PhD in Expressive Arts. Last year, while working on presentations and sessions for her PhD, she was also completing training on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) at UBC. “I…
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A Volunteer’s Story: Meet Shimna
We’re excited to introduce Shimna, a dedicated member of our Community Kitchens who has not only been an active participant but is now taking the next step to be a volunteer. Shimna’s journey with us has been a true reflection…
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There’s More to Kyle’s Story
I guess you could say I started my fundraising career early – in fact, I was just 12 years old the first time I tried fundraising for a non-profit. It was for the Canadian Cancer Society because the mission was…
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There’s More to Kate’s Story
My name is Enda and I’m the Program Coordinator for the Street Youth Job Action (SYJA) pre-employment program at Directions and FSGV. Today, I want to share a bit about a youth I worked with this year, Kate*. Kate joined…
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There’s More to Jessica’s Story
For most of the last nine years, I was a reclusive shut-in. Now, as I write this, I’m planning my next trip to Mexico and two months ago I went to Spain with my daughter. What’s at the bottom of…
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There’s More to Mae’s Story
I was caught off guard when my counsellor first asked me if I thought I would have benefitted from any of the programs that Family Services of Greater Vancouver offers. This job had always felt really personal. Of course when…
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There’s More to Rosie’s Story
The sound of a motorcycle sent me down memory lane the other day. Not every motorcycle has this effect, just a specific kind of road bike with a higher-pitched sound, the changing gears as the bike comes to a stop,…