Programs and Services
Free drop-in meals served weekly at Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House (573 East Hastings Street). Please contact cdi@dtesnhouse.ca for more information.
Monday (Closed all Statuary Holidays)
Oatmeal 10:00 am
Wednesday
Oatmeal 10:00 am
Hot Lunch 12:30 pm
Various programming for school-age children. Please contact kidskitchen@dtesnhouse.ca to register your child.
Kids Tutoring
Mondays 3:00 - 6:00 pm (Closed all Statuary Holidays)
Drawing & Painting with Arts Umbrella
Wednesdays 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Kids Kitchen
Fridays 3:00 – 6:00 pm
Free drop-in meal and activities for caregivers and their children. Please contact fdi@dtesnhouse.ca for more information.
Family Drop-in
Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:00 - 6:00 pm
Early Years Drop-in
Fridays 9:00 - 11:30 am.
Monday
1:30 - 2:30 pm
Saturday
3:30 - 4:00 pm
Smoothie Tuesday and Banana Beat Wednesday on every cheque week of the month. Please contact ops@dtesnhouse.ca for more information.
Smoothie Tuesday
Various Pop-up Locations
Banana Beat Wednesday
8:00 - 9:00 am, various routes long E. Hastings, Oppenheimer Park, etc.
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The Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House's mandate is to provide programming and educational, leadership, social, and recreational opportunities to residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
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To provide a dignified welcoming space that creates and supports an improved quality of life for the DTES community.
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The secular, grassroots Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House (DTES NH) aims to provide meaningful opportunities for our neighbours to engage with and contribute to their community in an equitable atmosphere of sharing and learning.
We welcome people of all ancestries, genders, ages, and orientations. Our programming honours and is inspired by the cultural diversity of the DTES and respects the fact that most of our neighbours are coping with significant socioeconomic and/or physical limitations in their daily lives.
Given the wide-reaching effects of nutritional vulnerability in our community, the founders of the DTES NH put the Right to Food at the heart of our work. We believe that everyone deserves access to food that enhances both their physical and mental wellbeing. Through our food-centered programming, we aspire to reform the nutritional impact, quality, abundance, and delivery of food in the DTES community.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR BOARD DIRECTORS!
Are you passionate about equity, food justice, and community-driven leadership? Come join our working board at the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House!
Every year, we welcome nearly 9,000 residents into our programs—centered on nourishment, connection, and community wellness. Now, we’re inviting new directors to help guide our mission and uplift our work.
What we’re looking for? If you bring experience in:
Legal (non-profit/charity)
HR
Fundraising
Accounting (CPA)
Project Management or other leadership fields
Commit to a 2-year term, approximately 5 hours/month
Apply by June 30, 2025 to be considered for election at our September AGM.
💛 Join us and make a difference.
💛 Join us and make a difference.
We’re proud to launch the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House Community Cookbook 2024!
Rooted in the stories, resilience, and creativity of our vibrant community, this cookbook is more than just a collection of recipes—it’s a celebration of food as culture, care, and connection.
With dishes contributed by neighbours, program participants, and volunteers, the Community Cookbook offers over 60 recipes from across the globe: Afghan dumplings, Nigerian fried rice, Persian adas polo, Bunny Chow, Sindhi vegetable curry, Jamaican curry goat, silken tofu mousse, and many more. Each page reflects the cultural richness of the Downtown Eastside and the ways in which food brings us together.
From community kitchens to family celebrations, these recipes hold memory and meaning. Some are comfort meals made in times of need. Others are celebratory dishes passed down through generations. Many were created or reimagined within our programming, where folks gather weekly to cook, share, and nourish one another.
This project was made possible through our long-standing collaboration with UBC’s Urban Ethnographic Field School. Their students worked alongside community members to gather stories and document the creative process—from interviews and photography to artwork and design. It was a true community effort from start to finish.
Whether you’re looking for hearty meals, quick snacks, or a taste of global home cooking, this book offers something for everyone. We hope it inspires you to cook with intention, share meals with care, and celebrate the power of food in your own life.
✨ Because at DTES Neighbourhood House✨ nutritious food is for everyone
📍 Come by the House to pick up your copy or reach out for digital access.
Learn more 🍌
Smoothie Season Has Officially Started!
Join us every Tuesday from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM outside our doors for fresh, seasonal fruit smoothies — with milk or dairy-free!
This delicious initiative is part of our Nutritional Outreach Program (yes, it’s Banana Beat’s healthy cousin!) and will run all summer long.
Come cool down, fuel up, and connect with your neighbours — one smoothie at a time!
Learn more 🍌
Our Nutritional Outreach (NO) programs: Banana Beat and the Mobile Smoothie Project are two initiatives that aim to provide essential nutrients on the days that low-income residents of the Downtown Eastside are least likely to have access to nutrition.
Stay in the loop! Follow us on social media to get the latest updates on our community programs, events, and free courses.
Be the first to know what’s happening at the House — we’d love to see you there! 💛 #DTESNH