COMMUNITY DROP-INS

ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

Our space @ 573 East Hastings
is accessible:

Front door: 34 inch width
No steps at entrance
Washroom door: 31 inch width
Toilet: 12 inch clearance on left side. The washroom has a handrail and is accessible to all genders.

Community Drop-in

☆ Mondays and Wednesday (for oatmeal breakfast). See calendar for times.

Program Lead: Kelsey cdi@dtesnhouse.ca

The Community Drop-In (CDI) is the most attended of our programs. This program hosts a variety of activities - Blender Nutrition, weekly Community Kitchens, Right to Food initiatives, and hosting various community partners who connect community members with resources.

During CDI, our neighbours have the opportunity to mingle with other residents and gain some respite from the charity model that permeates the DTES. Our neighbours can participate in the cooking process, either with TNPG on Tuesday nights, regular volunteering in the Community Drop-in, or through participation in any of the Community Kitchens, or other avenues.

One of the key goals of the CDI is to animate a space that our neighbours recognize as being very much their own – it is a space that belongs to the community. As the DTES NH was created by local residents, we are keenly aware of the ways in which our neighbours feel most welcome in a way that “charitable” spaces often cannot provide. We avoid and are critical of food line-ups. Food is made available and prepared freshly over the hours during which the CDI is open.

The food that is prepared is based on our food philosophy: it is diverse and has the ingredients listed for all to see. We avoid foods that are overly processed or high in starch, refined sugars, or sodium.

Family Drop-in

☆ Tuesday and Thursday 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Email: fdi@dtesnhouse.ca

The Family Drop-In (FDI) program works to serve the needs of all families residing in the Downtown Eastside and the surrounding Strathcona and Oppenheimer area. Parents who are picking up their children from Strathcona Elementary, or leaving programming from YWCA’s Crabtree Corner, are welcomed into the DTES NH at 3:00pm. All parents/caregivers and children are welcome.

One of the key aims of FDI is to improve the social determinants of health for families and children in our community. We do this through a program emphasis on food literacy, healthy and culturally affirming meal preparation, and culinary exploration. This program works to mitigate the effects of material poverty now, by providing access to healthy food, but also in the long term as participants acquire the skills and knowledge of healthy food preparation. The DTES NH space offers opportunities for children and caregivers to explore arts, crafts, activities, and games with skilled and caring staff and volunteers.

FDI strives to create a welcoming environment and respectful culture, in which there is no competition or strife between families of differing ancestries. Parents who enter our doors may be materially and nutritionally vulnerable and live with a multiplicity of other physical/mental health complexities. As well, children who access FDI may be equally challenged by the same barriers as their adult counterparts. FDI reminds all our neighbours, that the world is their oyster and their deservedness inherent. The demands and strains of family life can often lead to isolation, and the Neighbourhood House looks to address that by providing a safe place to connect with other parents, children, youth, and helpful staff. 

Early Years Drop In

☆ Fridays 9:00 am to 11:30 am

Email:  fdi@dtesnhouse.ca

As an offshoot of the FDI, Early Years Drop-In (EYDI) provides a space for caregivers and their young children ages 0-6, to eat breakfast, participate in activities, workshops, and seminars together. The program begins right after the school bell rings at Lord Strathcona Elementary, and families can leisurely walk over to the Neighbourhood House at this key time of the day.

EYDI is a place for parents to come together and learn from one another. It is a peer facilitated talking space, where open conversation is encouraged, so that parents, families, staff, volunteers can support one another. Topics covered include parents' mental health, appropriate screen time for toddlers and children, baby’s sleep schedule, how to deal with challenging behaviors, and the importance of literacy for toddlers. Conversation will commence after a healthy breakfast has been eaten.