PRESS RELEASE
December 15, 2018
Lotus Light’s 2018 Annual Winter Charity Drive
Caring Hearts from Community Help Homeless & Vulnerable Stay Warm
After a week of cold rain and heavy wind, dozens of Lotus Light Charity Society (LLCS) volunteers and partner community-service organizations gathered together this Saturday with one simple mission: to save lives this winter.
In less than two hours, LLCS volunteers distributed winter care packages, sleeping bags, coverlets, and food items to nearly 900 recipients waiting outside the charity’s building in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) community.
For those living in poverty, the harsh winter is terrifying as poverty-stricken residents lack the adequate food, shelter, and clothing items that can provide them with comfort during the cold months.
To help these residents, the LLCS hosts an Annual Winter Charity Drive to collect new blankets, comforters, sleeping bags, and winter garments (such as socks, underwear sweatshirts, pants, jackets, hats, gloves) for distribution to the street homeless and other vulnerable community members struggling to find affordable housing or shelter. Since 1995, the LLCS has raised over $1,000,000 worth of winter care items.
The LLCS 2018 Annual Winter Charity Drive has presented community partners with a donation of 40,000 winter care items to help those in need. Representatives from the Vancouver Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Program, the BC Ambulance Service, the City of Vancouver’s Temporary Homeless Shelters, BC’s Ministry of Social Development’s Integration and Outreach Program for Richmond, along other service organizations serving the homeless and low-income families were in attendance to accept the donation and to show their support for LLCS’s 23rd Anniversary of the Annual Winter Charity Drive program.
Sergeant Mike Linde from the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) commented on the necessity of the program. “These winter care packages and sleeping bags are caring gifts of goodwill that bring us closer to those who need our help.”
Sergeant Linde launched the Vancouver Police’s First Homelessness Outreach Coordinator Position in 2008 in response to the urgent need to implement a new approach to policing that better services and protects all community members equally. He hopes that the new position will allow compassionate officers to connect with and provide resources for those who lack homes or those who live with mental illnesses and addictions.
“The greatest thing we can do is to help someone in need. Although temporary winter shelters have opened, we know that most shelters are overwhelmed when temperatures drop,” said Buddhist Master Lian Tzi, President of Lotus Light.
The Lotus Light Annual Winter Charity Drive relies on financial and in-kind donations from individuals, local businesses, and corporate donors. The 2018-2019 campaign continues the annual distribution of hundreds of sleeping bags, blankets, and emergency care packages in partnership with local police and ambulance first responders, local and city shelters, and family service agencies throughout the Lower Mainland. We are grateful for any contributions.
We sincerely appreciate the sponsorship support from Interlink Real Estate, Nester Market Yaletown, Ocean Brands, St. Germain Bakery, Save-On-Foods Cambie St, Save-On-Foods Main St, Dollarama Montreal Head Office, Starbucks International Village, Freshslice Pacific Boulevard, New Town Bakery, Shoppers Drug Mart Richmond Centre, Shoppers Drug Mart Gilbert Richmond, Superstore Metrotown, Costco Downtown, Army & Navy, Hai Phong Vietnamese Restaurant, Terra Breads, Fresh Direct, Direct Liquidation, Wholesale Club Kingsway, FoodMesh, Temple Lifestyle, Meinhardt’s, Chez Christophe, Daiya, NOVAGOLD and more proud sponsors!
In the spirit of its motto “through caring and learning, we help to build a better tomorrow” Lotus Light Charity Society (Vancouver) is a registered non-profit charity dedicated to helping the most vulnerable in our local community. For further information on Lotus Light’s charity programs, please contact Lotus Light Charity Society (Vancouver), #200-357 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1P3 Tel: 604-685-5548, email: llcsvancouver@gmail.com
