On July 17, 2020, the LLCS held its fourth annual Lotus Light Community Caring Day at the LLCS Building located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES). However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, celebrations looked different this year as BC schools, businesses, and other community activities were suspended to prevent the spread of the virus.
For this year’s Lotus Light Day, the LLCS focused on helping inner-city school students and families through the Inner-City School Hamper program.
One in seven Canadian children go to school hungry because their families cannot provide them with enough food to eat, and families who have children attending inner-city schools in Vancouver experience the highest impoverishment ratio in the nation. To help these families, the LLCS has a Children Nutrient Backpack Program which supports inner-city school children by providing them with nutritious food donated by sponsor companies and charity members/affiliates.
The LLCS donates non-perishable grocery items regularly to the Strathcona Community Center’s Food Security Program to help low-income families with children. Since 2014, more than 20,000 lbs of grocery products have been donated.
The LLCS has also supported food programs at other inner-city schools with large quantities of nutritious dairy products through the LLCS Food Recovery Program for low-income families across the lower mainland.
On June 17, Stephanie DiGiacomo, the Neighbourhood Assistant of Britannia Elementary School, represented several inner-city schools (Britannia Elementary, Lord Strathcona Elementary, Admiral Seymour Elementary, and Thunderbird Elementary) and attended the donation presentation at the LLCS building.
The event was focused on uplifting community spirit, especially for the future of our country: our young generations. 320 hampers with over 30 gift items each were donated to the four inner-city schools. Items included produce and fruit, non-perishable food, rice, cans of pasta and tuna, breakfast cereal cups, chocolate, mugs, personal hygiene items, soap, toothpaste, and masks. The event also celebrated the LLCS’s 27th Anniversary serving the Vancouver DTES community.
Master Lian Tzi, President of the LLCS, commented: “many school children from low-income families are attending school without food, and we need to help them, as children are the future of our country.”
The LLCS is proud to be serving those who need our help. The LLCS thanks its volunteers, its corporate and individual sponsors, and its partner community service organizations for all their generosity and support in helping our programs run successfully.
