2021 Lotus Light Community Caring Day distributed 100,000 gift items to Vancouver’s DTES Impoverished and Homeless
Lotus Light Charity Society (Vancouver) held its fifth annual “Lotus Light Community Caring Day” on Sept 11th, 2021 at 347 East Hastings Street in the Lotus Light Activity Hall, to celebrate community caring and giving in the downtown east side. The “Lotus Light Charity Community Caring Day” was officially proclaimed by the Deputy Mayor of Vancouver, City Councilor Tim Stevenson in 2017 in recognition of Lotus Light’s excellent community service. Lotus Light Community Caring Day aims to unite individuals, business, neighborhoods, and other charitable organizations to raise awareness, provide resources, and support to the most vulnerable members of the Downtown east side community. Lotus Light Charity Society and its corporate sponsors and community partners distributes food and personal care items to the area’s most vulnerable low-income families, seniors, women, children, youth and homeless. Over the past years, each Lotus Light Community Care day event has gathered over a thousand people to participate the community care event.
Last Saturday’s event was started at noon with a showcase to the Lotus Light Charity Kitchen where volunteers prepare the sandwiches wraps for distribute to the low-income resident in the community. Lotus Light Charity Soup Kitchen is an emergency response to the need of DTES vulnerable, to prepare meals for the vulnerable population in Downtown east side community. Over 11,000 free hot meals have been prepared and delivered since the emergency charity kitchen established in July 2020.
In the event, Lotus Light presented 10,000 lbs of rice and 10,000 pieces of disposable masks donations to Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, donated a total of 100,000 gift items to a dozen organizations serving the vulnerable population in the community, awarded the 2021 annual Lotus Light Charity Scholarship to four students for their academic excellence and community volunteerism. Lotus Light Charity Society also presented appreciation certificates to corporate sponsors and community partners, including the Community Program of Vancouver Police Department, Superstore Grandview HWY, Wholesale Club, Burnaby, St Germain Bakery Richmond, for their supports, and to Lotus Light PPE, Hand Sanitizer Drive sponsors and partners Thai United and Novagold.
Saturday’s event also celebrates Lotus Light Charity Society’s 28th anniversary serving the Vancouver DTES community. In attendance were the Honourable George Chow, MLA, BC Minister of State for Trade; Deputy Mayor Sarah Kirby-Yung, City Councillor of Vancouver; Councilor Pete Fry, City of Vancouver and Mr. Gavin Dew BC Liberal Leadership candidate and Mr. Ken Sim, Vancouver Mayor candidate, and representatives from community services and supports organizations: Mr. Partap Sahota, Executive Director of Collingwood Community Policing Centre; Ms. Kitty Lo, Program Coordinator of Chinese Community Policing Centre; Mr. Mike Sauer, Executive Director of Grandview – Woodland Community Policing Centre; Ms. Lizeth Escobedo, Manager of Adult Learning and Immigrant Services YMCA; Inspector Terry Yung, Constable Jose Abundo and Constable Bryon Yee of Community Policing Center of Vancouver Police Department. Hosting the event were Lotus Light’s Chair of the Board, Vajra Master Lian Tzi, the charity’s Vice-President Mr. Floyd Wong and the charity’s Executive Director, Ms. Teresa Fung. The event was helped by officers of Vancouver Police Department’s community program, and volunteers from four community policing centres: Collingwood Community Policing Centre, Chinese Community Policing Centre, Grandview – Woodland Community Policing Centre, and Strathcona Community Policing Centre, and by volunteers from Project Hastings, a student-led non-profit organization helping the vulnerable in the community.
“I am so proud to see our community leaders, local businesses and LLCS volunteers coming together to make this event a success. Thousands of people in the Downtown east side community are able to enjoy the community spirit of caring and giving. Lotus Light Charity Society (Vancouver) is proudly celebrating 28 years of serving the DTES community this year. Providing food and care packages to help the vulnerable in our community.” Master Lian Tzi.
MLA George Chow brought a greeting message from the provincial government to the people attending the event, and thanked all the charity works Lotus Light has been doing for the community for many years. Thanks to the contributions of generous event sponsors and dedicated volunteers.
Deputy Mayor Kirby-Yung read out a congratulatory letter from the mayor Kennedy Stewart, praises Lotus Light’s community works in the last 28 years, with many charity programs such as annual winter charity drive to distribute sleeping bags, emergency food and winter care packages to the most vulnerable in the DTES community, and thanks for Lotus Light’s valuable contribution to improve the lives of others in our community, and wishing Lotus Light have a successful community event, and in the future year after year as well. Councillor Pete Fry also praised Lotus Light’s community services brought much needy compassion and protection to vulnerable in the downtown east side community.
Honorable guests, members of Vancouver Police Department’s community program, and volunteers from community policing centers and volunteers from Project Hastings joined charity volunteers to distribute nutrient lunch bag and food hampers to over a thousand of low-income residents and seniors living in social housing and homeless in the community. Items distributed including nutrient sandwiches wraps prepared by volunteers, muffin, red bean and coconut bun, fruits, juice, tuna snacks, cereals, cookies, crackers, granola snacks, candy and Starbucks coffee, and disposable masks.
This year’s event brings a warm welcome back message to the community and thanks to the supports of all the corporate sponsors, community partners and dedicated volunteers for their supports to the Lotus Light Covid-19 Community Caring Drive over the years. Lotus Light specially issued community partners certificates to 50 corporate sponsors and community organizations and dedicated volunteers to thank for their supports to the Lotus Light Covid-19 Community Caring Drive.
Since the outbreak of the Covid Pandemic in 2020, Lotus Light Charity Society has launched the Covid-19 Community Caring Drive to provide relief to low-income families and individuals including isolated seniors, migrant workers, new immigrants, refugees, the unemployed, families of inner-city school children, indigenous groups, and the homeless. Through partnering with large food warehouses, food manufacturers, distribution centers, neighbourhood houses and food assistance groups, the charity has distributed over 370,000 lbs of food to benefit tens of thousands of families and individuals impacted by the pandemic across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. And the Lotus Light PPE / Hand Sanitizer Drive has distributed more than 100,000 masks and personal protective gears, near 1 million lbs of hand sanitizers /disinfectant wipes to people in need. The Lotus Light Charity Kitchen program has provided 11,000 free meals for the low-income senior and homeless in the community.
LLCS Covid-19 Community Caring Drive will continue partnering with generous corporate sponsors, food warehouses, local food assistance groups, food distribution hubs to distribute much needed food as well as personal protection equipment to help people in need in our community. Lotus Light Charity Society serves Vancouver’s most vulnerable populations. We are seeking volunteers to join our charity programs. For more information on various Lotus Light’s charity programs, please contact us by email:llcsvancouver@gmail.com, Tel: 604-685-5548, or visit lotus light website: http://vllcs.org. Lotus Light Charity Society registered number: BN 14110-4893-RR0001.
