Justin Elton the President of 10 STAR AGENCY, an experiential marketing firm that is active Canada wide, couldn’t help but notice the hundreds of plywood boards being put up in front of storefronts all across Vancouver. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, it would be a shame once those businesses reopen to see the material end up in the landfill. Something should be done…

Taking matters into their own hand 10 STAR has gone across Vancouver putting posters up notifying the store owners that they can donate their plywood boards covering their businesses to Habitat for Humanity. In the end, they are hoping that materials temporarily blocking businesses will be able to be used to provide shelter for local Vancouver families in need permanently.

“We’re a brand activation agency who do nightlife entertainment, festivals and events. With all the bars and nightclubs shut down we’ve had staff sitting around and looking for ways to give back”

— Justin Elton | President of 10 STAR AGENCY

To find out more about 10 STAR AGENCY and the work they are doing click here

To find out more about Habitat for Humanity and our current projects in the Vancouver area click here

Dear Friends of Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver

We are approaching the 90-day mark of the Covid-19 pandemic, and although we are not out of the woods, we are seeing signs of returning to some of the former business normalcies, for which I am sure we are all grateful.

Thank you to everyone for doing your part, as we are, in keeping us all safe by following the advice of medical authorities, and we will continue to do so in the workplace.  Thank you for supporting our E-Store in such a significant way when we were not allowed to be together in the stores.  We appreciate your support and hope you will continue shopping online at restoreshop.ca as we continue to offer you great products at great values from the convenience of your home.  

But for those who have a bit of cabin fever, we are happy to say our stores are now open again! You can expect your safety and well being are top of mind for us as we continue to follow social distancing, wearing masks where appropriate, and providing hand sanitizers and protection at the checkout.  We look forward to being together with you once again, in person, in our safe ReStores.  Locations at www.Habitatgv.ca/restores-locatons. Every purchase made in our ReStores is helping families here and around the world build a better life for themselves and generations to come.

We are also very happy that our build sites are open and we can once again work side by side with our volunteers and our corporate partners.  What better way to rebuild your team and get close to your colleagues again in a safe place, than on our build site in Richmond and soon to be in Mission, BC?  You will have a one-of-a-kind experience on a build site where you receive training, renewed camaraderie and give a hand up to a family who will not otherwise have an opportunity to build strength, stability and independence.  Be a part of changing lives at www.habitatgv.ca/habitat-build-day. This truly is a rewarding experience.

In closing, affordable housing was in crisis with acute shortages prior to Covid-19, we can only imagine how many more families will need a hand up in this post Covid recovery.  You make the opportunity a reality for many hard-working families.  Please donate if you have the means to do so through our secure and encrypted online portal DONATE HERE. 

Be well, stay safe and continue to do your part. We at Habitat appreciate you.

With best wishes and heartfelt thanks,

Dennis Coutts, CEO

Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver

Dear Friends:
By the time this reaches you, the world may have tilted again and we may be in yet another version of daily adjustments as a result of the COVID-19 global health pandemic.

No individual, family or organization has been untouched by the impacts of COVID-19.   As a valued supporter, we are thinking about you and your friends, family and organization and hoping you are safe, healthy and successfully navigating all the challenges of this unprecedented situation.

COVID- 19 IMPACT

To protect our staff, volunteers and the public, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close our ReStores, office and build sites to volunteers and the public. With ReStore revenue covering the organizational operating expenses and volunteer build days helping to pay for the building of homes, our revenue streams have been massively impacted.

While we have regrettably had to temporarily lay off many of our staff, we have a core group of staff still working behind the scenes to ensure that our stores are fully stocked and trades are lined up for our build sites so that when the time is right, Habitat Greater Vancouver will stand ready to once again accelerate our efforts with renewed energy and commitment. For shoppers, our EStore  features fabulous items across all departments that are available for purchase and curb side pickup!

WE NEED YOU NOW

Your support and help raising the funds needed to give families a chance has never mattered more than it does now.

We are all reflecting no doubt these days on the discomfort and anxiety that we feel being pent up in our homes, possibly laid-off work, and with no control over when this will end.

Maybe you are trying to balance family, work and in some cases, child-care and child education, or caring for loved ones from afar.  We find ourselves uncomfortable and maybe agitated by the significant disruption to even the simplest of daily activities and the complications of just shopping for food.  We understand!

We hope that  you have room to roam in your home or separate from others if only for a brief respite; that it is healthy and safe and that  you can go out for a walk or into your own yard for fresh air and let your kids play; and that you have friends with whom you can connect virtually to keep your world a little more interactive. 

The uncertainty so many of us feel today, far too many families have felt for a lifetime, if not generations. 

Imagine that you are in an unhealthy and overcrowded home and this has no end. Your kids cannot go outside as it is unsafe and no one ever gets a break. Your rent cannot be deferred or waived due to a crisis, you are working non-stop to pay it and buy food and have no extra to take the family out of your never-ending economic quarantine. 

Many of us are lucky as this will eventually end and we will have a new appreciation for many things.

The families we seek to help, many of whom are on the front lines now and every day, will not be as lucky.  For them, there is no brighter day without a hand up. As many of us shelter in our homes during this pandemic, our hearts are with those who don't have a decent or safe place to live. HOME IS KEY

We cannot build without your help!  Please JOIN US make a home a reality for hundreds of families in Greater Vancouver and DONATE today. 

What you give helps us build Habitat homes!
$25 helps buy a can of paint
$50 helps buy a box of nails
$250 helps buy a bathtub
$500 helps buy lighting supplies
$1000 helps buy energy efficient windows
$5000 helps buy a roof

While COVID-19 has changed our lives right now, what hasn’t changed is the reality lived by thousands of families who struggle to have a safe, decent place to live every day.   This was true before COVID-19 and it will be even more true after we get through this immediate crisis.

Thank You for your caring and generosity! Wishing you all safe and healthy days ahead. We look forward to welcoming you back to our Build Sites and ReStores as soon as we are able!