“I wish more people could see the Downtown Eastside that we see. The incredible strength of this community with stories of perseverance and survival. The art and cultural contributions that are just so achingly beautiful. The sharing of culture and stories creates a sense of identity, culture and belonging.”
Art and representation matter. That’s why art is such an important part of our redevelopment.
In line with our vision of a neighbourhood where everyone’s worth is celebrated and all people thrive, we’re working with Indigenous artists and consultants to respectfully incorporate art by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) artists, as well as Urban Indigenous and DTES artists, so that we can build a building worthy of this community.
Our new building will feature a beautiful brickwork pattern designed by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Master Weaver Debra Sparrow—θəliχʷəlʷət.
We’d like to invite you to buy a symbolic brick today at buyabrick.firstunited.ca. 🧱 Link is in bio.
By buying a symbolic brick, you can help bring this inspiring work of art to life and improve access to and representation in Indigenous public art in the DTES. Plus, thanks to generous donors, your gift will be triple matched up to $250,000 until December 31!
It’s a lot more than a building we’re building. It’s art. It’s healing. And it’s reconciliation in action.
Our online auction is now live and ready for your bids!
This year's online auction, part of our 19th Annual Golf Tournament, features 45 enviable items and experiences, from golf course packages, restaurant gift cards, local attractions, and more!
Our goal is to raise $20,000 through our online auctions this year to support our frontline work in the Downtown Eastside.
You can get some great deals while helping provide access to dignity, belonging and justice for our neighbours in the DTES.
Start bidding now! Link is in our bio.
For Red Dress Day yesterday, staff and volunteers distributed red roses to community members around Oppenheimer Park. 🌹
#NoMoreStolenSisters #RedDressDay #MMIWG2S
Red dresses hang from the windows of our locations as a visual reminder of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit folks.
This injustice is very present and ongoing as Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people disproportionately experience racialized and gendered violence, not just in the Downtown Eastside but across Turtle Island.
We stand with families and loved ones who have been neglected, dismissed and denied any form of justice. We grieve with them.
This Red Dress Day (May 5th), we encourage you to take action. Here are two events in Vancouver that will take place on the day:
1) Indigenous Women Rise is hosting an event at Grandview Park from 2pm-4pm.
2) Butterflies in Spirit is hosting a Documentary Screening of ASI BUSCAMOS ASI AMAMOS (This is How We Search, This is How We Love), including a panel discussion, reception and Q&A. The event starts at 3pm (documentary screen starts at 6pm) and takes place at the SFU Woodwards Building (see event graphic for more information).
We’re entering a new era at FIRST UNITED and we need your help to start strong. In June, we’ll be moving into our new building where we’ll be able to grow our programs to serve more people in the Downtown Eastside.
We can’t wait, but we need to reach our $60,000 goal by April 30th (that’s tomorrow!) to make this happen.
Will you contribute and give $25 today? You’ll help us meet the needs of our neighbours in the DTES when we finally operate out of our new building.
Click the link in bio to give today!
It’s a really exciting time for us as we prepare to move into our new building.
We’re about to grow a lot with new programs, and we're looking forward to serving more people in the Downtown Eastside, but we need folks who care and believe in what we’re doing to help make it possible.
Will you join us in helping the DTES and chip in with $25? We need to raise $60,000 and we’re over halfway there. Click the link in bio to make a gift today!
Your gift will allow us to expand programs like meals, help us relaunch paused programs like Footcare, and start brand new programs like our library.
#DignityBelongingJustice
We’re just one month away from our 19th Annual FIRST UNITED Golf Tournament and there’s still time to register! Claim your spot now (link in bio)! 🏌🏼♀️
Join us on Monday, May 25 at the University Golf Club in Vancouver. Your participation will support our programs and services, helping us meet the complex and growing needs of the Downtown Eastside. This year, we need to raise $230,000 to bring dignity, belonging and justice to the neighbourhood. Register today to take part!
We hope to see you there!
It's National Volunteer Week (April 19-25) and we're celebrating our wonderful volunteers!
Thank you to our volunteers who so generously give their time to support our work in the Downtown Eastside. We have dedicated volunteers who commit their time to helping in various areas, including (but not limited to) serving meals from our food truck, helping with events, serving hot chocolate, distributing clothing and essential items, supporting our admin office, filing taxes, and more!
We're so grateful. Thank you for helping provide access to dignity, belonging and justice to our neighbours in the DTES.
#NationalVolunteerWeek
Our FIRST food truck has served us well over the last four years, but it is time to say goodbye soon. 👋🏼
Don’t worry, we’re not stopping our meal service! We’re just moving on to bigger and better things.
In June, we’re moving into our new building where we’ll be serving meals to the community in our new dining hall!
To meet the needs of our neighbours, we’re increasing the number of meals we serve, including breakfast and lunch, plus drinks and snacks from our café. We estimate that we’ll go from serving 115,000 meals a year to over 180,000! 🍴
Will you make a $25 gift today to help us do this? You’ll help more of our neighbours in the Downtown Eastside access dignity, belonging and justice when we’re in our new building.
Click the link in bio to give $25 and help us reach our $60,000 goal by April 30th!
Our 19th Annual FIRST UNITED Golf Tournament is on May 25th and we still have spots open! 🏌🏼♀️
If you haven’t registered yet, claim your spot today through Eventbrite (link in bio)!
Your ticket includes a golf cart, 18 hole shotgun competition, lunch, and a premium steak and salmon banquet dinner. We’re delighted also to have Fred Lee back again as our emcee, who will guide us through the evening’s entertainment.
When: Monday, May 25, 2026
Where: University Golf Club, Vancouver
Time: Golfer check in opens at 12:00pm, shotgun start at 1:00pm
This year, we need to raise $230,000 for our programs and services, to meet the complex, growing and changing needs of the neighbourhood. Your participation will help bring dignity, belonging and justice to the Downtown Eastside.
We’re in the middle of another busy tax season at the FIRST UNITED Tax Clinic, and it’s already on track to being our busiest one ever.
We’ve seen an unprecedented increase in demand for tax services over the last few years. Last fiscal year, we filed 6,284 tax returns—1,700 more than the previous year!
As the cost of living continues to increase, so does the demand for our services.
To meet these needs, we're expanding our services and creating new programs when we move into our new building in June. We need your help to raise $60,000 by April 30th to do that.
Will you chip in with a $25 gift to help? Click the link in bio to give today. 🔗
You’ll help us meet the growing and changing needs of the community when we're in our new building, providing dignity, belonging and justice to the neighbourhood.
We’re hiring for a variety of roles including a Community Connection Coordinator, Development Coordinator, and People and Culture Generalist.
If you’re interested and would like to join our team, you can view job descriptions and apply through https://firstuniteddtes.easyapply.co/ (link in bio).
