Photo via @rainbowrefugeecanada / Instagram
Pride season is in full swing in Vancouver, and it’s a great time to support some amazing charities and non-profits helping those in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
To help continue the momentum for local organizations providing resources to those in need, we’re shining a light on the important work being carried out by these Metro Vancouver-based Pride charities.
Of course, there is no lack of deserving charities around the region that need our help. Let us know your favourite ones to support in the comments.
QMUNITY is a non-profit that provides a safer space for 2SLGBTQIA+ people and their allies to fully self-express while feeling welcome and included. It offers free counselling, peer support groups, and gender-affirming resources among its services.
BC’s queer, trans, and Two-Spirit resource centre is in the process of constructing a new building to serve as a catalyst for community initiatives and collective strength.
A Loving Spoonful provides free, nutritious meals to people living with HIV and co-existing illness in the Metro Vancouver area. The volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization also provides subsidized meals to several low-income housing initiatives.
Rainbow Refugee is a volunteer group that supports people seeking refuge from persecution due to sexual orientation, gender expression and being HIV+. Founded in 2000, the charity provides support, information, and guidance on how to navigate the system to those seeking refugee status in Canada.
Vancouver Friends for Life Society supports people living with serious life-challenging illnesses with professional complementary health and wellness services.
Family Services of Greater Vancouver (FSGV) is one of the region’s longest-standing community organizations, providing help to over 11,000 people each year through its free, low-barrier, client-led programs.
FSGV recently shared that it has seen an 85 per cent increase in 2SLGBTQIA+ clients in the past year accessing its programs, including Directions Youth Services, Victim Services, and Trauma Counselling.
South Asian LGBTQ support group Sher Vancouver started in 2008 and provides a safe space for South Asian 2SLGBTQIA+ people who need support from a welcoming community. Sher Vancouver invites queer South Asians and their families, friends and allies to take part in their arts and cultural, and social service programs and services.
Out On Screen is the non-profit organization behind the Vancouver Queer Film Festival. They also host year-round programming and lead Out In Schools, which supports LGBTQ2+ youth through the sharing of queer films and meaningful discussions in classrooms.
Rainbow Foundation of Hope helps members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community escape persecution through its settlement and relocation services. Funds raised helps support a group of Canadian charities that assist 2SLGBTQIA+ refugees and newcomers.
Vancouver Pride Society is the host and organizer of the annual Pride Parade and festival, as well as other events for 2SLGBTQIA+ people and the greater community throughout the year. The organization states that its goal is to “produce events that reflect the pride the 2SLGBTQAI+ community has in itself,” as well as building a sense of togetherness and increasing the overall well-being of everyone who joins in the celebrations.
McLaren Housing Society of BC helps low-income individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS find safe and secure housing options
The Dr. Peter Centre in Downtown Vancouver serves more than 500 people annually and provides over 88,000 meals, counselling, art and music therapy, nursing support, and harm reduction services. It also provides care for aging gay men with HIV/AIDS through its programs.
Ribbon, formerly known as AIDS Vancouver, is an organization that provides health and wellness support to people living with HIV. One of the first AIDS service organizations in the country, Ribbon focuses on dignity, inclusion, and reducing stigma in queer communities.
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