Our next feature in the #GiveToGrow #SummerStorySeries is from Alicia Smith, Strategic Development Coordinator from Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, and organizer of their first Drag Storytime. Last week was Vancouver Pride, and across ANHBC neighbourhood houses and in our communities, we celebrated! In honour of Pride Week we are happy to share an interview with Alicia….
Gordon Neighbourhood House (GNH) is tucked away in the community now known as the West End of Vancouver, up from the shores of Yulkshun (Squamish place name for English Bay) and walking distance from X̱wáy̓x̱way (Squamish Village in Stanley Park). Surrounded by a dense and vibrant intergenerational community, the Neighbourhood House is a gathering place…
Our next feature in the #GiveToGrow #SummerStorySeries is from Vinita Sud, a yoga teacher, passionate community member, and neighbourhood house Board of Directors volunteer who found meaning and connection at Alex Neighbourhood House. We hope you enjoy Vini’s story, told in her own words. Alex Neighbourhood House has played a pivotal role in my journey…
Belonging in Unceded Territory is a project that deeply explores and questions our situation as uninvited guests on the unceded and stolen territories of the Coast Salish peoples. It asks us how we reconcile the fact that we are settling here on a land that is not our ancestral land, and whose people never gave…
Neighbourhood houses in December are buzzing with excitement, celebration and soul-warming food. Whether it’s our childcare programs decorating the halls of our houses with stars and stockings, seniors joining together to share songs of peace, or neighbourhood families gathering around a communal table sharing a warm bowl of dahl and roti – this is always…
When Rap arrived in Canada as a temporary foreign worker, she faced isolation, job loss, and uncertainty—but South Vancouver Neighbourhood House’s family and newcomer programs helped her rebuild her life.
Today, she and her family are thriving and giving back, showing the power of supportive programs for newcomers.
When Ghfran Alkour and her family arrived in Canada from Syria, they faced a new country, language barriers, and the challenge of settling six children in an unfamiliar place. Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House’s family and newcomer programs provided the support they needed—from orientation, translation, and childcare to connecting the family with a welcoming community. These programs helped Ghfran’s children thrive in school and her family find belonging, stability, and hope for the future.
Our next story from our Summer Series comes from Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House, and is shared by Norm Leech. Neighbourhood houses across the Lower Mainland have the honour of deep and ongoing relationships with Norm Leech (T’it’q’et, St’at’imc Nation), Executive Director of the Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre. Norm is a leader and facilitator who…
From feeling isolated as a queer Asian teen in White Rock to now leading LGBTQ2S+ programs and helping shape ANHBC’s strategic direction, Kiko’s journey illustrates the heart of neighbourhood house work: creating safe, inclusive spaces where young people are seen, supported, and empowered. Their story is one of remarkable growth—moving from a youth participant seeking connection and belonging to a confident youth facilitator guiding others on the same journey.
