Update: We raised $650 in 2016 and similar amount in 2013. In addition, our hiking community has volunteered once a month to feed the homeless for the past 12 years.
We start our hiking and charity program locally through Feed the Hungry/Peace Meal project. Peace Meal has continuously served lunch once a month in the downtown east side since April 2005. Each month we prepare 250 nutritious, home-cooked vegetarian meals, at an average cost of $1.17 per plate. We typically serve between 150 and 200 guests, though numbers in the period from 2009-2011 regularly rose above 300 guests per meal.
Having started as a collaboration between Muslims and Jews wanting to work together on a social justice project, our group has evolved over the years. Our focus today is on bringing diverse communities together to help those in need in Vancouver’s downtown east side.
Vancouver’s downtown east side is Canada’s poorest neighborhood. While Nature PhotoHikes’ charity-based hikes started in 2011 with the Climbing for Kilimanjaro project, we decided to give back to our local community and address one of Vancouver’s biggest challenges – homelessness.
Volunteers from all walks of life – some part of our hiking community as well as other locals – come together not just to donate and volunteer, but also to break down negative stereotypes of those who can’t afford a home. One of our key features during these lunches is to get to know the guests, smile and make eye contact, and share their stories. This has created a greater awareness among non-residents.