Outdoor feast coming to downtown Vancouver

  • 2020-12-24
This January will see the fifth edition of a feast meant to benefit those in need taking place in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside – but this year will look a little different than past events.

The event is called Helping Our Urban K’wséltkten (HOUK), referring to an Indigenous word for “family.” The dinner typically features a feast of Indigenous staples, such as moose stew, and is open to people in need from all backgrounds.

This year’s HOUK will adapt to the age of social distancing by becoming a week-long distribution of Bags containing essentials such as food, clothing and toiletries, as well as a voucher for a free meal at the Evelyn Saller Centre.

HOUK is organized in part by Ryan Day and Johnny Perry – both members of the Bonaparte Indian Band – who have been involved in Indigenous housing issues for years. The organization has extended their work during 2020 by distributing meal vouchers, bottles of water, fresh fruit and other supplies throughout the Downtown Eastside.

Efforts like this often use tools like poster printing and community word-of-mouth to draw the attention of both those who need assistance and those from Vancouver and surrounding areas like North Vancouver and New Westminster who may be looking to donate their time and money. Day, Perry and others have helped to raise more than $6,000 this year for relief efforts in the neighbourhood.

The fifth annual Helping Our Urban K’wséltkten will take place over the week of January 16 at various locations throughout the Downtown Eastside.

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