If you happen to be walking down Burrard Street and spot a man strolling along with an iced Americano in hand, radiating lively energy, chances are you’ve just crossed paths with Henry. There’s a certain kind of quiet strength that comes from having lived a full, complicated, and ultimately triumphant life. You can see it in the way he carries … Read More
Meet the people who brought ARCH to life
Inside the Model: A Conversation with Isaac Hernandez For Isaac Hernandez, Executive Director of North Wind Wellness Centre, the need for this model has long been evident – not because services don’t exist, but because they rarely ensure continuity of care. “The gap isn’t in what exists, but in how it all connects.” ARCH is structured as a progression of … Read More
ARCH: Bringing Addiction Recovery Supports Under One Roof
In northern British Columbia, recovery has too often required leaving home. For many Indigenous individuals, accessing treatment has meant travelling far from community – away from family, culture, and support systems at the very moment they are needed most. People move through withdrawal management, wait for treatment, complete programs, and then face the uncertainty of what comes next, often without … Read More
From a Two-Week Trip to a Lifetime of Purpose: Theresa’s Life at Oneesan
On May 25, Theresa turned 66 – a milestone she is celebrating from a place of true stability, surrounded by a neighbourhood finally feels like home. It is a long way from how her time in Vancouver began. When she first arrived from Chilliwack, she planned to stay just two weeks. But the city’s energy drew her in, and she … Read More
The Door That Finally Opened: Rosemary’s Journey Home
For many of us, “home” is a given. But for Rosemary, a resident at Sanford Apartments, home was a hard-won victory – a journey that spanned provinces, loss, and years of searching for a place to call her own. Rosemary grew up in Saskatchewan before moving to Vancouver with her family. After the heartbreaking loss of her mother at a … Read More
The Light That Found Her: Margit’s Story
In the morning, the light arrives first. It spills across the floor of Margit’s room, catches the edges of her paintings, and settles gently into the corners of a space she now calls her own. “I need light,” she says. “I always have.” It’s a simple need, but one that took years to come back to. Long before this apartment, … Read More
To Gain Gender Equality, We Must Give Women Safety and Stability
This International Women’s Day, the theme #GiveToGain invites us to imagine a gender-equal world — one free of bias, discrimination, and systemic barriers. Achieving that vision requires the foundations that allow women to live safely and with dignity: safety, housing, and stability. For many women experiencing homelessness, inequality is not abstract. It is lived every day. Women’s homelessness is often … Read More
Finding Home, Finding Herself: Beatriz’s Story
Some journeys begin not with opportunity, but with survival. When Beatriz arrived in Vancouver ten years ago, she faced homelessness, cultural isolation, and serious health challenges all at once. Each day was a battle just to get through. For years, she moved through unstable housing. She tried to hold herself together, but deep down, she knew survival alone wouldn’t be … Read More
$500,000 Gift from BMO Helps Advance Canada’s First Integrated Addiction Recovery Community Housing Model
Streetohome Foundation is proud to announce a $500,000 gift from BMO to support the creation of Canada’s first integrated Addiction Recovery Community Housing (ARCH) model. The contribution will be provided over a five-year period. Designed as a seamless pathway from early recovery through long-term stability, the initiative responds to critical gaps across the recovery continuum. The ARCH development will be … Read More
One Safe Space Changes Everything: Brad’s Story
Sometimes, healing begins with a single, fragile hope – the hope that someone might finally see you. For Brad, that hope led him through the doors of the Recovery Café in early 2023. He was waiting for a treatment space, carrying years of struggle, and simply trying to hold himself together. A pamphlet he picked up in detox nudged him … Read More
