Vancouver Coastal Region
Regional Rise Up! Spotlight: Vancouver Coastal
Rise Up! gratefully acknowledge our work is taking place on the traditional and ancestral territories of many Coast Salish Nations who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial, including the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and (səlilwətaɬ) Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
Welcome to the Vancouver Coastal Region! We are privileged to work in this region as there is such a rich and diverse ecosystem of organizations providing essential and radical work.
This work is happening across the region, including in the City of Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond and up the Sea to Sky. Rise Up! gratefully acknowledges this work is taking place on the traditional and ancestral territories of many Coast Salish Nations who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial, including the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and (səlilwətaɬ) Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
Examples of this work include urban community gardens focused on equitable food access, organizations redirecting food destined for the landfill into our communities, Indigenous Food Forests engaged in active reconciliation, and non-profits that are all about empowering youth to connect to the land – and that’s just scratching the surface!
A Bit About Me – Your Vancouver Coastal Regional Lead
Tegan McGowan
My name is Tegan, and I am the Vancouver Coastal Regional Lead for the Rise Up! program. I am motivated by communities that live in reciprocal relationship with our lands and waters and am deeply committed to equitable food systems that prioritise people and planet over profit.
One of the (many) perks of this role is being able to spend time connecting with organizations that are focused on food systems transformation and environmental stewardship, and are dedicated to serving their communities. Another perk is meeting the youth who want to help them!
I’m looking forward to sharing the joy of good food with youth across the north!
Meet Our Vancouver Coastal Region Host Organizations
Environmental Youth Alliance
Vancouver
Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA) empowers youth from equity-denied communities to become environmental stewards, through land-based education and employment training programs that center on native plant horticulture, ecological restoration, plant medicine, and community leadership.
As a Rise Up! volunteer you might help out with stewardship tasks such as watering, weeding, invasive species removal and planting native plants. You might contribute to small construction projects and learn employability skills alongside other youth in EYA programs.
If you identify as BIPOC and/or living with a disability, want to work in nature alongside other in East Vancouver, get in touch with EYA!
Food Stash Foundation
Vancouver
Food Stash is a registered charity dedicated to reducing food waste and the impact it has on our planet. They build strong local connections with community and collect food from retailers, wholesalers and farms that would otherwise go to waste, redirecting it to community.
As a Rise Up! volunteer you might support their in-person operations as a Rescued Food Sorter or Market Facilitator. You might also develop a user-friendly food resource that can be shared with the community, or support team leads during group volunteering sessions.
If you’re passionate about dignified food access, reducing food waste, and love working with people, get in touch with Food Stash!”
Vancouver Fruit Tree Project
Vancouver
Vancouver Fruit Tree Project (VFTP) is an organization and registered charity focused on picking backyard fruit trees in Vancouver with a dedicated team of volunteers.
Their mission is to strengthen Vancouver’s food security by celebrating and distributing the bounty of our local fruit trees, reducing fruit waste, and cultivating community in our neighbourhoods.
As Rise Up! volunteer you will help VFTP through peak harvest season as a Fruit Rescue team lead, leading picks and delivering the harvest to community partners. You might also support with event planning and coordination, and outreach and engagement via their blog. If this sounds like you, get in touch with VFTP!
Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation
Vancouver
Vancouver Food Forest Foundation’s (VUFFF) mission is to transform Vancouver’s neighbourhoods into the nourishing spaces we need them to be. They work to amplify and prioritize Indigenous ways of knowing and marginalized voices in our public parks and green spaces.
They transform our environment through community knowledge-sharing, food forests and by creating hubs for mutual aid and exchange.
As a Rise Up! volunteer you might get involved with one of their sites such as Chenchenstway Healing Garden, the Kamloops Plaza Indigenous Food Forest or Burrard view Park Food Forest, which is currently in the planning stages.
There is opportunity to be involved in decolonization, active reconciliation, land stewardship and knowledge sharing. If this sounds like you, get in touch with VUFFF!
Urban Bounty
Richmond
Urban Bounty is a Richmond Charity that works to cultivate a strong local food system through education, advocacy and community-driven initiatives.
Urban Bounty has five core programs: Community Gardens, Wellness in the Garden, Living Soil Land Stewardship, Seed Security and Urban Food Forestry. Through these programs, they host educational workshops and events, provide volunteering opportunities and help people to grow and share food!
As a Rise Up! volunteer you might get involved with their pollinator patches within their community gardens or become a Fruit Recovery Lead during peak fruit harvest season.
Other Organizations
Some of the other organizations we are excited and grateful to be partnering with include:
Ready to Get Involved?
Want to learn more about Rise Up!? Fill out our contact form below to connect with our Vancouver Coastal Regional Lead. The Regional leads can walk you through next steps and work closely with you to shape volunteer opportunities that align with your organizational goals and values.
