Much needed warmth on a rainy day
At the heart of what we do is a deep respect for the value and dignity of every human.
Saturday April 29, 2018, was a great day – certainly not because of the rain, but because Providence Health Care stepped up to the plate once again to serve some of society’s most vulnerable people.
Saturday marked this spring’s Providence in the Park event. Providence in the Park is Providence Health Care’s biannual outreach event that’s been happening since 2005, bringing warm clothing, food, haircuts and compassion to our community members in the Downtown Eastside.
People line up to receive warm clothing and food at Providence in the Park.
Following in the footsteps of Providence Health Care’s founding congregation, whose mission it was to serve Vancouver’s most vulnerable populations, Providence gathers donations and sponsors from across Vancouver to support the people in the Downtown Eastside. Staff from all corners of Providence made it out on the blustery day to hand out donated clothing items and blankets; serve warm cups of coffee, lunches and snacks; and give back to our community. The St. Paul’s Foundation Youth Group, formerly the Tapestry Foundation Youth group, held clothing drives and solicited sponsorship for this event.
“People really feel like they are a part of Providence at this event, not just ‘St. Paul’s’ or ‘Mount Saint Joseph’s,” said Lucy Luongo, coordinator of Mission Services.
For many, Providence in the Park is the embodiment of what Providence Health Care means: compassionate, mission-driven and giving.
