This July, EMBERS Eastside Works launched the Chinatown Community Stewardship Program in partnership with the Chinatown BIA and the City of Vancouver. Over 20 community members were hired to help businesses by responding to community concerns around safety, including needle removal, and providing support for the most barriered population in the area. Anne Lam is an Executive Producer of a multimedia theatre production project focusing on retail businesses in the Chinatown area. As someone invested in the well-being and preservation of the Chinatown community, Anne hopes that being part of the Chinatown Community Stewardship Program will provide insights to the issues and concerns of the storefronts in the area. Fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin, Anne has already had the opportunity to hear many of the these issues first-hand, identifying that businesses hope for both day-to-day improvements in the community as well as longterm changes. On a daily basis, storefronts voiced a need to respond to vandalism, theft, needles, waste, loiterers, and campers that have an affect on business flow. Anne and community members of the Chinatown Community Stewardship Program have dedicated their efforts to these concerns, picking up a total of 135 needles over 5 days, with the Dr. Sun Gardens area and Shanghai Alley seeing an increased numbers.  “I finally get the first hand experience of the Downtown Eastside community spirit,” says Anne speaking about the cordial cooperation of members of the Downtown Eastside. Anne has also been impressed by the collaborative and engaged attitudes of the stewards of the Chinatown Community Stewardship Program including supervisors, who have been instrumental with helping Eastside Works coordinate tasks and provide extra support for workers. “I am moved by the devotion of the team members, and the professional project planning of Eastside Works,” Anne adds. In the next few weeks, Anne is interested in learning how to provide support to businesses for one-off incidents, including alleyway fires, graffiti and break-ins. “I look forward to continue working with businesses and stewards to try to make Chinatown safer for everyone,” she says.

It’s Maurio’s reliable and earnest attitude that’s made him this June’s Employee of the Month. Read Maurio's story here!

This year, attendees can expect to swing alongside some pros. Joining us on the field is Amanda Robertson, with many top-5 finishes and several top-10 finishes in her professional career. Attendees can also expect to look for Jesse Pettersen on a Par 5 hole.