Vancouver Urban Ministries
4847 Joyce Street V5R 4G4 Vancouver, BC, Canada

We just had our first online VUM Family Gathering for the school year 2020-2021! Miss Panda showed up to sing songs together and auntie Swan Lee came to lead us into dance! Also a special thanks to Loretta Ng (clinical registered counsellor) sharing with us about dealing with stress during the pandemic. The kids did really well with the quiz about animal facts by David innes!

Thank you to all those who donated keyboards and tablet devices for our free music program (Eagle Youth Music School) and tutoring program (Rising Above Tutoring). David Innes (VUM Executive Director) will be delivering some of them to our students today!

The repercussions of allowing a child to miss out on accessing education are very significant. We make the assumption that access to education is available to all children, but that is not so. Many children still slip through the cracks because of learning challenges and social issues and do not gain the basic skills of reading, writing and spelling in their formative years. There are all kinds of consequences for these children. Without education, young people will end up... at the bottom of the list in applying for a job. They are likely to be exploited and remain trapped in poverty without a voice in our society. Most children get their start in education from their parents and if their parents have missed out on education then they are already at a disadvantage. I am so proud of the many staff, volunteers and supporters at Vancouver Urban Ministries who are determined to help change the life outcomes for children who are in danger of falling through the gaps in the poorest neighborhood’s of Vancouver BC. These staff and volunteers are true heroes who give their time and talents to make a real difference. Can I really change the situation for the poorest in our community? I believe you can. Not just by giving food and shelter to the poor and homeless but also by investing in children and participating in the long term solution...making sure little kids get access to education and are given the tools to escape the poverty trap. There is a growing movement of people who are making a crucial difference. You can join by volunteering or giving at www.myvum.ca I can assure you that every volunteer hour and every dollar donated is making a long term difference to a little child.

Ride for Refuge Challenge This Thursday I officially enter the ranks of the "seniors" in this world! I believe that 60's are the new middle age but I will take advantage of all the discounts - here we come 4pm dining! On Saturday (3rd October) I will be taking part in the "Ride for Refuge" again to raise funds for Vancouver Urban Ministries.... This has been a challenging time for Vancouver Urban Ministries with the COVID shutdowns and limitations but amazingly, by the grace of God, the ministry has really grown and developed. God is faithful and it seems that he uses tough times to bring out the best in us. Here are some highlights from the ministry: 1. At the beginning of 2019/2020 we tutoring 50 children in our free one-on-one specialized tutoring program and 14 in our music program. 2. With the shutdown of schools, we transferred to online tutoring where we tutored 40 children. 3. Over the summer we tutored 22 children online and with our close friend CRRS we held an online summer camp for 30 kids. 4. In September we trained 15 new tutors who will be added to our tutoring team in October. We hope to launch with 58 children in our program. Registration has begun and applications are streaming in from parents who wish their child to be included in the program. 5. We will also be launching an online music program and we will be holding online family gatherings with the families of our children. 6. We have also launched a Scholarship Fund which will enable children from our program who show a real desire for learning to attend Christian School here in Vancouver. Our first scholarship student began Christian school in September. Will you please consider giving generously to this fantastic cause? This is a movement of people who are helping change the lives of young kids in East Vancouver. We are growing and we need your financial support. You can give securely from any country at my giving page at: https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx... You will also give an old man encouragement as I plod round the course with Rick's help!

We are recruiting volunteer music teachers again to teach inner-city kids in the East Vancouver area! This school year we are switching to teaching online lessons. We will provide training & tutorial for the volunteers on how to teach online. Contact: Esther Leung-Kong ([email protected])