Its hard to take the steps that are necessary to build a better life for yourself when all of your energy goes into finding something to eat.
As a businessman in the Downtown East Side, Mark Brand (Boneta, Save-On Meats) has seen first hand just how hard residents have to struggle to feed themselves. Hes created many work opportunities at his businesses as one way to help; a few months ago he also introduced his breakfast token program that makes it easy for passersby to provide food to people on the streets.
And now hes come up with A Better Life Foundation. Through fundraising efforts and donations, hes going to fund various communal kitchens in the DTES.
A little can go a long way when the foundation pools everyones resources: $50 covers the food expenses for one community kitchen; $300 covers 100 meals; $4,500 can provide 50 meals a day for a month.
Being hungry sucks, said the video that was screened at the gala launch party at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday night. How can we make the world a better place? With cheese, pesto and pasta, cooked up with a little chicken and a lot of innovative ways to confront one of the citys most pressing problems.
If you are fed, Brand said, you are more likely to have the energy to seek out the other resources that can make your life better. Without food, other problems can seem insurmountable.
The solution to some of the DTESs problems is simple, he said: We need to feed more people.
Brand partnered with several groups as well as staff members to get the foundation off the ground. He praised Donnelly Group and Brand Live for their support. He also stressed that while he was the public face of the foundation, he was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to how many people are committed to creating better lives for the people who desperately need societys help.
