Despite the unstable economy one local initiative is seeing a welcome boost in business in the lead-up to Christmas.
Hope in Shadows, the annual calendar featuring photographs of the Downtown Eastside taken by neighbourhood residents, has sold nearly 70 per cent of its 2012 calendars.
Project director Paul Ryan says yearly sales have increased steadily since the project launched in 2003, but this years uptick has been significant. Already, 13,000 of the 17,000 copies have been sold on the street, tying last years street sales record.
Ryan attributes the jump to increased awareness of the project, good weather and a new approach to training for vendors that saw them attend workshops throughout the year on marketing, presentation and sales techniques. So we have more of them out their being more active, he says.
Hope in Shadows creates seasonal employment for some 220 vendors who are either low-income or homeless. They receive 50 per cent of the profits from each calendar sold. Featured photographs are selected in a DTES photography contest held each June.
Hope In Shadows sells for $20 from street vendors around the city or from HopeInShadows.com.
