New for 2019!

The Service Project is an extracurricular activity for those who might be interested in giving back to the local community.

VAST is the largest center in British Columbia for refugee mental health, working with refugees from over 100 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Programs and services are offered in over a dozen languages, including Arabic, Farsi, French, Mandarin, and Spanish. VAST supports the mental health of refugees who arrive in British Columbia with psychological trauma as a result of torture, political violence, and other forms of persecution on the basis of race, religion, gender identity, and sexual orientation. VAST also operates a community kitchen, emergency food bank and collects clothing donations.

How Can I Get Involved?

Donate a Clothing Item (open to all attendees)
Save a spot in your suitcase! We will be collecting clothing donations to drop off to VAST on Wednesday evening. Pack a winter clothing item to bring with you to the conference – scarves, hats, gloves/mittens, socks, and (of course) umbrellas are all appreciated!

Volunteer at VAST (limited to 10 volunteers)
Travel to VAST to work alongside refugee volunteers sorting and labeling incoming food and clothing donations. The evening will conclude with an informal discussion group. Hear from refugees about their previous education and the challenges they encountered bringing their credentials to a new country. Share your perspective and thoughts about credential evaluation.

Interested in Volunteering?

When:  Wednesday, October 23, 6:30-9:00

Where: VAST is located at 2610 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5N 4L2, a short taxi ride or approximately 15-20 minutes via Skytrain from the conference hotel. TAICEP will coordinate travel as a group to and from VAST. Volunteers are asked to cover the cost of their own transportation.

How: Submit your name and a brief (maximum 10 sentences) introduction about yourself and your interest in this volunteer opportunity via email to the Service Project Coordinator, Wendy Joyce (admsdirector@uvic.ca) no later than October 10th. In the event that requests outweigh the number of spots available, our goal will be to select a balanced representation across regions and organizations.

Questions?

All questions are welcome and should be directed to Wendy Joyce (admsdirector@uvic.ca). Please include "Service Project" in your subject line.

TAICEP is not an official sponsor of this volunteer opportunity and assumes no liability for participants or endorsement.