WINTER 2019 NEWSLETTER
Community is one of the greatest gifts we give to our friends. It is in every fibre of what we do here at Inner Hope.
The reality is that the people we walk alongside face enormous struggles. There are life-or-death issues in our city that are overwhelming. You’ve heard about them in the news: homelessness, ageing out of foster care, addiction, broken families, and racial oppression. These are trials that our families face each day. Yet, there is hope. Your gifts enable us to be a stable, loving presence in our community. Through this, God brings about miraculous transformation. We hope you will be encouraged and blessed this season as you experience the impact that your gifts have made! Keep an eye out for the five videos stories being released in December.
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“But God has so composed the body, giving greater honour to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.” 1 Corinthians 12:24-26 |
tHIS YEAR WE GAVE HOPE TO:
HOMELESSNESS“I was homeless for eight months before I found Inner Hope. When you're in shelters, you're in survival mode, always sleeping with one eye open. I don't have to do that anymore. It's really healing for me.” - from a resident in The Home In 2018, 681 youth experienced homelessness in Vancouver. The main reasons were family conflict (52%), substance abuse (40%) and mental illness (33%).
In 2019, The Home has housed 5 of these youth. In The Home, family relationships are prioritized and supports are in place to help with addictions and mental health issues. Our House Parents recently explained that life at The Home is sometimes like a rollercoaster - with all the highs and lows. But when the youth stick it out and work with our team, every youth is impacted. The youth are more equipped to face the world as they have a family of support and a foundation of life skills. BROKEN FAMILIESOf the 7,000 children in care in B.C., 63% are Indigenous even though they make up less than 10% of the population. Our desire is to see Aboriginal families stay together when possible.
In the past five months alone, we provided guidance and advocacy to keep three families together. This is a complicated process and each family has its own needs. However, for the three aunts who gained custody of their niece or nephew, who are thriving, we know this process was worth it. |
AGEING OUT OF FOSTER CAREEach year in BC, around 780 youth age out of foster care. Although some youth are resilient, they face more challenges than their peers. Not having a stable family network means limited financial help, poor life skills, and psychological scars linked to childhood trauma.
We are able to walk with youth as they navigate this and move into adulthood - offering community and providing support. Practical things like help with moving or a place to do laundry are given. Often, Inner Hope becomes an extended family, offering aid and friendship in times of trial. ADDICTIONLife expectancy rates in Canada have stopped increasing for the first time in four decades, due to the current opioid crisis.
Inner Hope offers the chance to break bonds. Through partnerships with other organizations, and the maintenance of a substance-free home, we equip every youth that comes to us struggling with addiction with resources and skills for recovery. RACIAL OPPRESSIONMore than 150,000 students attended residential schools and there are roughly 80,000 survivors alive today. The trauma of broken relationships, abuse, cultural destruction, and racism continue in East Vancouver.
The Inner Hope community is made up of a diverse set of people - including many First Nations brothers and sisters. It is our hope that as we grow together, listen, and learn, we can heal from the atrocities of the past and discover who God truly made us to be. |