Collingwood Neighbourhood House

The Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH) is located in Collingwood Village and is a centerpiece of the Collingwood-Renfrew neighbourhood in Vancouver. Though the CNH has been in operation since 1985, its current building was not completed until 1995. In addition to raising funds annually, the CNH also benefits from an endowment fund of two million dollars from a partnership involving the City of Vancouver, Concert Properties Inc., the governments of British Columbia and Canada, and numerous community donors. The endowment supports the CNH’s ongoing operations and services. The entire initiative, including setting up the endowment and constructing a new building cost $10 million.

The mission of the CNH is to provide leadership, programs, and services in response to the social, educational, economic, health, cultural, and recreational needs of residents of Collingwood, and to promote the well-being of residents and the community as a whole. CNH programs and services include: multicultural services, including ESL training and settlement assistance; family services, including childcare and parent-support programs; youth services, such as employment assistance and anti-violence initiatives; and senior’s services.

The values and beliefs of the CNH are focused on self-reliance, cooperation, respect, social justice and equity, citizenship, and diversity.

A Food Security Program was established to help residents to grow and share food. The program includes community gardens, a bi-weekly community breakfast for those in need, and the Grow-a-Row Program, where residents donate produce from their gardens to people with food security issues. With the help of dedicated youth, community volunteers, a local landscape architect and members of CommunitySTUDIO (a service-oriented, community design group from UBC’s Landscape Architecture Program), CNH has created a rooftop vegetable garden.

In addition to social sustainability, the CNH is also concerned with environmental sustainability. The Renfrew Ravine Committee aims to restore the ravine’s natural environment. The CNH is also involved in the revitalization of Still Creek. The CNH actively encourages and develops community leadership through various programs, such as educational gardening seminars that teach residents how to grow and compost organic food, and organic seed swaps are part of the Food Security Program.

In the Collingwood community family programs are very important. These include childcare and parenting assistance services, such as Nobody’s Perfect, and a free program for parents with children up to five years of age. Other major programs include computer courses and resume services, a legal aid program, youth, adult and senior’s programs, aboriginal development projects, and arts and cultural development. Multicultural services, including ESL and the Buddy Program, which matches recently-immigrated students with high school mentors, are also offered.

www.cnh.bc.ca

Tours: While drop-ins are welcome, an appointment is necessary to view the childcare services and the rooftop garden. To view the Collingwood Neighbourhood House at its liveliest, visit week-day and week-end mornings.

 

This post was imported from the 'Greater Vancouver Green Guide', it's part of the 'Green Guide Portal' to the Green Building Brain.