Amplifying Voices, Empowering Communities: Journey of Reframing South Vancouver

Written by: Ani Gurtsishvili, Canada Program Associate

South Vancouver Neighbourhood House (SVNH) is a community-based organization offering programs and services in the South Vancouver catchment. Despite its rich cultural tapestry, South Vancouver has historically lacked equitable resource allocation and representation. With more than 80 percent of its residents being racialized individuals and families, SVNH saw an urgency to address disparities in these communities and ensure that more resources and funding are directed toward South Vancouver neighbourhoods. 

SVNH launched the Reframing South Vancouver initiative in 2021 in an effort to meaningfully shift how racialized people contribute to and belong in their neighbourhood. In 2022, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund provided a grant to support SVNH’s efforts to convene residents, business owners, employers, community agencies, and other stakeholders by providing a platform for racialized community members to engage with one another, identify needs, and advance grassroots-level systems change.

“SVNH serves literally everyone—Indigenous people, families, adults, seniors, preteens, youth, children, newcomers, 2SLGBTQIA+ people…from cradle to grave, we provide holistic support,” says Liza Bautista, Director of Neighbourhood Equity and Employment programs for SVNH.

Over the last two years, SVNH created valuable partnerships, convened forums, and established Neighbourhood Advisory Committees (NACs) made of racialized, English as a second language speaking volunteer leaders from the neighbourhoods in South Vancouver. The community forums SVNH has organized convinced various municipal and provincial-level staff and decision-makers to rally behind the South Vancouver catchment’s pursuit of equitable resource allocation and led to a motion passed by City Council to allocate additional resources to the region.  

In the beginning phase of the Reframing project, the SVNH team established many key partnerships including with neighbourhood residents, university researchers, community organizations, municipal staff, politicians, funders, and different levels of government. 

Through collaborating with academic researchers such as those at Simon Fraser University, SVNH held multiple community forums and presented impactful data to residents and stakeholders, raising awareness on the inequities experienced by South Vancouver residents. 

On April 28, 2023, SVNH hosted a presentation to the City of Vancouver to share research and community perspectives on social infrastructure gaps and solutions in South Vancouver. The forum included presentations by researchers and community members. This presentation led to a follow-up meeting with three Vancouver city councilors and a collaboration on writing a motion to present to the council and mayor.

Another outcome of the Reframing initiative was the formation of the NACs. A Neighbourhood Advisory Committee is a way for community members to share their opinions and perspectives, study issues, and develop recommendations in a focused, small-group structure. These committees act as unifying advocacy groups for the South Vancouver community. The Reframing team offered the NAC members training and support such as skills workshops and grant information sessions. It took the SVNH team significant time and effort to build trust and foster genuine relationships with South Vancouver residents from different countries, cultures, and language backgrounds during the formation of committees, but it was well worth it. 

I spoke with Prabhi Deol, the Punjabi-speaking Community Navigator for SVNH, who said, “It has been very touching and exciting to witness the growth of our NAC members as they have really demonstrated the strength, creativity, and resilience of the community.”

(Above, second from left: The woman holding a card is Tomomi Suzuki.)

Tomomi Suzuki, a newcomer whom the SVNH team engaged in the beginning phase of the initiative, later joined the NACs. With the help of the NACs, she grew from a new immigrant in Canada who struggled to find support for her family to a neighbourhood champion who leads community projects. “We need to tell the city what we need in the neighbourhood,” she says. “I think part of the reason for less funding in South Vancouver is that not many people know the system well enough to voice out their needs.”

This is what the Reframing South Vancouver initiative has aimed to change, by promoting civic engagement and participation.  

On June 28, 2023, SVNH presented its motion titled “Addressing Ongoing Inequities by Improving Social Infrastructure and Access to Services Across South Vancouver and Marpole Neighbourhoods” to the council and mayor. After 34 community speakers and Neighbourhood House allies, including Tomomi Suzuki, took turns sharing their experiences with South Vancouver inequities and requested more funding and support for the region, the motion was approved unanimously by the council. This victory was a true testament to the power of community.

“After all that we have done in the past three years, we are still just scratching the surface,” says Cherry Wong, the Chinese-speaking Community Navigator on the Reframing team. “We are determined to keep nurturing our Neighbourhood Advisory Committees, elevating their voices, and empowering them to become neighbourhood champions.”

At the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, we are honoured to have played a role in supporting SVNH’s efforts. Our commitment to fostering inclusive and equitable communities aligns with the goals of the Reframing initiative.  

“The Fund provided capacity-strengthening opportunities and facilitated grantee gatherings over Zoom, which helped further our project,” SVNH’s Liza Bautista says. “The Fund understands that community work involves a lot of trust, relationship building, and qualitative work, so its flexibility has been key.”

SVNH’s dedication to serving the diverse needs of South Vancouver residents, especially racialized newcomers, is truly commendable. Through the Reframing initiative, it has forged valuable partnerships, mobilized community voices, and successfully advocated for much-needed resources and support in the South Vancouver catchment. 

I had the opportunity to follow the Reframing initiative journey in South Vancouver as a program associate here with the Fund team and felt inspired by witnessing this process unfold from its inception to a successful grassroots advocacy effort. It has helped me understand the positive impact of communal power and the importance of amplifying the voices of all residents, regardless of their religious and cultural backgrounds, English language proficiency, or status in Canada. We all equally have the right to build better communities together, and by doing so, we can create the change we wish to see around us. The creation of Neighbourhood Advisory Committees is a great model that could be applied in various regions across Canada to allow racialized immigrant and newcomer communities to contribute to their neighbourhoods and advocate for equitable resource allocation.