Our Mission
The mission of Potluck Café Society is to transform lives by providing employment and hands-on training to members of the community who face barriers to traditional employment, and providing healthy, nutritious food for people living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
Respect
Dignity
Supportive Employment
Community
Focus
Collaboration
Acceptance
Our Values
Community Programs
Potluck is driven towards the commitment of transforming lives and restoring the economic vitality of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) by facilitating social programs that address dire community needs.
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These programs don't define us, but define our values, our goals, our mission.
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Community Meals
Thanks to funding from a local Vancouver foundations philanthropic donation, Potluck is able to provide 585 meals every week to hard-to-house residents in the DTES, including marginalized and at risk groups.​
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These meals are prepared fresh and packaged by our kitchen staff. Every weekday, community peers hand out 100 hot meals (and an extra 85 on Tuesday's)!
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"Beat the Heat" Lemonade Stand
To help the residents of the DTES, we thought what better way to keep people cool than by providing chilled lemonade. We were also successful in providing community members with some low-barrier employment too. ​
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A "pay-what-you-can' program, provided community members the chance to donate to our social programs should they so choose, all while drinking some yummy lemonade.
Greatly appreciated by the community, this program ran from July 2022, to September 2022, provided 3,541 cups of lemonade and over 350 hours of employment!
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Hot Chocolate Stand
To keep on par with our mission of the lemonade stand, we hosted a hot chocolate stand at our location Monday - Friday, through some of the coldest winter days we saw this year.
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This winter (Nov 2023-Mar 2024), we served 31,428 cups of hot chocolate to our Downtown Eastside neighbors and provided 630 hours of employment!
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Holiday Meal Program
Potluck and Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) have been community partners since 2022.
Potluck’s Holiday Meal Program produces and distributes 250 buffet style family meals to mothers and children identifying as Ukrainian refugees, during the holiday season.
Homelessness Action Week
Potluck produces and contributes 250-300 meals each year at Oppenheimer Park, to raise awareness about the growing homelessness in the Downtown Eastside.
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In 2023-24, Potluck contributed 300 meals of chili to hard-to-house residents at Oppenheimer Park.
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The 32nd Annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women's Memorial March
For a number of years, Potluck has participated in Vancouver's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women's Memorial March. In 2022-23, the 32nd annual march, Potluck showed support by providing 300 hot meals of Beef Stroganoff Pasta and Mashed Potatoes, and 100 pieces of homemade Bannock, followed by 300 meals of chili in 2023-24.
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We hope you also had the chance to participate.
Promise Vancouver
In the summer of 2022, a wonderful partnership between Potluck and Promise began. We provided 5 Friday's of homemade lunches to their low-income summer camp program. In the fall, it continued and we began providing monthly dinners for their after-school programs teen counsellors skill building sessions one Friday of every month. We love that we can support such an important and inspiring organization, and are so grateful to get to feed children (6-12 years) who wholly enjoy our food!
In 2022, we provided $5,251.95 worth of food. Additionally, in 2023, Potluck contributed meals worth $6,600 (approximately 425 meals) to Promise Vancouver!
Lemonade Stand -Fair in the Square
Every year, Potluck hosts a lemonade stand at the annual Fair in the Square event facilitated by Central City Foundation to commemorate non-profit organizations that serve the Downtown Eastside. In 2023-24, Potluck distributed 400 cups of lemonade at Victory Park square. ​
And more...
We aren't done there. Potluck has several food and employment programs being developed and implemented in the coming months. Keep an eye on our socials, or join our mailing list, to get up-to-date and first sneak peaks at new programs
Community Partners
Over the past two decades, we feel privileged to have made a contribution to the DTES Community that has had an impact on its members.
However, we fully recognize none of this would have been possible without the support and partnership of other organizations, not-for-profits, and our well wishers who have generously contributed in so many ways to Potluck's efforts.
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This section is dedicated to acknowledge and thank all of you, who have helped us along our journey.
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