In support of the late Randy Ponzio’s children, they’re throwing a benefit concert at the Commodore on February 17th. With more than 20 artists and 40 sponsors on board so far this will be an unprecedented showing of support for the 3 kids left behind after Randy’s untimely death this past November.

Photo courtesy Kelsey Klassen

HERE is a link with all of the info. We really hope to see you there.

Stay tuned for more Random Acts!

In the third year of their Birds Nest Project, an army of their employees volunteered to construct 700 of these wind/waterproof capes for the homeless and impoverished in the Lower Mainland.

HERE is a link with all of the info.

Photos courtesy Arc’teryx

Stay tuned for more Random Acts!

Running until February 5th, Feast Van is a culinary and social venture taking place at 16 of Vancouver’s east side restaurants. Feast Van was started by Joe Chaput, proprietor of Au Petit Chavignol and Les Amis du Fromage, as a way to raise money for the Strathcona Community Center Backpack Food Program. Throughout the 2 weeks of Feast Van, participating restaurants will be donating $1 from every fixed price 3 course meal towards the program. The objective of the program is to help feed children on the weekends when their school feeding programs don’t run. Children from both Seymour and Strathcona Elementary Schools receive backpacks each Friday afternoon. Here is what they receive in the bags.

Food each child takes home for the weekend

The idea is to help families maintain consistent and healthy nutrition for underprivileged inner city youth, which in turn helps their performance and overall health. The program currently feeds 300 children through its current structure and is always looking for volunteers and community sponsorships to help out. Feast Van serves to buttress the programs’ effort with both direct contributions and latently by raising awareness.

I visited my first restaurant on Friday evening, which was Andrey Durbach and Chris Stewart’s restaurant Cafeteria on Main street. Durbach and Stewart are also the ones behind Pied-à-Terre and La Buca restaurants. Cafeteria’s menu for Feast Van included 4 appetizers, 4 main courses and 3 desserts. I started out with the Moules(mussels) Bisque which was delicious. It is a light curry over mussels, asparagus, carrots and other various accoutrements. For the main course I had the Tagine of chicken with green olives, preserved lemon, sundried apricot, almonds, couscous. Being of Moroccan descent this was an immediate go to for me. The chicken fell off the bone and the harissa was a welcomed spicy addition. The biggest mention (and I say that lightly because all the food was great) was the Peanut butter and sour cherry jam pie. The combination speaks for itself. All you PB&J fans out there have a must try now on your plate.

Grilled beef tenderloin teriyaki, tempura kimchi maki roll, shishito peppers, mizuna salad

If you are interested in helping out you can either visit one of the restaurants participating in Feast Van or you can donate to the Strathcona Community Center Backpack Food Program directly. Here is a list of items they are in most need of to provide the nutrition that they are going for.

-brown/white rice cakes   -whole grain crackers   -granola bars without chocolate

-seaweed snack   -small snack boxes of raisins   -small packs of unsweetened apple/fruit sauce

-low sodium tetra pack or canned soups   -pasta and jarred pasta sauce   -low sugar/salt cereals

-canned salmon   -baby bel individual cheese portions   -cheese strings   -low sodium yogurt cups

The front and back staff at Cafeteria were amazing and nice enough to let me come back and snap some photos for our readers. Enjoy the pics and go enjoy some food!

Mussel bisque “mouclade” with light curry & asparagus

Ling cod with herbs & olive oil, rock shrimp & clam risotto

Tagine of chicken w/ green olives, preserved lemon, sundried apricot, almonds, couscous, harissa

Peanut butter pie w/ sour cherry jam

Each month from here on out we will be making a monthly guest post on Vancouver Is Awesome shedding light on our featured Charity Of The Month!

On occasion, things can overlap in the best of ways. Peanut butter for example, is fantastic with both jam AND nutella. Similarly, there are a lot of organizations in Vancouver that are both awesome AND adding a little more good to the world. We’d like to introduce our January Charity of the Month: The Take A Hike Youth At Risk Foundation. We got a chance to chat with Executive Director Jaydeen Williams on what makes Take A Hike awesome, how they change the lives of hundreds of kids and her favourite way to a little more good. 

ALMG: In case someone hasn’t heard of you guys yet, what makes Take A Hike awesome? 

JW: Take a Hike is an alternative education program that engages Vancouver at-risk youth through a unique combination of adventure-based learning (weekly outdays plus three multi-day expeditions per school year), academics, counseling, and community involvement (our students volunteer in the community too).  Students in the Take a Hike program often struggle with issues that have inhibited their success in the mainstream school system such as drug and alcohol addiction, physical and mental abuse, criminal activity, low self-esteem, depression, and/or trauma.

ALMG: That is definitely awesome. What is the biggest change you notice in your students, from their first day of school to graduation?

JW: Consistently, our qualitative evaluations reflect student’s improved self-esteem as well as increased communication and conflict resolution skills.  In our 2011 Summer Update we told the story of a First Nations student who completed three years at TAH starting in grade 10 and graduated in the class of 2011. At first it was challenging to get him to come to school. He began to show confidence in being the first in his family to stay in school and finish all of the requirements for a grade 12 graduation. He also knew that being the first to do so would be a positive example for his younger siblings and family members to follow. This is what he wanted to share with donors:

“This year is my final high school year. I have been in Take a Hike since grade 10. Physically, I have lost 200 pounds. More important to me though is that mentally and emotionally there have been huge differences. These trips are hard on my body because of my addictions that I face back at home. In grade 10 I found the short 3-day trip totally hard, and today I finished my last trip ever: 10 days on the West Coast Trail. Within that time I have learned more about myself than anywhere else in my lifetime. I know the memories I’ve made here at Take a Hike will stick with me all my life. It is hard to thank this school for everything it has done for me. From the healthy food, teachers, scholarships, and even saving me while I was going through mild hypothermia. Thank you. The other students that have cycled through this program, most going through the same stressful situations at home, have been huge motivation factors for me; I realize that it wasn’t all me motivating myself. The skills I have learned will help me in both the present and the future. Without this school, I would literally be sitting on the curb doing nothing but asking for change. I’m proud to say I’m a graduate of Take a Hike 2011. Thank You.”

Every student has their own story, and you can find some of them on our website under “student stories”.

ALMG: And you’ve been able to help hundreds of kids! What’s been your most rewarding experience thus far?

JW: I’ve been with Take a Hike for a year and a half now and I think my most rewarding experience was our graduation BBQ at the end of last year.  It was so wonderful to see students, their families, our staff, volunteers and some special donors all together in one spot, the Kitsilano Yacht Club.  Each student was asked to stand at the front of the room and the teachers, therapists, other program staff and their families shared the positive changes they had seen in this student since coming to Take a Hike.  There was inevitably embarrassment from the students who were the centre of attention at their moment, but I saw pride and confidence, definitely not something I saw when I first met these students.  We also had the opportunity to give out some Take a Hike Scholarships to Take a Hike graduates and alumni.  To see the connection between these students and our donors who fund these scholarships was magical.  What a day!

ALMG: That is fantastic! Plus, you’ve just celebrated the 10 year anniversary of Take A Hike, congratulations on a fantastic milestone! What’s happening for decade number two?

JW: Thank you so much!  Our ambassador, Canadian Olympian Clara Hughes actually came to Vancouver to celebrate our 10th anniversary.  She led a bike ride around Stanley Park with our students, and then spoke at a reception with our donors and other supporters.

Take a Hike is expanding its reach to support more at-risk youth in multiple communities. Over the past ten years we have helped hundreds of teens through the personal struggles that far too often keep them from reaching their full potential and achieving success, both in the classroom and in life. We’re on the verge of an exciting new chapter – we’re creating new paths to explore.

ALMG: How can someone get involved with Take a Hike?

JW: Anyone can help make a difference in the lives of our students by donating, sending a cheque or donating online.  We’re also always looking for new or gently used outdoor clothing and equipment.  Sometimes people like to hold their own fundraisers and donate the proceeds, and we are happy to help with that too.  For those who would like to also give their time, we have a variety of different volunteer opportunities.  Volunteers can support our students in the classroom, or outdoors.  Sometimes our volunteers join on the multi-day expeditions, like “the beast” Rob, our Winter 2011 featured volunteer.  The Foundation also recruits volunteers for a wide variety of roles: research, grant writing, event planning, our board of directors, and so much more.  Anyone interested in volunteering can email me directly at jaydeen@takeahikefoundation.org.

ALMG: It sounds like there’s something for everyone. Lastly, what is your favourite way to do a little more good? 

JW: Umbrellas are made for two!  At street corners and sometimes walking downtown I like to share my umbrella with strangers.  I also like to sneak under the umbrellas of others and when caught, “you don’t mind, right?”  So far, I’ve only received smiles in return.

Free on Thursday nights? There are two more ways you can support Take A Hike coming up in the next few weeks. This Thursday, January 26th, from 7-9 PM A Little More Good is hosting The Snow Tubing Classic presented by Mount Seymour. Tickets are only $20 and all the proceeds go straight to Take A Hike.

On Thursday, February 23rd, Take A Hike is hosting their 6th annual Moonlight Snowshoe. Registration is only $20 and with sponsors like Purdy’s Chocolates, it’s bound to be a great time.

Here she visits the coffee elder Ato Sha’le Bokal to show him his image in print for the first time, with a translating assist from transport captain and coolest man in Ethiopia Teddy Berhanu.

I give a thumbs up to piles of toys!

The Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau will be receiving an avalanche of toys pretty soon because my mom and dad and me and about 5,000 other people got a free breakfast in exchange for helping other kids by donating toys!

I’m scared of Santa so as long as he stays away from me during breakfast I’m all smiles

Thanks to the Pan Pacific Vancouver for putting on such a sweet annual event that benefits families, and for putting us up last night making it easy for me to blog about breakfast and then enjoy this sweet view of Coal Harbour afterwards!

And hey, Merry Christmas!

Okay, okay… I spliced the message together a little bit. Essentially the message is that he’s got some toys and he’s giving them to some kids in need, and if you’re feeling in a giving mood then perhaps you should do the same. All of the details are available HERE.

If you think there is someone or something that needs coverage in this city in regards to the Hip Hop / Electronic community then get in touch with us.

Vancouver’s own Jeff Spec will be performing in North Vancouver at Narrow’s on December 5th and at The Media Club in Vancouver on December 8th as VIA (not vancouver is awesome) Rail presents ‘The Train of Thought Tour’. The tour, which lasts a month and will see Jeff and his fellow artists from east to west, is sponsored by VIA Rail, a sponsor of the Juno awards. Canadian artists alongside Jeff Spec (from 2nd left to right) are Hip-Hop veteran Timbuktu, SOCAN award-winner Muneshine, and Juno nominee Ghettosocks. I got a chance to do a Q and A with Jeff about the tour and his new album Specnology.

Photo: Courtesy of Artist

How did you group up with your fellow travelers?

I met all of the guys at various times but earlier this year I was in the studio with Muneshine, and we started talking about what it would take to make a full Canadian tour come together for a hip hop artist, and were on the same page that having a group of artists with networks in the different regions was key.  Between the two of us, Ghettosocks and Timbuktu, we span the bulk of the country so working together on this has been really effective.

How did you come by getting such an awesome tour sponsor as VIA rail?

VIA Rail actually has a long history of involvement with Canadian music, and is a major sponsor of the Junos. The VIA Rail sponsorship was arranged by Ghettosocks. He was nominated for a Juno for his album “Treat Of The Day” this year. He performed at the Juno Chairman’s reception and had the opportunity to make a connection with VIA Rail, and the rest is history…

How are you adapting to life on the go? (moving cities, touring)

It’s something that you get used to! Between the four of us, we’re familiar with nearly every city and town we’re visiting. I’ve toured the western provinces a ton, Socks has done the east a lot, and so on… We have favourite restaurants, coffee spots, and neighbourhoods that we’re all excited to visit when we arrive.  It’s easy to wind up a little under the weather when you’re away from home for over a month with an erratic sleeping schedule, so I personally stay stocked up on the vitamins and try to get a good meal whenever I can!

What is it going to be like playing in Vancouver for a home crowd at The Media Club?

That’s the show that I’m most excited about. I’ve heard the Vancouver crowd described as being tough for locals but I’ve been feeling a lot of love at home, especially over the past few years. The Media Club is one of my favorite venues because you can always trust the sound, and the people are there specifically to hear music. It’s always great to play for a room full of friends too.

Tell us about Specnology

Specnology is my newest record, probably 18th or so in my discography.  The name comes from the fact that I’ve never been too concerned with having the newest or most vintage, or most hi- or low- tech equipment, and I like to do things my own way, on my own terms. This album was recorded in my room on some really straightforward gear, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

Why Vancouver?

Vancouver is my favorite city. I think it has everything you could want.  It’s the right balance between fast and slow-paced, there’s so much natural beauty surrounding and within it, and it’s really come into its own as an international city over the past decade, in my opinion.  We have such a diverse population and of course an amazing selection of cuisine and coffee. What else do you need, right?

You can follow Jeff Spec and the tour at these locations:

JEFF SPEC FACEBOOK PAGE                       VANCOUVER EVENT PAGE

THE TRAIN OF THOUGHT TOUR

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SONREAL’S NEW VIDEO FEATURING ALI MILNER

SONREAL : HAUNTED FEAT. ALI MILNER

DIRECTED BY : KEN GALLOWAY

TRACK PRODUCED BY : SOUNDSMITH

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A-LIFE COAT & CAN CHARITY DRIVE

ALIFE Vancouver is set to launch their ‘Coat & Can Charity Drive’ that raises warm coats and food for the Vancouver Salvation Army and for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.  The event runs until December 23rd.

Partnering with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society to help families in need during the upcoming holiday season, ALIFE will provide a 30% discount to any item(s) in the store for a per person donation of 1 coat and 2 non-perishable food items. At the end of the 6 week charity drive all donated coats will be distributed amongst all the Vancouver Salvation Army locations.

Today we feature Bradley Messer, who speaks to wood, or rather wood speaks to him.

He reads the knots and rings to find the spirit living within each found piece, then lovingly transforms them using fine materials such as sharpies and wax scuff-repair crayons. The characters living within these grains often bear a striking resemblance to passing Chinatowners, graffiti kids, urban animals, 3-eyed creatures, Gremlins, Ewoks, tweakers, hustlers, and birds.

Do you remember Movember’s end last year

Today marks the first day of Movember, a month-long initiative to raise awareness and funds for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer. Men are encouraged to register, grow a ‘stache, and get pledges supporting their mo-growth.

ON NOVEMBER 30th for the second year running, the Biltmore will play host to the Movember Mo-Off, a night celebrating the accomplishments of those who have been harvesting their soup strainers. The main event of the evening is a mustache contest, where designated ladies roam through the crowd and nominate the best Mo’s.  In a true Mo-Off showdown, the crowd will decide on the most magnificent Mo, who will win a Gentleman’s Prize Pack. Then, for those who are ready to part ways with their lip neighbours, The Belmont Barbershop will be stationed and ready to offer free shaves, which will be documented, photobooth-style, by us!!!

Keeping everyone and their lip warmers entertained through the evening will be:
The Matinée – http://thematineemusic.com/
Redbird – http://redbirdmusic.ca/
Portage and Main – http://portageandmainband.com/

Hosting the night’s festivities will be on-air personalities Laurie Logan and Carly Walde from 100.5 the PEAK. Doors will open at 8, and cover will be by donation (suggested $10). Our friends at Phillips Brewery will be giving away free beers to the first 50 people to arrive!

Check out our Facebook EVENT PAGE and FAN PAGE…and watch for updates all throughout Movember!