Help in the Downtown Eastside

Resource Guide

This is a free resource guide, available in a pocket-sized booklet, that lists all manner of organisations, agencies, drop-ins & services in the DTES. Anything helpful or useful or necessary for low-income residents / visitors / transients / maybe even tourists / dilettantes related to the minimum necessities of life: Food; Clothing; Shelter; Medical Aid & Education. Languages include English, French & Spanish. Hardcopies are distributed to most of the listees in quantities commensurate with the number of people who utilise such on a regular or daily basis.

"Help" has been extant since 1991, with 1000 English booklets made for a trial run to see if anyone would use it. The response from most places was very good, and the Info Desk staff in the Carnegie Centre were beaming. "This is great! No more writing notes on scrap paper or answering repetitive questions about "Where do I go to get _________?"

There were 3 updates in each of the 1st & 2nd years. It became a matter of finding someone or thing to pay for the printing. Collation / stapling / folding & distribution were done by a few volunteers and continued being produced this way for several years. Finally, when this method took over 100 hours to complete production of the latest update, the editor resolved to find a Printshop with a machine capable of performing the first 3 tasks automatically. (There was the cost factor to consider as well...)

The most current version is here with #60 JUNE 2024.  This new updated & revised edition is thanks to the financial help offered by the Vancity Community Foundation. A general letter asking if there was any funding available got a very positive response; funds have been directed to make a much-needed update with the assurance that this resource guide was worth spending it on.