3 great reasons to support Hope in Shadows

One: Foster pride and confidence
The annual Hope in Shadows photography contest for Downtown Eastside residents showcases local talent, gives residents a sense of pride in their community and builds confidence in participants and contest winners. 200 participants receive free recyclable cameras and have three days to capture images that show their community as they see it. Hundreds more Downtown Eastside residents take part in the community vote to determine the contest winners. An exciting community event, Hope in Shadows is now in its tenth year.

Two: Help people help themselves
Winning photographs feature in the annual calendar which is sold through our vendor program. Established to create accessible employment opportunities for people living in poverty, the vendor program has become one of our greatest successes. The model is simple: people interested in the program attend a training session where we provide a complementary calendar to get them started. Vendors buy subsequent calendars for $10 each and sell them for $20. In 2011, 230 low-income people took part in the vendor program and collectively earned more than $145,000.

Three: Send a positive message
In addition to being featured in an annual calendar, the winning photos form an exhibition that is hung in galleries throughout the province. By showing the humanity, spirit and hope of a community that is often known only for its struggles, the exhibition is an educational tool that builds understanding and empathy. Moreover, Hope in Shadows attracts positive coverage about the Downtown Eastside community from major print and broadcast media. 

If you can sponsor Hope in Shadows, please call 604 255 9701

Sponsorship Pack Become a Champion Community Builder 

We would like to express our appreciation for the visionary companies, organizations and individuals that have made this project such a profound success.

In this section you can find out more about the Champion Community Builders, Community Builders and Community Friends who support us.