This past summer, the Richmond Advocacy & Support Committee launched its YouTube channel called the RASC Project. In case you missed it, RASC hosted its annual “Art for Social Change” exhibition and variety show, for the first time in a virtual format, in early October. You can stream the whole video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEv5TleU7FU.

On Nov. 9, De Whalen, president of the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition, was part of a delegation presenting in front of Richmond City Council, speaking to a proposed recommendation for staff to build a policy framework and conduct an economic analysis for Non-Profit Organization (NPO) space needs. She recommended observing the best practices of other municipalities, such as considering city-owned, rather than developer-owned, spaces. Read more in the Richmond City Council meeting minutes.

We are pleased to announce that as of July 24, 2020, the Richmond PRC became a registered non-profit society under the BC Societies Act with a slightly different name: the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition (RPRC). The acronym is the same, as is our mission. We are, “a coalition of Richmond residents and agencies working together to reduce poverty and the impacts of poverty with research, projects and public education.”
RPRC is inviting people and organizations to join our society and become involved at the local level in poverty reduction. Those who …

Last month, the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition sent a letter to the City of Richmond requesting that Oct. 11 to 17, 2020 be declared as “Homeless Action Week.” Thanks to a speedy turnaround by the mayor and councillors, the proclamation is now official.
The request is partly in response to the statistics revealed by the homeless count in March. The number of homeless residents in the city has risen from 70 to 85 — which is actually an undercount as reported by outreach workers who estimate the number to be closer …

As part of the Culture Days programming, Richmond Advocacy and Support Committee (RASC) will once again host “Art for Social Change,” an art exhibition and variety show. The free 2020 event will showcase a variety of artistic material created and performed by RASC — featuring everything from spoken word and song to community-based art projects. In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, rather than taking place in-person as originally planned, this year’s show is now set to stream live on Youtube from the Richmond Caring Place on Saturday, Oct. 3 from …

Launched earlier this summer, the #300ToLive campaign’s mission is to call on the BC Government to transition the temporary $300 COVID-19 Support for those on Income & Disability Assistance into a permanent increase. Since its start, responses by those who are currently receiving the subsidy have been pouring in sharing how it has impacted their lives, and would continue to do so if the supplement continued on. You can read some of the stories or share your own here.
The initiative needs your help! Here are a few things you do …

The Richmond Advocacy & Support Committee (RASC) is hosting a series of ongoing workshops to teach community group members how to make medicine bags. Traditionally worn by Indigenous peoples as a way to connect to the spiritual world — thanks to the artist from the Saskatchewan Cree Nation who provided the instruction — the bags include a note of encouragement and are being given to essential workers continuing to put themselves at risk each and every day.
Below are some more pictures from last month’s workshop.
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