Throughout our Winter Solstice Fundraiser, we will be sharing reflections from our seniors. We asked our seniors what this winter holiday means to them and how the work of Yarrow has impacted their lives. 吳婆婆 Wu Popo is a widowed senior living in Chinatown. When asked why people should support Yarrow, Wu Popo shared her story of how she first connected with Yarrow for housing support. She stressed language barriers and fees charged by other organizations made it difficult for her to access essential services. Since 2015, we have been working with seniors like Wu Popo to ensure they have access to the necessary benefits and services to have a healthy and happy livelihood. Your donations, no matter the amount, directly impact seniors’ access to medical care, essential social services, housing, and safe spaces for cultural celebration and connectedness. Give a holiday gift to Yarrow and seniors like Wu Popo this Winter Solstice! 🌕👐🎁✨

Through the collaborative efforts between our outreach and Chinese Seniors Hub team members, we have created our first ever Yarrow senior newsletter! This monthly newsletter is intended for our Chinese senior members to stay up-to-date on community news and events while also staying connected with one another. Download and read the newsletter below!

In light of the flu season and ongoing rise in COVID-19 infections, we’re calling on our community to support our campaign, in partnership with Masks4EastVan to bring back the indoor mask mandate in BC! Show your support by writing a letter to our provincial leaders by Wed, 2 Nov 2022. We’ll also send a thank you card to those who request it. You can find the letter template and toolkit at bit.ly/masksbackbc. Regardless of the mandate, please continue to mask up this fall and winter to prevent the spread of COVID and the flu. Thank you for protecting our community!

Learn more about the work Yarrow has done in 2021-22 and review our financial statements from the 2021-22 fiscal year.

Join us for our Annual General Meeting online! Event details: Sunday, 25 Sep 2022 from 3-5PM PST Online via Zoom RSVP via bit.ly/3UxSM6Y Purpose of the day -To celebrate and reflect on our work in 2022 -To update the community about organizational changes and new directions -To conduct our mandatory Annual General Meeting and elect new Board members This event is open to anyone but only members who have volunteered or accessed Yarrow’s services and programs in 2022 are eligible to vote.

記者： Nathan Sing 2022年1月25日 週五，晨霧彌漫，七十二嵗的倪桂容(音譯)正在溫哥華市中心東端的街坊菜園，自在從容地往土中撒下紅蘿蔔的種子。與此同時，七十九歲的萬雅琴(音譯)正拿著水管給小椰菜和苦瓜澆水。就在鄰近的一塊地，八十三歲的關玉英(音譯)正摘著紫紅的莧菜葉。她們分工合作，得心應手，離不開幾十年積累下來的知識和技巧。 她們曾在中國以務農爲生，在中國的糧食體系中扮演著重要角色。2010年後，她們移居加拿大，目前在卑詩省領取公共養老金生活。在支付每月的房租和賬單後，她們的養老金已所剩無幾，幾乎沒有錢購買食物。因此，她們的三餐需要依靠食物銀行、慈善餐以及一些由年輕人領導的草根組織所發起的社區項目。與她們情況相似的長者，約佔全省老年人口的12.6%。 據麥克馬斯特大學研究團隊在2020年主導的一項研究估計，僅有2.4%的加拿大老年人口處於中度或嚴重的食物短缺狀態。而加拿大統計局在2020年五月發佈的報告顯示，加拿大總人口的食物短缺率為14.6%。換言之，老年人口的食物短缺率較低。 但2.4%這個數字，掩蓋了許多老年移民在獲取營養足分量足的食物時，面臨著重重困難。由於不通英文，許多老年移民被排除在許多調查和研究之外，以致這一群體被忽視，人數亦被低估。由於固定收入有限，許多老年移民勉力維生，需要求助於一些社區外展機構及慈善組織的食物配送服務計劃。而雪上加霜的是，一些接受麥克林週刊訪問的華裔長者表示，他們/她們在求助這些服務計劃時，遭遇了刻板定性、敵意以及明顯的種族歧視。 “受制於語言，許多住在唐人街的長者無法得到需要的幫助。” 林滕麗（音譯）如是説。林滕麗是溫哥華市中心東端婦女中心的工作人員，專為聯絡及服務華裔長者。倪桂榮、萬雅琴和關玉英所耕作的小菜地，就是林滕麗所負責管理的。 林滕麗的工作包括為43位華裔長者提供語言相關的支持。但常常下班後，她仍在中心做著額外的工作。日積月纍，林滕麗說她面臨著過勞的風險。雖然每周工作時間本應限於30小時，但她總是盡量去幫助每一個需要幫助的人。她说：“我同時做著許多人的工作。” 林滕麗及其他為華裔長者服務的人，要求延長工作時間和增加工作人員，說這樣可以幫助到更多的人。然而目前收效甚微。“這讓人難過，因爲很多（長者）的問題只是冰山一角。”林滕麗說，“你必須挖掘深層次的原因。 ”林滕麗說，許多老年人接受社工的服務，其實是在尋求一份真摯的人情味。這對離鄉別井不久的老年人來説，尤爲重要。現年73歲的石曉文(音譯)是林滕麗目前陪護看病的老人之一。九年前，石曉文和83岁的丈夫焦斌旭(音譯)在兒子的擔保下來到加拿大生活。他們的老家在中國東北的黑龍江省，毗鄰俄羅斯，之所以來加拿大是爲了方便照顧孫輩。林滕麗服務的許多老年人，也是出於同樣的原因來到加拿大。 初到加國時，石曉文和丈夫與兒子一家住在一起。當時她65歲，在一家藍莓農場打工，幫補家用支付房租。烈日當頭，她每摘一磅藍莓掙40分錢，每天工作14小時。最後，膝蓋劇痛讓她不得已停止工作。談起妻子，丈夫焦斌旭用普通話說：“最近，她疼到做飯也要不時中斷，躺下休息。我擔心有一天她會站不起來了。” 當他們的孫輩十多歲時，這對夫婦決定在溫哥華的唐人街安家。唐人街是溫哥華市中心東端的其中一個獨特的街區，在19世紀末開始成形。第二次世界大戰後，加拿大廢除了《排華法案》，唐人街也隨之擴大。如今，唐人街所在的溫哥華市中心東端，被稱爲加拿大最貧窮的郵政編碼區。近在眉睫的，是耶魯鎮的豪華公寓。一衣帶水的不遠處，就是加拿大最富裕的社區 -- 西溫哥華。 不過，亞裔長者們認爲唐人街是一個自然而然適宜退休養老的地方。丈夫焦斌旭說，這裏有一種類似家的感覺，有蔬果店、魚檔、燒味店和乾貨鋪，店主們說普通話或廣東話。然而，這些門店正在慢慢消失。取而代之的是豪華健身房、素食餐廳以及一雙運動鞋賣400加元的時尚服裝店。 從夫婦兩人的公寓窗戶往外看，這些景象盡在眼底。他們的公寓是固定租金的一室房，每月能花的伙食費也很少，幾乎不夠錢買主食，更不用説高級食品了。在生活成本高昂的卑詩省低陸平原地區，他們的兒子靠打工養活自己一家。每個月，兒子一家會上門探訪一次，看看父母，帶來食物，不過一部分食物在全家聚餐時就吃掉了。因此，夫婦兩人日常所需的大部分食物都來自當地的食物銀行。 每週，夫婦兩人會一起去街頭領取食物。石曉文需要丈夫焦斌旭用一隻手臂攙著她，以便穩住脚步。而焦斌旭的另一隻手臂則拉著一輛可摺叠的購物小車，車上裝滿鷄蛋、牛奶和時令蔬菜等主要食物。雖然他們不會英文，但食物銀行的工作人員都很歡迎他們。工作人員知道石曉文的不便，所以讓她不必排隊就可以拿到食物。 但并非所有人都有好的體驗。李靜(音譯)是另一位在食物銀行領取食品的華裔居民。72歲的她，講述了和朋友們在街邊排隊時，曾與另一個組織的義工發生衝突。 烽火，是一個由原住民領導的組織。在疫情早期，烽火的主要任務是讓市中心東端的原住民與自己的家庭及文化重新建立聯係。同時，烽火與北溫哥華救世軍及韓裔美國人長老會教會合作，在距離緬街夾喜士定東街路口幾步之遙的一個戶外地點分發食物。 一旦食物擺到桌上，分發工作就變得混亂。常常，義工和排隊的人會發生衝突。當要説明每人可以拿多少食物時，溝通交流若不到位，情況便會愈加複雜。 李靜認爲，她和她的朋友們被貼上了種族標簽，把她們與那些總想插隊的人混爲一談。用她的話說，那些插隊的人看到食物或生活必需品時， “把能拿的通通拿走“。李靜說，那些人的外在穿著和她差不多，但她也確實能理解他們。她說，如果在亞洲，并且在一個食物匱乏的環境長大，囤積食物的習慣是爲了應對這個環境。對某些人來説，只有這樣做才能生存下去。 李靜用普通話說，“當(義工)看到一個不像亞裔的人走過或坐在街上，義工會把更好的食品給他們，即使他們都還沒排隊。然後，義工用一根棍子把我們趕走……我跟我的朋友被如此對待，我感到非常難過。這種行爲不尊重人，也不友善。” 當被告知李靜的經歷時，烽火的外展協調及心理健康工作人員克里斯· 利文斯通(音譯)說：“我很難過。橫向暴力，以及一切暴力，都不應該在這裏有任何立足之地。”（譯者注：橫向暴力指的是遭受暴力壓迫的群體之間同室操戈，互相傷害。） 利文斯通說，在麥克林週刊記者聯係他之前，他已聽説過涉及華裔長者的類似事件。由於多次發生衝突，他已經將一名街頭食物銀行的義工撤走。利文斯通補充說，此前他的組織曾嘗試請來一名中文翻譯，以改善與華裔長者們的關係。但後來發現這一舉措，會導致翻譯及義工們之間更多的困惑和糾紛，因此只能作罷。 在麥克林週刊記者采訪利文斯通兩週後，考慮到排隊民衆及義工們的安全，烽火退出了街頭食物銀行的計劃。利文斯通强調，大多數排隊領取食物的民衆，都是“開心、感恩的亞裔及華裔長者”。同時，他也理解爲何李靜和她的朋友們在那次經歷後，對領取食物有所顧慮。 烽火退出之前，利文斯通曾說：“我(和義工們)聊過，也告訴他們分發食物應該是一件開心的事。如果你感到憤怒或沮喪，那你必須停止工作。” 社區的一綫工作人員在接受記者采訪時表示，在市中心東端的一些食物銀行及項目中，亞裔長者被刻板定性並遭到歧視的現象一直存在。一名曾擔任外展工作的人士說，主流社會對華裔社區的描述 “總是把他們描繪得比其他人過得更好” 。她認爲，這類説法掩蓋了許多人經歷的貧困、邊緣化以及暴力。 總部位於溫哥華的倡導組織消除仇恨的創始人芭芭拉·李說，這些歧視部分來自電影、電視及媒體對亞裔社區的刻板描述。她說，在加拿大，這些刻板描述的結果是種族主義的觀念，認爲生活在加拿大的華人是“囤貨的人，不需要幫助，在這裏占據了所有的空間和資源。” 消除仇恨之所以成立，是為了應對不斷增多的針對亞裔的仇恨犯罪。該組織與一個名爲項目1907的民間草根組織合作，於2020年收集的數據顯示，按人均數值，卑詩省内接報的針對亞裔仇恨事件的數量，為北美最高。項目1907的報告稱，在2021年的前五個月，針對亞裔的仇恨事件數量比2020年全年還要高出50%。 溫哥華警察局保存了一份針對亞裔的仇恨犯罪事件簿，當中顯示在溫哥華，隨著疫情的到來，2020年接報的針對亞裔的仇恨犯罪比前一年增加了717%。芭芭拉和其他在溫哥華華人社區工作的活躍人士認爲，許多像李靜那樣的經歷并沒有被報告。 隨著針對亞裔的無端攻擊登上新聞頭條，華裔長者們也對世代同行會的義工説出了他們對安全的擔憂。世代同行會是一個由年輕人領導的非牟利組織，服務低收入的老年移民。有見及此，世代同行會與Hua基金會、中僑互助會、寶貝小館以及聯合之路合作，創辦了一個送飯項目，每週為長者們提供東亞風味的主食以及煮好的菜餚。 最近的一項撥款將保證這個項目繼續進行一年。不過，世代同行會的運營經理何盈欣認爲，面對一個更大的系統性問題，這個項目是一個“創可貼”，治標不治本。她說：“我們世代同行會的所有人都希望，一個理想的社會將不再需要我們這些工作。” 一個名爲市中心東端單人房合作社的組織，也在開展一項每週食物配送計劃，服務對象為居住在唐人街及附近地區的單間公寓租客。該組織中負責唐人街租客及社區工作的翁熊羿指出，一些單間公寓樓，或亦俗稱SRO，因違反健康及安全法規而臭名遠揚，混亂不堪，幾乎難以居住。他補充說到：“住在這裏的人們，往往囊中羞澀，食不果腹。” 當工作人員和義工們準備好食品，翁熊羿就會召集每棟樓的“樓長”，從樓外的義工那接過食品，再分發給樓裏的住戶們。說：“整個配送的過程，需要住戶們相互協作。所以，在某種程度上，食物能促進人際關係。本就共用厨房和洗手間的住戶之間，也形成了一個守望相助的關係網。” 勞安娜(音譯)是奇化街上一棟單間公寓樓的“樓長”，同時也是公寓樓下新京華的主厨。每個月，她都會給樓裏的住戶及其它地方的一些住戶分發餐券，而住戶們則可以用這些餐券換取新京華的餐食。市中心東端單人房合作社所募集的部分捐款及撥款，就用以資助這項措施。勞安娜回憶起她的一位鄰居如何攢一年的餐券，好為給分居的兒子兒媳購買聖誕晚餐，嘗試著修復他們的關係。想到這些，她臉上洋溢著喜悅。 勞安娜說，左鄰右舍在餓的時候常向她傾訴，她也總會想辦法給他們找點吃的。她說，艱難困苦讓她和其他租戶之間的情誼地久天長。她把這棟樓裏的每一個人都當作她的家人。 李嘉明認爲，爲人慷慨反映了悠久的文化價值觀。她説：“或許，這種價值觀是一種務農歷史的傳承。我們的愛在食物中。我們經常通過大家一起分享食物，來表達彼此的關愛。” 李嘉明在Hua基金會工作，負責日常運營及特別項目。Hua基金會是一個由年輕人領導的非牟利組織，總部位於溫哥華唐人街。 李嘉明又說：“我們從小到大，遇見認識或不認識的長輩，都會叫叔叔阿姨。我覺得，這種超越血緣關係的大家庭感覺，賦予了我們一種共同的責任感。” 李嘉明表示，許多華裔加拿大人在成長中，都親身體驗過世代之間的互相關懷。這一點，在年輕人主導的項目中就可以看出，比如Hua基金會和許多一綫社區工作者，都在不辭勞苦地確保老人們能夠福泰安康。 午後，我們回到菜園，市中心東端婦女中心的外展專員林滕麗和退休的農人們開始了收尾工作。她們已經工作了一個小時。明天，林滕麗將一如往常地來菜園澆水，即使休息日也是如此。 今天的收穫，有十幾個中等大小的番茄，以及一袋莧菜。這些就足夠做兩個人的配菜了，而且比在商店買的要新鮮。其中一位女士慢慢走到林滕麗跟前，堅持要把好幾袋菜塞到林滕麗的手裏。其他人在一旁笑著點頭。 “她們都很慷慨。”林滕麗說著，小心翼翼地把蔬菜放回一位老人的購物手拉車裏。“她們在成長時，就已經明白人們經歷的種種艱難困苦。所以，她們即使貧窮，卻仍然想著給予。” Chinese translation by Sweden Yao with funding support from Yarrow. Despite Yarrow's request, Maclean's refused to pay for translation of the article. Original article in English here

We're opening applications for our Board of Directors. If you are interested in becoming a board member please complete the application form by September 7th, 2022. 🐈🐱✨ A nomination committee will convene to review all applications. Successful applicants will receive an email notification by September 14th, 2022. Successful nomination applicants will be required to attend Yarrow's online AGM on September 25th, 2022, as well as provide a short statement about yourself during the AGM. Nominated candidates will be elected during the AGM with a majority vote from members in attendance. We welcome experiences from professional work, volunteer work, and lived experiences. Passion is a key element and we welcome applicants who are open to learning and developing skills in any of these areas! Join us in the work of building thriving, equitable and intergenerational Chinatown!

Thank you for supporting our annual grassroots fundraiser: Heart to Heart 將心比心! With the love and care of our community, we raised $59,000! Although we did not reach our $88,000 goal in the end, we will continue to work hard to serve our seniors with the resources we have. If you would like to continue supporting our mission of empowering Chinese seniors and youth in Chinatown, consider becoming a monthly donor to sustain our work. Learn more: yarrowsociety.ca/donate Shoutout again to @j.enh on Instagram for her beautiful illustrations for this year’s fundraiser!

Yarrow is partnering with Masks4EastVan to organize a campaign bringing back the indoor mask mandate in British Columbia. In light of Ontario’s recent removal of its remaining mask mandates in healthcare settings and on public transit in June 2022, we demand that B.C. does not follow suit and, instead, reinstate the mandatory mask mandate to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities, including the elderly, children, disabled, and immunocompromised people. Show your support by writing a letter to our provincial leaders today! Click the button below to access our toolkit and letter template. You can also: - Share that you’ve taken action using the hashtag #MasksBackBC and tag @yarrowsociety and @masks4eastvan on Instagram and Twitter so we can repost and retweet! - Share our toolkit with your friends and family and encourage them to write a letter too - Encourage your organization to sign our open letter - Start a petition in your community to bring back the mask mandate Thank you for your support and taking action to keep our communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic!

From April 8 to July 31 (extended from June 20), Yarrow will be holding our annual grassroots fundraiser: Heart to Heart 將心比心. For Yarrow, Heart to Heart is about emphasizing our power and love for one another as a community. As a community, our members work in solidarity to uplift one another, provide mutual aid and support, and create new visions for the future of an equitable Chinatown. This year, Yarrow is raising $88,000 to organize, reduce isolation for seniors, and ensure access to health care during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Your support is critical to ensuring our ongoing work and vision of an equitable and thriving Chinatown. ​ 從四月八號到六月二十號，世代同行會將會舉行我們的年度籌款活動「將心比心 」。對世代同行會而言，「將心比心 」象徵著大家互相給予的力量和愛。身爲社區的一份子，我們同心協力，互相鼓勵，互相支持，創造新的願景，讓未來的唐人街更加公平。今年，世代同行會的籌款目標是88000。有了你的支持，我們能繼續開展社區工作，降低長者孤獨的風險，確保長者在疫情當下及以後都能得到妥善的醫療服務。有了你的支持，我們將繼續耕耘社區，努力為唐人街創造一個公平、欣欣向榮的環境。 Support us and learn more about our fundraiser here. Yarrow Society does not have a charity status and therefore cannot issue a donation receipt for tax purposes. A business owner who would like to support? We would welcome either a) the donation of a single item (physical/digital item or gift card); b) a selection of items to create a gift basket; or, c) you running an individual fundraiser to support Yarrow’s Heart to Heart campaign by donating a portion of your business' proceeds. Why contribute to Yarrow? We provide one-on-one support for seniors who face language and cultural barriers to accessing government services to meet their housing, health, and income needs; We are delivering culturally appropriate groceries to over 30 seniors and at-risk community members a week in the Chinatown and Strathcona community; We provide free culturally safe case management services in Chinese in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. We are one of the only two organizations offering this service even though Chinatown and Strathcona have 32% and 45% of people speaking Chinese as their main language at home; and We help seniors access basic healthcare by providing medical accompaniment and interpretation support at their hospital and specialist appointments.

It is our pleasure to announce that Sean Cao and Susan Luo has joined Yarrow's staff team this year as our Chinese Seniors Hub Coordinator and Outreach Worker, respectively. Sean has been the Chinese Seniors Hub Coordinator since January. Sean Cao is an immigrant settler from China and currently resides on Coast Salish lands. He comes to this work with a background in translation and arts & culture, particularly with a focus on community engagement. Sean is always reminded of the importance of collaborative efforts and mutual aid from the inspiring people of Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside he has met. Therefore, he believes in teamwork and collaboration in building a sustainable and anti-oppressive ecosystem that addresses service gaps and provides benefits for all in the neighbourhood. In his free time, you will find him grocery shopping, strolling and eating in Chinatown. Susan is Yarrow's new Outreach Worker, joining our outreach team's Carven Li. Susan is a first-generation Chinese settler born and raised in Sichuan. Her mother’s family is from the Hui (Chinese Muslims) ethnic group with ancestral roots in Hebei. Her father’s family is Han Chinese with ancestral roots in Sichuan. Susan speaks Sichuanese with her nuclear family and Mandarin with her maternal side of the family. Susan dreams of a world where there is equitable access to healthcare, affordable housing, and nourishing foods. Susan is committed to empowering marginalized seniors to become decision-makers for themselves and leaders in the community. Susan holds a BSc in Biology from UBC. Susan also volunteers as a support worker at WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre and is committed to offering survivor-centred care and shifting the rape culture. Susan enjoys cooking, R&B and hip-hop music, practising Chinese calligraphy and playing the piano. We are grateful to our funders, the City of Vancouver and the BC Health Minister's office, and our community of donors that has allowed us to grow our team. To learn more about all of Yarrow's staff, visit our about page.

We hope you are keeping well and finding moments of hope and connection. Since we started physical distancing, the Yarrow team transitioned to adapting our services and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our senior members are in good spirits and many have been able to maintain their independence during this time. We are finding comfort in talking to seniors and hearing their positive outlook. Casework and Medical Accompaniment We are continuing to support all of our existing clients remotely. Some cases have been paused, and many medical appointments have been postponed. Seniors with urgent or essential housing, health, and income needs are being followed closely by our staff and volunteers. Youth and Senior Phone Calls Our amazing team of youth volunteers are calling seniors weekly to connect, provide emotional support, and receive grocery orders and other requests. Grocery Delivery Service Working closely with Hua Foundation, our volunteers are delivering fresh, affordable Asian produce to over 20 seniors a week. Protein, dairy, and prepared meal add-ons are available (thanks to Bao Bei), as well as homemade reusable masks sewn by our community members. If you donated to the Chinatown Cares GoFundMe, thank you for your support! Chinese Seniors Hub Since April started, we have been supporting this team of senior leaders stay connected over WeChat and over the phone. The seniors are doing necessary outreach to their neighbours and friends and ensuring that they have what they need. We appreciate our volunteers for being so thoughtful and ready to show up for each other. We are grateful to each person contributing in their own ways!