Introducing to SVP: Promise Vancouver

Discovery Team members: David Rice, John Zaplatynksy, Wayman Crosby, Helen Stortini, Sohee Kim

Site Visit Partners: Neil Duke, Susan Aitchison, Wayman Crosby, Helen Stortini, Sohee Kim 

Discovery phase: Approved for multi-year funding

About Promise Vancouver

Promise Vancouver focuses on instilling hope in under-resourced children and youth in the Downtown Eastside (DTES), one of Canada’s most complex inner-city neighbourhoods. Promise Vancouver engages students in the DTES from grades 1 through 12 with year-round programs that empower them to learn, play, and grow.

Why Their Work Matters

Around the world, children and youth of all backgrounds are facing rising levels of despair and mental illness. Children in the DTES are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). 

Throughout the DTES community, acute poverty and substance dependence are highly visible symptoms of deep, unmet needs. Many experts attribute the root cause of this suffering in large part to ACEs. Children growing up in the neighbourhood witness this suffering around them, and many are directly affected by it within their own families. Interventions like those provided by Promise Vancouver are crucial to preventing harmful cycles from continuing through generations. 

A 2019 study estimated that every year, ACEs-related health consequences in the U.S. and Canada incur an economic cost of $748 billion. That does not even include costs like incarceration or lost productivity, not to mention the dire human cost. Luckily, interventions can make a difference. The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) highlights “access to nurturing and safe childcare” and “caring adults outside the family who serve as mentors or role models” as two key protective factors against ACEs. For children in the DTES who face instability in their lives at home and/or at school, Promise is an essential “third place” where they can find safety and belonging.

What Promise Vancouver Does

At Promise, children and youth find a safe and inclusive space, drawing them out of isolation and into a loving multigenerational community that helps them realize their strengths and potential through intentional year-round programming. Children are seen and loved by their teenage peers, who are themselves supported by positive adult role models, creating a cycle of support and growth. This transformative model is articulated in Promise’s theory of change: “Reach a Child – Raise a Leader – Restore Community.”

By nurturing a sense of belonging and self-worth among children and youth, Promise Vancouver aims to foster positive cycles of love and restoration within the community, empowering young leaders to contribute meaningfully to their families, neighbourhood, and beyond.

Key Activities 

• After-School Care: Providing a safe and welcoming environment for primary-aged (grades 1-4) and preteen (grades 5-7) children in the DTES. These programs include structured activities such as playground time, small group sessions with snacks, reading time, group activities, and free play.
• Pro-D Day Camps: Offering full-day camps during professional development days, ensuring children have a safe place to engage in educational and recreational activities.
• Spring and Summer Day Camps: All-day camps designed to provide enriching experiences for children during school breaks, focusing on fun activities, friendship, and skill-building opportunities.
• Young Leaders Program: Empowering high school students in the DTES to make a positive impact through mentoring younger peers, gaining paid work experience, and building supportive relationships. This program also cultivates leadership skills and promotes personal growth among participants through weekly leadership development sessions.
• Trekkers Initiative: Intentional integration of outdoor activities across all the above programs, inspired by UrbanPromise’s UrbanTrekkers program.

With SVP Vancouver’s support, Promise plans to accomplish the following over the next three years: 

• Secure a suitable, long-term “home base” in the DTES for their Primary, Preteen, and Youth programs.
• Launch an additional site within the DTES and build capacity to begin replication in additional neighbourhoods to meet the growing demand for their model of programming.

How SVP will help: 

• Strategic Planning
• Real Estate
• Board Development/Governance
• Fund Development 

Have questions about Promise Vancouver, want to get more involved, or learn more about them? Join us at the Opportunities Committee meeting on October 8th from 4:30 to 5:15pm or reach out directly with any questions. (Contact Helen)