Cowichan Neighbourhood House Association

Through the efforts of our 42 volunteers neighbourhood house serves as an accessible inclusive low barrier resource to the community. We provide 500 people on per month on average with a hot lunch and 40 people with our monthly community dinner. Through our free food pantry. Our zero waste program supplies an average of 470 families each month with fresh fruit and vegetables dairy products and canned/dried goods. In 2023 we saved 54 902 pounds (about 24903. 11kg) of food from going to the land fill. Our volunteer-led programs include yoga classes a knitting group book club and lessons in canning. We provided space in our complex for the duncan health centre to conduct a baby clinic and vaccination clinic each month. We host a paramedic once a week who addresses the medical concerns of the clients. We provide a free store that offers clothing bedding and small household goods to our clients. We operate as an extreme weather centre providing shelter during the hottest and coldest days. We offer a friendly space for our community members to drop in for a game of cards or conversation. Our community integration service assists our clients with navigating beneficial services from other agencies creating no wrong door concept for our program. Hand in hand with our clientele neighbourhood house identifies needs and adjusts/creates programs to meet them. In 2024 we initiated a sewing service for the community. And it is being well utilized. The primary users of neighbourhood house have been most emphatic about needing shower and laundry facilities. We have applied for a grant through the community prosperity fund and hope to construct a new bathroom with accessable shower and install a commercial washer and dryer this year.