The Hastings North Area Planning Association

Our Community Clean-up program staff and volunteers responded to concerns about litter and graffiti by organizing a total of 74 litter clean-ups and paint-out events that removed 1 941 graffiti tags and 326 bags of garbage. Our programs also removed 228 needles and reported 648 illegal dumping and hazard sites. Our Business Safety staff had 811 interactions with homeless/street people which is a 20% increase from the previous year. Through homeless outreach we provided resource information and distributed 655 items such as: snacks water socks gloves toques care kits sleeping bags blankets and scarves. Business Safety team members continue to work weekly with the Community Integration Team BC Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction to provide meaningful support to those who are unhoused or requiring other supports. Our street front office received 788 community complaints with the top complaints being homeless related concerns thefts (mostly shoplifting) and mischief/vandalism. Outreach program activities included our 14th Annual Shredding Day on May 4. Two hundred and sixty-four people shredded 5 500 pounds of personal documents and contributed $2 746. We participated in 84 other outreach initiatives that included 39 events 25 presentations and 20 community meetings totalling 6 600 people in attendance. We co-led the Hastings Sunrise Restorative Neighbourhood Initiative with Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House and Peace of the Circle. Our work included recruiting and training 15 peace makers hosting 11 dialogue circles recruiting 17 organizations to support the initiative and coordinating 28 planning meetings.