Being active members of the community is an important part of RE Royalties.
From working in the kitchen at the Union Gospel Mission to participating in local marathons, our employees place a high importance on volunteering with a variety of organizations.
This week the RE Royalties team went to Union Gospel Mission in the downtown Vancouver Eastside to learn more about the important work this organization does in our community.
We presented our donation of $25,000 to support the Men’s Alcohol and Drug Recovery Program and then we had the opportunity to volunteer in the kitchen to serve a meal to individuals in need.
We felt it was important to learn first-hand how our donation was making a difference and the impact that Union Gospel Mission is having on changing the lives of men, women, youth and children that need it the most impressed us.
One of our primary commitments at RE Royalties has been to strengthen our engagement with stakeholders on issues that are of importance to them.
This feedback informs our focus on the issues facing our world and our clients, which allows us to prioritize activities in our business strategy and the charities we support. Our shareholders selected Union Gospel Mission and we are very pleased to share how our donation will be used.
Specifically, our donation will support two men in the UGM’s Alcohol & Drug Recovery program. It costs $12,000 per person for the 6-month men’s recovery program, where participants are equipped with tools to assist in transforming their lives.
One unique aspect of the 6-month program is the Expeditions hiking program that takes men on weekly hikes leading to an end of summer overnight trip.
There were 1,451 overdose deaths in BC last year. These hikes have for some men, been a key part of their recovery.
This video explains the program in more detail: www.ugm.ca/expeditions
Using current research, Union Gospel Mission’s A&D counsellors have developed and fine-tuned a live-in program that gives men the tools they need to achieve and maintain sobriety. This curriculum walks men through the process of overcoming addiction, using the proven 12-Step model.
During a six-month stay at UGM, A&D residents receive one-on-one counselling, life skills lessons, career development workshops, and relapse-prevention education.
We also worked as a team in the kitchen to prepare and serve 150 meals. It costs $3.29 for one meal and we are pleased that part of our donation went directly towards the meals we helped to prepare.
During our tour, we learned that Union Gospel Mission only serves healthy, nutritious meals that guests to the center would not be able to afford otherwise.
A meal is often the first step into the continuum of care that UGM offers.
Here a video of the Easter meal https://vimeo.com/333208527
UGM also provides volunteer opportunities, so that men who have completed the program and are living out their recovery can interact with current A&D residents. Not only does this provide trusted mentorship and support to current residents—it also helps Second-Stage residents and A&D alumni live more purposefully, as they often find great encouragement themselves from walking with new residents.
When we helped to clean up after the meal service, we had the opportunity to work directly alongside some of these men volunteering.
Men’s Alcohol & Drug Recovery Program impact in the 2017/2018 fiscal year:
38 men completed A&D Recovery
34 alumni moved into Aftercare, our Second-Stage Recovery program
In June 2018, 78% of recent A&D graduates had achieved one year of sobriety
RE Royalties is pleased to support Union Gospel Mission and we want to encourage your organization to do the same. You can send your team to volunteer and you can get involved as a corporate partner.
It takes a whole community to feed hope and change lives. Join RE Royalties and Union Gospel Mission as we come alongside people affected by poverty, addiction, and homelessness. We want you to take action – together we can make a big impact!
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s)
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms
Target: 1.1 By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day.
Poverty is more than the lack of income and resources to ensure a sustainable livelihood. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making.
RE Royalties is dedicating ourselves to a human-centric, rights-based approach to help bring improvements to the quality of life for others.