EFry Annual Report 2023

E F R Y ’ S ARTIST S P O T L I G H T     Introducing “Rising”, a six-part mural series by local artist Kari Kristensen. Residents and visitors to EFry’s new building for women and children in Surrey are welcomed by the first mural in the series, a multi-coloured landscape that reflects… Read More

E F R Y ’ S  V O L U N T E E R  S P O T L I G H T Volunteer programs in prisons permitted to resume Supporting women in prison to maintain family connections and prepare for successful community reintegration has been at the heart of what EFry does since… Read More

Deanna is one of many senior women who have found themselves facing homelessness in Greater Vancouver. More than 13 per cent of our region’s seniors live in poverty. Due to dramatic increases in the cost of housing, the rate of seniors’ homelessness has increased fivefold since 2008. As with virtually all EFry clients, Deanna endured… Read More

EFry’s child rights petition now before Canada’s Parliament Thanks to the amazing efforts of EFry staff and volunteers, our petition to support the rights of vulnerable children (such as those whose parents are homeless, incarcerated or have addictions) who live in less stable home environments has received over 5,000 signatures. The petition calls on the… Read More

By Shawn Bayes, Executive Director, EFry Last week, EFry representatives joined delegates from more than a dozen countries at the International Coalition for the Children of Incarcerated Parents in New Zealand. This was a major trip for EFry and one we felt was important in furthering our JustKids initiative, which provides specialized programs and supports… Read More

By Nancy I’m an EFry volunteer and recently I’ve had the opportunity to support the Extreme Weather Response (EWR) overnight emergency heat shelter at the Maida Duncan Drop-in Centre in New Westminster. We have space for six women. Each night, four or five women have come in. They can have a shower, do laundry and… Read More

By Shawn Bayes, Executive Director, EFry There are few topics as contentious as the cost of housing in the Lower Mainland. As high home purchase prices keep more people competing for rental stock, rents are becoming unaffordable for many and demand for our shelter spaces is growing with no end in sight. At EFry, we… Read More

Having a place to call home is a basic human need. One of the programs we operate, A Key of Her Own, is based on the Housing First model and helps find safe, permanent housing for women dealing with long-term or chronic homelessness. Most of these clients face multiple challenges, among them trauma, addiction, physical… Read More