In the spirit of community service, law students will work together for a few hours at various non-profit organizations around town. Learn about the organization and its work, contribute to your community, and get to know students in your class!

Here is a preview of the placements that we have for you. Have a look at them, and be ready to sign up on the first day of Orientation!

**Make sure that you buy your compass card from the bookstore and activate it before you head to your community service placement! We will be travelling by bus. More info on getting your compass card can be found here.

Union Gospel Mission (UGM)

601 E Hastings St
https://www.ugm.ca/
Max # 13 people
September 1st, 1:30pm-7:30pm (dinner included)
Activity level: Moderate (standing, walking)
What to bring: Please wear your Orientation T-Shirt, comfortable shoes, water bottle

At UGM, we strive to transform our community by helping people overcome poverty, addiction, and homelessness one life at a time. We are happy to provide students of UBC’s Allard School or Law with the opportunity to engage in a meaningful time of learning and discussion about some of the issues facing the community of the Downtown Eastside. Learn about the specific role UGM plays in the city, hear the story of one of our alumnus, and learn how to effectively reach out to the marginalized in the Downtown Eastside and your own community.

Timeline:
1:30pm – students depart UBC Campus
2:30pm – students arrive at UGM
2:45pm – tour of UGM (maybe neighbourhood?)
4:00pm – legal service provider session
5:00pm – dinner with staff/residents/volunteers
5:45pm – Kari’s workshop – Poverty, Homelessness, Addiction (plus discussion) + alumnus story.
7:30pm – wrap up.

Frisch Farms

Dunbar/Kitsilano
frischfarmsvancouver.wordpress.com
Max # 10 people
September 1st, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Activity level: High (garden work)
What to bring: Please wear closed toe shoes and clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty, bring a raincoat (this event will go ahead rain or shine), water bottle, snack if you want one

Frisch Farms is a hyper-local farming initiative in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It is committed to maintaining edible gardens for optimizing food productions while minimizing impact in the city, the country and the planet. The goal is to reduce the total water and gasoline used to grow, harvest and distribute vegetables relative to food production outside of the city.

Come learn about organic and sustainable gardening in the city. Be prepared to get your hands a little dirty as you will also be helping with some weeding and garden maintenance.

This event is set up as a free-flowing conversation and not as a formal workshop. Here are some topics that will be covered over the course of the afternoon (not an exhaustive list):

  • The challenges of acquiring permits for gardening within an urban setting
  • Sustainable gardening (from seed to table)
  • Mental and physical health benefits to growing and harvesting your own vegetables, fruits, and herbs

Feel free to bring questions about urban gardening!

Timeline:
2:15pm – meet at Garden #1
3:00pm – walk to Garden #2
4:00pm – wrap up

Fresh Roots Farm

Van Tech Secondary, 2600 E Broadway
http://freshroots.ca/
Max # 30 people
September 1st, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Activity level: High (garden work)
What to bring: Please wear closed toe shoes and clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty, bring a raincoat (this event will go ahead rain or shine), water bottle, snack if you want one.

Join Fresh Roots to help create meaningful change by supporting healthy, school-grown food and innovative educational opportunities for Vancouver youth. During your Team Build, you will get to know one another through facilitated team activities, tour and learn the story of the schoolyard farm, learn how your group will help make a difference, and help us grow Good Food For All!

Timeline:
1:30pm – Students depart UBC Campus
2:30pm – Arrive, check in, and introductions
2:45 – Team building activities
3:15 – Farm work
4:15 – Group photos and wrap up

Farmers on 57th

650 W 57th Ave
http://www.farmerson57th.ca/
Max # 20 people
September 1, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Activity level: High (garden work)
What to bring: closed toe shoes, clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty, raincoat (this event will go ahead rain or shine), water bottle, sunscreen, hat, snack if you want one

Learn about sustainable agriculture in Vancouver and partake in gardening activities! There are three parts to Farmers on 57th: the Therapeutic Gardens, Market Garden and Growing Eden garden. The Therapeutic Garden program includes a weekly Garden Club for Pearson residents which matches volunteers with resident gardeners to help assist in planting, tending and harvesting. The Market Garden is a community supported agriculture group which consists of a community of individuals who pledge to support the farm by purchasing a seasonal share of the harvest. The Growing Eden is a garden-based program for parents and their children of all ages. This program especially welcomes families who are refugees, low-income, or new immigrants from the neighbourhood who are interested in learning about the pleasures of growing and eating your own garden harvest.

Timeline
1:30pm – Students depart UBC campus
2:30pm – Students arrive at Farmers on 57th
2:40pm – Information session regarding the Garden, the role of Farmers on 57th in the community, and sustainable agriculture
3:00pm – Gardening (ranging from weeding, clearing beds, and pre-harvest activities)
4:30pm – Wrap up

St. Anselm’s Anglican Church

5210 University Blvd
www.stanselms.ca/
Max # 8 people
September 1st, 1:30-4pm
Activity level: Moderate (standing, walking)
What to bring: Please wear your Orientation T-Shirt, comfortable shoes, water bottle

Assist St. Anselm’s in preparations for community outreach and children’s ministry. Each week a team distributes care packages full of non-perishable food items and toiletries to the homeless of the Dunbar/Point Gret/Kerrisdale area. Students will help in prepararing for community outreach by assembling the care packages. Time permitting, students will help St. Anselm’s prepare for their kids ministry.

Timeline
1:30pm – Students depart UBC campus
2:10pm – Students arrive at St. Anselm’s
2:15pm – Introduction and questions
2:30pm – Homeless ministry packaging
3:45pm – Kids ministry – sort art supplies
4:15pm – Debrief
4:30pm – Students depart St. Anslem’s

AMS Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC) – Responding to disclosures workshop

Allard room 104
amssasc.ca/
Up to 50 people
September 1st, 1:30-4:30pm
Activity level: Low (classroom)
What to bring: Please wear your Orientation T-Shirt

The Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC) at UBC is a part of the AMS, the Student Society of UBC Vancouver. Run by full time staff and students since 2002, the SASC has been committed to the education, support, and empowerment of people of all genders who are survivors of sexualized violence as well as their friends and family. We serve UBC students, staff, faculty, and people with a connection to the UBC campus through various resources and services. Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Assault is a workshop designed to build the capacity of attendees to respond appropriately to a survivor’s disclosure of sexual assault and provides participants with appropriate referrals to campus and community resources.

Yoga Outreach

Allard Hall – Room 123
http://www.yogaoutreach.com/
Max # 20 people
September 1st, 2:30pm-5:00pm
Activity Level: moderate (yoga)
What to bring: clothes that you are comfortable doing yoga in, yoga mat, water bottle, notebook and pen.

Yoga Outreach serves women and children fleeing violence, incarcerated & at-risk youth, those accessing mental health services, those recovering from addictions, and women in jail.

“Our weekly programs offer individuals an opportunity to heal from trauma by learning to reconnect with and feel safe within their bodies (a key element in trauma recovery), while also re-establishing a sense of social safety by participating in group classes within facilities they are already accessing and familiar with. Yoga Outreach program participants learn and practice techniques in order to cultivate safe and compassionate relationships with their bodies. Our trauma-informed programs provide participants with choice, a sense of community connection, and tools to draw from in order to self-regulate and manage daily circumstances.”

In addition to learning about how Yoga Outreach applies trauma-informed yoga as an evidence based intervention, you will also learn some simple yoga techniques that can support you in your busy lives.

Timeline 
2:30pm – Students arrive in room 123
2:30pm – Practice & debrief
3:15pm – Introductions/What is Yoga Outreach
3:30pm – How is Yoga Helpful for Trauma and Addictions?
4:15pm – Practice and teach Grounding, movement and breathing for stress reduction
5:00pm – Wrap up

Justice Education Society

Meet at JES Classroom room 260 – 800 Hornby St
http://www.justiceeducation.ca/
Max # 30 people
September 1st, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Activity level: low (sitting)
What to bring: water, notebook and pen, business casual clothing (a suit is not required but you will be sitting in court so no ripped jeans or shirts with offensive slogans etc.)
*Some courtrooms have metal detectors and you will be searched, cellphones will have to be handed over. Please don’t bring cameras, bags or backpacks to the Courthouse; small purses are okay.

Court orientations provide an introduction to BC’s court system: how it works, why it is important and the legal terms and concepts used in court. Participants go to courtrooms to watch real trials in progress and observe the roles of justice system professionals: judges, lawyers, sheriffs and court clerks. Participants may see witnesses and the accused in court. At certain locations, there may also be the possibility to see juries, parties involved in civil suits, or specialized courtrooms such as the Drug Treatment Court or Downtown Community Court.

You will be provided with a list of court cases for that day. Come see how the court system operates first-hand. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions of a lawyer or a judge during the speaker session.

Timeline:
1:30pm – Depart from UBC
2:30pm – Arrive + orientation
2:40pm-4:00pm – Court watching
4:00pm-4:30pm – Speaker session
4:30pm – Wrap up

Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)

200-5055 Joyce St, Vancouver
http://www.cnib.ca/en/Pages/default.aspx
Max # 15 people
September 1st, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Activity level: low (sitting)
What to bring: water, comfortable clothing

CNIB passionately provides community-based support, knowledge and a national voice to ensure Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life. Our work – and our impact – takes many forms. Our mission is to ensure all Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunity to fully participate in life and no Canadian loses their sight to preventable causes.

Students will hear about this amazing organization and  will create tactile colouring sheets for children who are blind or partially sighted.

Timeline:
1:30pm – Depart UBC
2:30pm – Arrive at CNIB
2:30pm-3:00pm – Learn about the organization and their role in the community
3:00pm-4:20pm – Create tactile color sheets for children who are blind or partially sighted
4:30pm – Wrap up