Stronger Today & Tomorrow

The COVID-19 pandemic has people losing their sense of normal. Breadwinners are losing their jobs and families are looking to front-line charities like our food banks and social services to make sure they can stay healthy, safe and fed. “By transforming charity buildings, we can strengthen communities for today and into the future.” Paul Latour, HeroWork Founder &…
HeroWork and Our Ongoing Covid-19 Protocols

Safety is our number one priority! Here is an overview on what we have implemented/changed during this pandemic. We have been navigating through the new “normal” since the beginning Covid-19 and we have adjusted our program to ensure the safety of our volunteers, trades, charity partners, and staff. Our spring project for at risk young…
Transforming Charities for Virtually Nothing with Micro-Giving

Last week, I visited the Y’s Young Moms Program and had the pleasure of meeting with two young moms, their toddlers and program staff. In listening to their stories, I was moved. I was moved because old cycles can be broken. I was moved because these children are now in a safe place. I was moved because the waitlist is too long. “…having safe and secure housing,” said one of the moms, “I’m able to focus on myself…
Help HeroWork Support Victoria’s Vulnerable During COVID

Donate shampoo, toothbrushes, and basic hygiene products. We all do our best to ensure we meet our basic personal needs. But, consider how hard it would be to keep clean if we didn’t have a home and running water. Cleanliness is helping contain the spread of COVID-19 and the most vulnerable populations need our help…
Charity Infrastructure Study – Phase 3

Behind the scenes HeroWork has been conducting a three-phase study on charity buildings. Our goal is to not only understand the current state of affairs, but also develop a guide to help charities more effectively revitalize their buildings and surroundings.
This article gives an overview of this coming study, with a specific focus on Phase 3, a “systems approach” that engaged leaders from 6 different industries. Awesome!
Christmas Comes Early for HeroWork

HeroWork will partner with Our Place and help transform part of a former youth detention facility into a home where people who have suffered trauma can heal and transform their lives.
The Ripple Effect: Who Gets Impacted?

As a HeroWork volunteer I wanted to investigate the impact of their latest project, the $450,000 Food Rescue Kitchen. To do so I interviewed leaders from a couple of very different non-profits that will benefit from our project: the University of Victoria’s Student Society (UVSS) and Silver Threads.
Help Make it Happen at the Power To Be Project

There are only a few weeks away from breaking ground on the Power To Be project! It’s going to be an amazing and wonderful Radical Renovation that will transform much of the former Prospect Lake Golf Course into a space that can be used by people experiencing a barrier so that they can connect with…
Call for 2017 Leaders and Coordinators!

HeroWork is looking for volunteers leaders! Help lead volunteer teams during our 2017 Radical Renovations. It’s a great opportunity to be a community role model, participate in something totally amazing, and make a big difference at the same time. One event will be in July for Power To Be and the other in September for Anawim House (info…
Words of Praise from the Rainbow Kitchen

Read what the guests and volunteers from the Rainbow Kitchen have to say about HeroWork’s Radical Renovation. It looks great, but does it do the job? Do they think it’s an improvement?
You bet they do!
An Attitude of Gratitude

Written by Jovanna Ruffalo (Social Media, Public Relations Extreme Team) It was funny, when searching for a profile I envisioned featuring a family, a couple, I envisioned children and of course, they would be regular’s. George was none of these; in fact he was composed of every attribute but. At the age of 65 George…
The Fellas

The Rainbow Kitchen needs more than chefs and sous chefs working their magic in the kitchen to keep things going. There’s another group of volunteers who do as much as they are able to keep the whole thing running smoothly. There’s Trucker, who comes early every day to make sure the chairs are set up…
It’s like a Master Chef challenge every day

Have you ever had one of those days when you are staring at your fridge and your cupboards, and even though there is lots of food in there, you just can’t think of anything to cook? Rainbow Kitchen volunteer chef Gail sure knows how that feels. And 200 thankful and hungry customers are relying on…
The Kitchen Ladies

It’s a funny kind of volunteer job, I think. But then, I’m not much of a cook. Prepping lunch for 200 people isn’t easy, but for Dawn, Cathy, Susan, Penny, Astrid and Rosemary, it offers rewards. They told me all about it over coffee and fresh-baked banana bread during their morning break. Dawn started volunteering in the…
The Rainbow Kitchen: So much more than food!

There is a place in Esquimalt where people can find hope while they rebuild their lives. It’s a place where everyone is welcome. It’s called the Rainbow Kitchen.
Rainbow Kitchen Project Update

Holy smokes we’ve been working hard! And now we are on the home stretch towards HeroWork’s biggest project yet: The Radical Renovation of the Rainbow Kitchen in the community wing of the Esquimalt United Church. Through the winter and spring we consulted all stakeholders and came up with a comprehensive plan. We developed manuals and…
Calling All Contractors!

This is a call out for contractors (especially carpenters) to help with HeroWork’s fall Radical Renovation for the Rainbow Kitchen. If you are a contractor and want to make a difference in a short period of time, this is for you. If you know a contractors, please share this open letter with them.
Camp Pringle’s Result—Much More than a Renewed Dock

Volunteers came from the Vancouver Island Construction Association Under 40 group (VICA U40), and HeroWork. Dock experts were provided by the Oak Bay Marine Group. All arrived with their families on Friday night with a single goal: to renew the 25-year-old, 4,600 square foot dock so that kids can play safe for many years to come.
2016 Extreme Team Call Out

“This is a call for leaders!” That’s the opening line of the simple video presentation below. This is exciting because the time has come to bring together this year’s Extreme Team! These are the big-hearted, talented, community-orientated, and all-around beautiful people who will join together to help organize the Rainbow Kitchen’s Radical Renovation, starting Sept 16, running for three…
Complete: Mustard Seed Office Refresh

Last week it felt like old times pulling on my HeroWork t-shirt and walking into the Mustard Seed to refresh a couple of their office space. Some of the staff were different, but the heart was still the same–warm and welcoming. Years after the Mustard Seed’s Radical Renovation the building is still in great shape. The outside…