Hope in the Inner City Gala

Dec 19 2017, 11:15 pm

The Salvation Army’s Harbour Light ministry was transformed for Hope in the Inner City Gala on May 7 as it was adorned with lights. The community was brought together to celebrate Harbour Light alumni who have come so far from their original arrival at Harbour Light.

Upon the arrival of gala, the feel of community was in the room as many mingled and placed their bids on silent auction items. Once in the dining area, each person took a tray similar to how clients within The Salvation Army’s Harbour Light ministry do on a daily basis and sat down with their meal.

With the room filled with smiles from our wonderful servers which consisted of clients that graciously volunteered their time for the evening, there was an inspiration surrounded within the air. Then, Jay Kivell took the stage nervously and shared the story which he shared during our Faces of the Down Eastside series.

Once Kivell shared his story, the room rose in a standing ovation. Kivell was clearly an inspiration for each and every person within the room, as he overcame adversity in the most difficult circumstances.

“It was crazy hearing all these people standing up and applauding… and being sucked into my story, very nice. I’ve had about a dozen [clients from Harbour Light] come up and thank me. They’ve had similar stories and realized that they weren’t alone and said I’ve given them strength”, said Kivell.

The live auction commenced after the speech as generous donors contributed money to help Harbour Light serve it’s client and the community. The sense of community is alive within the Downtown Eastside and the Hope In The Inner City Gala was just another indication as to how the community is continuing to grow within a positive manner.

Image courtesy of The Salvation Army

Vancity Buzz is a proud sponsor of The Salvation Army.

DH Vancouver StaffDH Vancouver Staff

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