Hope in Shadows
This organization was submitted by Collective Lens

Hope in Shadows is a unique project based around a photography contest for residents in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The prize-winning photos are then used to create a calendar that gives a glimpse of the hope, spirit and courage of people living in Canada's poorest neighbourhood.

Hundreds of Downtown Eastside residents turn out to participate in the contest, the wards ceremony and the gallery exhibition of the photos, making this a vibrant community event.

Hope in Shadows fosters local arts and culture, gives residents a sense of pride in their community and builds confidnece in participants and photography winners. The exhibition, calendar and high profile media attention promotes understanding of the people who live in this impoverished neighbourhood.

Finally, the selling of the calendar helps hundreds of people both financially and through providing tangible work experience.

6 Reasons to Support Hope in Shadows

1. Help people help themselves The street sales program creates practical work for hundreds of low-income people. Calendar sellers earn 50% of the sale price. In 2008, 220 sellers earned more than $96,000.

2. Show Vancouver you care By sponsoring Hope in Shadows, you connect your organization with a highly regarded project that the public supports. Right now more than 13,000 calendars are hanging on kitchen and office walls throughout the Lower Mainland. These calendars are seen by many times the number of people who purchased them.

3. Align your business with a quality eco-friendly product Hope in Shadows uses post-consumer waste recycled paper, with a professional design.

4. Foster pride and confidence Hope in Shadows fosters local arts and culture, gives residents a sense of pride in their community and builds confidence in participants & photography winners.

5. Promote understanding The exhibition, calendar and positive media attention promotes understanding of the people who experience poverty and marginalization.

6. Align your business with positive media coverage Major print and broadcast media cover Hope in Shadows. Last year’s highlights include coverage on CTV and CBC’s six o’clock news, Global TV, multiple interviews on CBC Radio 1, and articles in the Globe and Mail, Vancouver Sun, up! (Westjet in-flight magazine), Metro, and Vancouver 24 hours.

Please call Paul Ryan or Carolyn Wong on 604 255 9701 to enquire about sponsoring Hope in Shadows.