The Eden Project

Personal Message from Taayla Mark:

Hi friends,

I am part of an endeavour that is close to my heart and I would love to share it with you.

Here in Vancouver, our Downtown Eastside bears the poorest postal code in all of Canada.

I lived in the area when I was young, and I remember walking by the suffering each day and pretending that it did not exist. Sadly, when I became an adult, I was still doing that, looking away uncomfortably, as I drive by. 

I did not want to care because the problem seemed too big and so hopeless for me to take on. What can I do about it, personally? Then I learned about the Eden Project and the good work that’s being done to relieve suffering, and I got involved. Now I believe wholeheartedly that something can be done. 

Please let me introduce you to the Eden Project. I encourage you to take 3 minutes to watch this short video to learn exactly how we are helping those in the most dire situations: 

Coastal Church – Eden DTES from Coastal Church on Vimeo.

Right now, we have nine members of the Coastal Church​ who have moved themselves – some with families –  into the Downtown Eastside as a commitment to this community. We believe getting up close and personal, and caring for our neighbours is an incredible way to affect change from the inside out.

To build and maintain connections in the community, Coastal Church will start by opening the Eden Cafe.

The plans for this cafe include running it as a “social enterprise”. For those of you unfamiliar with this relatively new business model, it means the profits made at the cafe will go back into the community via education and training for unemployed and underskilled people at risk, providing them a compassionate and supportive environment filled with meaningful work and nourishing food. Specifically, we will be targeting those people who are getting out of prison or coming through treatment programs. The Cafe will provide the Eden Project a safe space to host meetings such as one on one, group gatherings, and even our Alpha course. 

I am part of a small team that is raising funds to help launch the Eden Café by this fall, and I need your support!  I ask you to consider being part of this initiative. If the answer is YES, please click on the button below and support this good cause:  

Visit our facebook page to stay up-to-date about our initiative.

I believe the Eden Project and the Eden Café will make a significant impact for the better to the residents of our Downtown Eastside. Please, be a part of the effort to make our city a better place! You will also receive a charitable tax receipt for your donation. We cannot do this good work without your kindness and generosity.

 

With gratitude,

Taayla