Skip to content

Less-fortunate blanketed by professional help

Association of South Asian Professionals of British Columbia holds their fourth-annual Blankets for the Homeless event.
65629surreyASAPGroupShot2
Members of the Association of South Asian Professionals of B.C. at work on the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver.

The Association of South Asian Professionals of British Columbia (ASAP) held their fourth-annual “Blankets for the Homeless Event” at Oppenheimer Park in East Vancouver.

ASAP members, their families and friends from the Mannkind (sic) Charitable Society took part in distributing more than 600 items such as blankets, socks, toques and jackets to the less fortunate.

By raising awareness, ASAP hopes others will join in to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the roughly 2,300 homeless people in Vancouver.

With HSBC lending a helping hand as the main sponsor for the ASAP blanket drive, there will be hundreds of homeless people kept warm during the winter months.

Among the regional contributions of ASAP:

• Hot dogs for the homeless campaigns: Since 2008, ASAP has been handing out thousands of free hot dogs and other food to the underprivileged in the Downtown Eastside and Surrey.

• Awareness Campaigns: Promoting stem cell registry sign up by South Asians; spending a day building homes with Habitat for Humanity; Join the ASAP team for the World Partnership Walk, Surrey Christmas Bureau Toy Drive, The Victor Ghirra Toy Drive and other events.

• ASAP Networking Nights: Since 2008, ASAP has had a full house at each of its networking nights help people get to know other professionals and help ASAP raise awareness.

• Surrey Memorial Hospital: In 2010, after learning a thief had stolen video gaming equipment from sick kids at Surrey Memorial Hospital, ASAP stepped up donating video gaming controllers and numerous video games.

For more information, visit www.asapbc.com