I joined three youth groups this July as they came from Alberta and Manitoba Mennonite / Mennonite Brethren Churches to help renovate the Dodson Rooms, a single-resident occupancy hotel in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTS), a 100 year old hotel recently bought by two Christians. 

The youth, sponsors and myself scraped and painted walls, replaced trim, gutted and finished bathrooms on the three residential floors while meeting and learning to know the diverse residential population of Native Canadians, seniors and singles -- some of whom have lived in unacceptable conditions in this hotel for up to 28 years.  We were working in their hallways and got a sense of their lives and living conditions as we interacted with them on a daily basis.  A native artist showed us his work, others chatted with us and complimented us on the progress we made, or just greeted us as they came and went.  Some of them have already started renovating their 100 square foot rooms, which are home for one or sometimes two people. They have started coming out of the ‘closet’ and speaking to each other, where before the transformation they would hide from each other in what was once an unsafe hotel.

The youth participated in study sessions on the neighbourhood and went away with an incredible awareness of another culture after experiencing the nitty-gritty conditions in the DTS and still with all the problems around them how the people living there can be as kind and loving as anywhere.

For more on the Dodson Rooms go to: www.communitybuilders.ca/DodsonRooms

PHOTO ALBUM ....

Colddale Mennonite youth group in front of the Dodson Rooms hotel:

Youth making a difference::

Resident First Nations artist:n>