It’s no surprise that FIFA hype has taken over Vancouver.
However, those opportunities to take part in the excitement aren’t always available to everyone.
“Our tenants are just as big as soccer fans as anyone who has purchased a ticket to sit at the stadium or pulled up a chair at a restaurant or bar and often times those spaces are out of reach for folks and so we feel the energy downtown and we wanted to bring it here to Kettle on Burrard for our residents,” said Michelle Vanderzon, director of philanthropy, strategic partnerships of the Kettle Society.
Kettle on Burrard is a supportive housing facility for people transitioning out of homelessness or living with mental health challenges – offering wrap-around supports and community programming to its residents – which is why the place has been decked out to the nines in decor to bring the World Cup action to them.
“Having community programs and social programs like this are what keep people healthy and through our surveys we’ve heard from our residents 85 per cent say that participation and social programs like this – a watch party – has a positive impact on their mental health and 65 per cent say that it’s decreased their sense of loneliness, so that’s why we do this,” Vanderzon explained.
“It’s like going in the morning and being in church and everyone being really perky and happy even though I’m in a bad mood cause I just got up in the morning and getting my breakfast and everyone is perky and happy and I’m just like, “oh this just feels really good – it lifts me up,’” said resident Verna Kuhn.
The Society wants to give everyone living at Kettle on Burrard a chance to get in on the FIFA fun as a host city.
“It’s gorgeous, it’s very nice,” said Christina Bodnar, another resident.
“The energy in this building has gone completely nuts, with the staff; they are all just so engaged with the sports, and I can see why. We just won the last Canada game, so that was pretty good. I was just really excited about that too,” said resident Moise Christensen.
As Canada advances and the next watch party is set, no matter the outcome, the society will continue to bring inclusive opportunities and programming to its clients as they have for the past 50 years.
“I like the parties where everyone is full of energy and especially when we scored in the World Cup because Canada was six and then the other team got zero; that was a lot of fun, and we had pizza, we had pop,” Kuhn said.