ST. AUGUSTINE’S SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE

The social justice committee began in our parish in 1996, spearheaded by Mary Murphy, who was the outreach contact for the Oblate Social Justice Office in Vancouver. We have evolved into a group promoting the principles of Catholic Social Teachings, through education, research, advocacy and action.
We meet on the first Tuesday of every month in the parish library at 7.30 p.m. for about two hours, and we welcome new and committed members.
Focus: We have chosen the issue of homelessness, particularly in Kitsilano, realizing there are a large number of our neighbors living on the street, with few services available to them.

In response, in 2001, after consultation with Judy Graves, who runs the tenant assistance and outreach program for the homeless in Vancouver, we formed a partnership with Kitsilano Community Center and Grace Vancouver Church to set up the Kits Showers Program for the Homeless. Our program is open every Saturday morning of the year, from 7.30 a.m. to 9.30a.m.and offers valet service for carts and dogs, hot showers, hot breakfast, toiletries, and most importantly, friendship.

Our generous corporate sponsors, Starbuck’s, Terra Breads, Stong’s, I.G.A., and individual donors from our community provide very generous in-kind donations each week.

Our wonderful volunteers keep the program running smoothly.

We will also be participating in Stands for Housing this Spring.

Achievements: Our most important achievement is the trusting relationship we have established with our homeless neighbors, helping them access housing, dentistry and other services.

Others include; A presentation to the N.I.S.T. annual general meeting, enabling us to network and encourage other neighborhoods to start similar programs such as Collingwood and St. Patrick’s Church.

We were part of a feature on cable 4 T.V. Sustainable Regions Program.

We have become member of the Greater Vancouver Shelter Strategy and the Extreme Weather Shelter system, and have been operating and extreme weather shelter for the past 5 years.

For more information, please contact Penny Rogers at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

“We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well….It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s Grace to enter…and do the rest.”
Archbishop Romero