Transforming Health Care in the DTES Through Culture and Connection

As winter settles in and the cold brings more than dropping temperatures; it deepens isolation, widens inequities and heightens vulnerability for many in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, or DTES. At Kílala Lelum, we take care to honour the teachings that remind us winter is a time to draw closer, gather and care for one another.

Our health and wellness co-operative is rooted in the belief that healing must be grounded in culture, relationship and community. Our work takes place in the unceded lands of the Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples, in K’emk’emeláy (Maple Grove) and Lek’lek’í at CRAB Park.

The name Kílala Lelum means “Butterfly House” in Hul’q’umi’num’ and was gifted to us by our Elders and Knowledge Holders. The butterfly represents a journey of growth and change, reflecting the work we seek to do of transforming a health-care system in which many from our community have not always felt safe or welcomed.

This transformation includes supporting people wherever they are on their healing journey. Many members from our community have had their connections to culture severed as a result of colonization. Because of this, we aim to create an ecosystem of care where Indigenous medicines and culture may coexist with western medicines, and where services and programming offer opportunities to restore and reconnect.

Who we are

We are a team of health-care professionals passionate about transforming what health care looks like in the DTES. Our integrated model brings together doctors, nurses, counsellors, social navigators, Elders and Knowledge Holders, outreach, food security, medical assistants, and cultural and peer support workers, who work side by side to provide equitable care and wraparound support.

Our services go beyond medical appointments. Someone might come in for wound care and then sit down later with an Elder for a shared laugh or story and receive a smudge from a Knowledge Holder. Someone else may visit one of our physiotherapists to get relief from years of chronic back pain and get a little help with some food. Others may find hope through our peer employment program and develop community through our weekly drum circle.

Across all programs, healing is rooted in relationships. From our primary care and cultural wellness programs to food security, community employment, chronic pain management, traditional plant medicine, and canoe teachings and outings generously led by Knowledge Holders and Elders from across Turtle Island and this land of Musqueam and Squamish nations. This weaving of Indigenous and western medicines is powerful and effective. We see the impact in our data, and even more deeply in the stories our members share.

Why we need your help now

Since our co-operative began, the realities facing our community have become more complex. The drug toxicity crisis continues to escalate. The cost of living has risen sharply. Health and social needs have intensified. More people are seeking health care, safety and community. Yet, even as needs have grown, our core funding has not.

Simply put, several of our programs are at risk.

Winter is one of the most challenging times for our relatives. The coldest weeks of the year bring increased health concerns, deeper isolation and greater reliance on safe indoor spaces, food, emotional support and cultural care. These programs are not just services; they are lifelines.

That’s why we’ve launched our first-ever fundraising campaign, Together Through Winter, to raise $25,000 to protect and sustain these essential programs.

Standing together through winter

Your contribution, however big or small, makes an immediate difference. Every gift helps sustain the cultural, medical and community programs that form the heart of our co-operative. Your support ensures that no one is left without access to warmth, safety, health services or the cultural connections that sustain dignity and belonging.

As demand for our programs grows, your support can help us keep culture and community at the heart of health care. Will you walk with us to transform health care in the DTES? Donate today. Together, we carry care through the cold and beyond.

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