Welcome to The DTES Neighbourhood House!
We provide a dignified space for all community members
Welcome to The DTES Neighbourhood House! We provide a dignified space for all community members
We’re proud to launch the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House Community Cookbook 2024!
Rooted in the stories, resilience, and creativity of our vibrant community, this cookbook is more than just a collection of recipes—it’s a celebration of food as culture, care, and connection.
With dishes contributed by neighbours, program participants, and volunteers, the Community Cookbook offers over 60 recipes from across the globe: Afghan dumplings, Nigerian fried rice, Persian adas polo, Bunny Chow, Sindhi vegetable curry, Jamaican curry goat, silken tofu mousse, and many more. Each page reflects the cultural richness of the Downtown Eastside and the ways in which food brings us together.
From community kitchens to family celebrations, these recipes hold memory and meaning. Some are comfort meals made in times of need. Others are celebratory dishes passed down through generations. Many were created or reimagined within our programming, where folks gather weekly to cook, share, and nourish one another.
This project was made possible through our long-standing collaboration with UBC’s Urban Ethnographic Field School. Their students worked alongside community members to gather stories and document the creative process—from interviews and photography to artwork and design. It was a true community effort from start to finish.
Whether you’re looking for hearty meals, quick snacks, or a taste of global home cooking, this book offers something for everyone. We hope it inspires you to cook with intention, share meals with care, and celebrate the power of food in your own life.
✨ Because at DTES Neighbourhood House, nutritious food is for everyone.
📍 Come by the House to pick up your copy or reach out for digital access.
📧 For inquiries: info@dtesnhouse.ca
Programs and Services
Community Drop In
Creating inclusive spaces for individuals and families to connect, learn, and grow through meal-sharing, educational workshops, and community-building activities that foster resilience and mutual support.
Yoga Class
Offering accessible, community-focused yoga sessions that promote physical wellness, mental relaxation, and a sense of balance, supporting participants’ overall health and well-being.
Tutoring and Kids Kitchen
Empowering children with personalized educational support and interactive cooking sessions, teaching valuable life skills, fostering confidence, and encouraging healthy eating habits.
Family Drop In
Creating inclusive spaces for individuals and families to connect, learn, and grow through meal-sharing, educational workshops, and community-building activities that foster resilience and mutual support.
Banana Beat 🍌
Our Nutritional Outreach (NO) programs: Banana Beat and the Mobile Smoothie Project are two initiatives that aim to provide essential nutrients on the days that low-income residents of the Downtown Eastside are least likely to have access to nutrition.
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The Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House's mandate is to provide programming and educational, leadership, social, and recreational opportunities to residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
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To provide a dignified welcoming space that creates and supports an improved quality of life for the DTES community.
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The secular, grassroots Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House (DTES NH) aims to provide meaningful opportunities for our neighbours to engage with and contribute to their community in an equitable atmosphere of sharing and learning.
We welcome people of all ancestries, genders, ages, and orientations. Our programming honours and is inspired by the cultural diversity of the DTES and respects the fact that most of our neighbours are coping with significant socioeconomic and/or physical limitations in their daily lives.
Given the wide-reaching effects of nutritional vulnerability in our community, the founders of the DTES NH put the Right to Food at the heart of our work. We believe that everyone deserves access to food that enhances both their physical and mental wellbeing. Through our food-centered programming, we aspire to reform the nutritional impact, quality, abundance, and delivery of food in the DTES community.
Learn more🍌
Smoothie Season Has Officially Started!
Join us every Tuesday from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM outside our doors for fresh, seasonal fruit smoothies — with milk or dairy-free!
This delicious initiative is part of our Nutritional Outreach Program (yes, it’s Banana Beat’s healthy cousin!) and will run all summer long.
Come cool down, fuel up, and connect with your neighbours — one smoothie at a time!
Banana Beat 🍌
Our Nutritional Outreach (NO) programs: Banana Beat and the Mobile Smoothie Project are two initiatives that aim to provide essential nutrients on the days that low-income residents of the Downtown Eastside are least likely to have access to nutrition.
Stay in the loop! Follow us on social media to get the latest updates on our community programs, events, and free courses.
Be the first to know what’s happening at the House — we’d love to see you there! 💛 #DTESNH
