Partnering to Support Women in Need

In recognition of the many challenges women in this community face, Vancouver-based businesses, Prism Engineering and RATIO, partnered up to provide in-kind support to help the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre open a new second, much needed shelter for women.

The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre provides a safe, nonjudgmental environment for women from all walks of life who live or work in the Downtown Eastside.

It offers women supportive surroundings and services for women, including shelter, refreshments and meals, telephone and computer use, safe and clean washrooms and showers, access to clothing and toiletries and medical supplies, housing and referral counselling services, and advocacy services.

For many women who live or work on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the COVID-19 pandemic and its related health restrictions have intensified the challenge of accessing safe, supportive spaces and community services.

“Our community of women has been exasperated and isolated even more so than most by the pandemic as services and access to spaces have been limited,” says Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre Facilities Coordinator Lila Gaylie. “Many services and shelter spaces were closed during the height of the pandemic, which had women facing the stress of the pandemic on top of the stress of finding a safe space.”

Physical distancing requirements put in place by provincial health authorities to slow the spread of COVID-19 also limited access to the centre’s women-only spaces – even as the need for those spaces skyrocketed.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected some communities and put many people in unsafe situations with few options,” says Prism Engineering President Robert Greenwald. “We saw this project as an opportunity to give back and make a real difference to the community during this time of need.”

Prism worked with RATIO Architecture to fast-track the renovation of the shelter to meet high demand and provide women with safe, warm indoor accommodations during the winter. Construction on the former retail space began January 18, 2021 and with the support of the City of Vancouver in the permit process, the centre was open for use just a few weeks later, in early February.

The new space, which includes washrooms, kitchen areas, a reception area for staff, and leisure spaces for women to relax and receive support services, helps alleviate the need. It has allowed the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre to expand its hours and services, and serve more women in the community by giving them a safe place to go that is off the street and out of the line of gender-based violence.

“Prism Engineering and the other groups helping us on this project made a world of difference in ensuring a smooth process and that things were done right, despite the incredibly tight timelines,” says the centre’s Fundraising & Communications Coordinator Ali Omelaniec. “We are so grateful for their generous assistance in providing a safe, functional space that will provide shelter and safety for women in the Downtown Eastside during such a tough time in the community.”

“This pandemic has very clearly shown us that we need to support each other,” Greenwald says “and I encourage others to consider what they can do to help those in our community who need our support the most.”

For information on how to donate to the Downtown Eastside Community Centre, please visit https://dewc.ca/donate.

To find out about other registered charities in B.C. that provide vital services to people in need, visit https://www.canadahelps.org/en/explore/charities/category/social-services/region/BC/.

We are excited to welcome Joshua Caplan as Prism’s Strategic Energy Management (SEM) Coach this spring.

SEM is a holistic approach to energy management that enables businesses to achieve long-term and persistent savings.  Instead of managing energy saving projects one by one, SEM provides the tools to manage energy in a coordinated and strategic way across an organization — helping businesses increase profitability, create a competitive advantage, and gain greater resiliency.

This is achieved by using low-cost behavioural, operational and maintenance related opportunities.

Josh will be working with Prism’s team of SEM coaches and energy management professionals to support industrial and commercial clients with their strategic energy management programs.

As a Certified Energy Manager, Joshua has valuable hands-on experience with energy efficiency for buildings, low carbon fleets, GHG accounting and reporting, project management, as well as financial analysis. He has worked in the field of environmental sustainability and energy for over 15 years, both as a consultant and within organizations and has trained and coached over 100 organizations to help develop their GHG inventories and mitigation plans.

Most recently, Joshua managed ICBC’s environmental sustainability team and was responsible for defining and carrying out their environmental sustainability strategy including resource efficiency, GHG targets and cultural goals. And as ICBC’s BC Hydro sponsored Energy Manager, Joshua developed and implemented the organization’s strategic energy management plan.

His interest in sustainability started at a young age.

“As a child growing up Montreal, I spent my summers canoe-tripping in Ontario and Quebec. It solidified my appreciation for the natural environment, our place within it, and our responsibility to protect the earth.”

What drew Josh to Prism was the organizational culture and the people he was already familiar with.

“Everybody I spoke to at Prism shares a commitment to sustainability and passion for addressing climate change. I look forward to supporting other organizations to become more energy efficient and less carbon intensive.”

“Joshua’s experience and expertise will help our clients evaluate and develop energy management practices to advance their sustainability goals. As an effective and engaging facilitator and coach, Josh leverages both his technical and communication skills to empower and motivate the people he works with to take action to reduce energy and carbon. I am excited for the work we’ll do together in the strategic energy management space,” our President, Robert Greenwald, shares.

Outside of work, Josh enjoys skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is also a huge fan of all music, cooking, and playing board games.