United We Can Bottle Depot

Thursday December 16th 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Main Floor, B.C. Gas Building
1111 W. Georgia (@ Thurlow), Vancouver

"THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY"

Stricken with Crohns Disease as a teenager Ken spent the next 15 years in and out of hospitals as he tried to cope with his worsening health.  In the early 1980's he underwent several surgeries resulting from his long-standing illness. He moved to the Downtown Eastside in 1981 and by this time he was actively addicted to alcohol and drugs.

At 42, after repeated attempts to stop drinking and using drugs, Ken got seriously involved in the recovery movement. He was on welfare at the time and worked Dumpster diving for bottles and cans. Because it was often difficult to convince local grocers to take the empties back for refunds, he and a few friends decided that they would try to start a bottle depot in the Downtown Eastside.
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In January of 1995, after five years of organizing, Ken and his group established a non-profit charity and opened United We Can Bottle Depot.

Ken has successfully managed the bottle depot as a self-sustaining social enterprise and has worked with Downtown Eastside residents to develop other similar initiatives, including a street cleaning and graffiti removal project, a bicycle repair shop, a plant shop, an addiction recovery group, and a commercial container collection service.

Ken's group was also instrumental in the establishment of the Potluck Cafe.

United we Can currently offers permanent employment to more than 30 Downtown East-siders and employs hundreds of others on a part-time casual basis. United We Can now recycles over 20 million containers each year and has an annual budget of $2,000,000. More than 90% of the organization's revenues are generated from its businesses.

Luncheon Topic : Spirituality in Recycling

Every human being is faced with a struggle to find meaning and purpose in life. Taking steps to improve our creative response to life implies that one believes that positive change is actually possible. In making incredible changes in his own life, Ken Lyotier has helped open a path for others in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver -- leading the people of this troubled community into a more hopeful and productive future.
 
Members $15.00   Non-members $20.00
RSVP: phone: 604.682-3712
EMAIL: info@workplacecentre.org.com

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