PLEA Community Services Society of BC

10/22/2026

Would you be able to open your home and your heart to a young person who needs a safe and supportive place to belong?

Family caregivers provide more than a home. They offer stability, encouragement and the opportunity for a young person to build a brighter future.
Your home could make a lasting difference.

To learn more about becoming a caregiver for a youth in need, click here: https://www.plea.ca/work-with-us/youth-caregiving/

10/21/2026

🎁 PLEA’s Holiday Hamper Campaign is back!

The holidays should be a time of joy, but for many families, it can be stressful. With the rising cost of groceries and everyday essentials, making the season special for their children is challenging.

That’s why every year, PLEA puts together Holiday Hampers filled with food, essentials, and toys for participants and their families in our programs who are facing financial hardship.

These hampers are about more than what’s inside. They’re a way to offer a little extra support, help create special holiday memories and remind families that their community cares.

✨ You can help make the holidays a little brighter!

🎁 Please donate by clicking the link: https://www.plea.ca/donate-to-plea/holiday-food-hampers/
📣 Share this post with your friends and family. Help us spread the word and bring our community together to make a difference.

Every contribution, big or small, can help make a difference for a family in need. Thank you for helping us share a little kindness, comfort and holiday cheer. ❤

10/15/2026

❤Happy Foster Family Month! ❤

This month, we’re celebrating and thanking the incredible caregivers who open their hearts and homes to support others.

At PLEA Community Services, we are so grateful for our caregivers and the care, patience, compassion and commitment they bring to their roles every day. By providing a safe, supportive and nurturing home, our caregivers help children, youth and adults feel a sense of belonging, build relationships and navigate life with support and encouragement.

It’s the everyday moments, the patience during challenging times, and the willingness to show up and be there when it matters most that make such a meaningful difference.

To all our PLEA caregivers, thank you for everything you do and for the difference you make in the lives of the people you support. Your dedication does not go unnoticed, and we are so grateful to have you as part of the PLEA community. 🤗

Interested in becoming a PLEA caregiver? Learn more about how you can make a difference by opening your home and providing support to someone who needs it.

Youth Caregiving: https://www.plea.ca/work-with-us/youth-caregiving/
Adult Caregiving: https://www.plea.ca/work-with-us/adult-caregiving/

Please join us in celebrating and thanking our amazing caregivers this Foster Family Month!

10/12/2026

🍂 Happy Thanksgiving from PLEA Community Services! 💛

This Thanksgiving, we’re feeling grateful for the people who make our work possible. To our donors, supporters, staff, caregivers, volunteers and community partners, thank you for being part of the PLEA community.

Your generosity, compassion and commitment help create opportunities, strengthen connections and make a meaningful difference in the lives of the people and families we support.

From all of us at PLEA, we wish you a Thanksgiving filled with warmth, connection and moments to be thankful for. 💛

10/10/2026

Mental health IS health. 💚

This World Mental Health Day, we’re reflecting on this year’s theme, “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change.”

At PLEA Community Services, we work alongside children, youth, adults and families across the Lower Mainland as they navigate a wide range of experiences and challenges. Whether it’s trauma, isolation, housing instability, substance use or simply needing someone to talk to, having someone who listens, understands and offers support can make a meaningful difference.

Being heard matters. It means taking the time to listen to people’s experiences, understand what matters to them and recognize that everyone’s path to well-being is different. It means:

💚 Meeting people where they’re at, with compassion and respect.
💚 Creating spaces where people feel safe to talk and be heard.
💚 Recognizing that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health.
💚 Listening to lived experiences and learning how we can provide better, more responsive support.

Because real change begins when we listen.

This World Mental Health Day, let’s make space for honest conversations, listen without judgment and support one another in building stronger, more caring communities. 💚

10/08/2026

Knowing how to safely step in when something doesn’t feel right can make a difference. We encourage youth and families to watch this CARE video from Children of the Street and start conversations about safe bystander intervention and preventing sexual violence.

The ‘Cornell 7’ case has come up in our Stand Up, Speak Out presentations lately, highlighting an important lesson: bystander intervention matters.

With more than 50 students reportedly in the group chat where men were invited to participate, the case raises important questions about how young people can recognize concerning situations and safely respond.

Our CARE video gives youth practical, safe strategies for intervening in situations of sexual violence. Watch the CARE video and start the conversation about safe bystander intervention. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RorEN2uiEI

10/07/2026

FREE Online Mandarin-Speaking Parent Support Group in November

Parenting can be rewarding, challenging, joyful and sometimes overwhelming, all at the same time. You don’t have to navigate it alone.

PLEA’s Counselling Team is offering a free, online Mandarin-speaking Parent Support Group, providing a warm, safe and non-judgmental space for parents to connect, share experiences and explore the challenges and joys of parenting together.

Over four weekly sessions in November we’ll explore:

❤ Boundaries: Creating healthy boundaries while staying connected
❤ Emotional Regulation: Understanding emotions, stress and healthy coping strategies
❤ Relationships: Building stronger family connections
❤ Cultural Differences: Navigating cultural values and parenting expectations
❤ Self-Care: Caring for yourself while caring for others

🗓 Dates: November 5, 12, 19 and 26
⏰ Time: 6pm to 7:30pm
💻 All sessions are virtual.

If you’re a Mandarin-speaking parent looking for a supportive space to connect and learn alongside others, we’d love to have you join us.

For more information, please contact PLEA’s Counselling Team at: [email protected]

Please share this opportunity with families who may benefit from additional support and connection.

10/06/2026

❤ October is Foster Family Month in BC.

This month, we’re recognizing and celebrating the thousands of foster parents across BC who open their homes and hearts to provide safe, nurturing and inclusive homes for children.

At PLEA, we’re also celebrating the dedicated caregivers who open their homes to support children, youth and adults through our Family Caregiving program.

Our caregivers provide much more than a place to live. They offer connection, stability, encouragement and a sense of belonging, helping the people they care for feel safe, valued and like they belong.
And they don’t do it alone. PLEA provides ongoing support, training and guidance to help caregivers feel confident and supported every step of the way.

🏡 Could opening your home make a difference in someone’s life?

Learn more about becoming a PLEA Family Caregiver:

youth caregiving: https://www.plea.ca/work-with-us/youth-caregiving/
adult caregiving: https://www.plea.ca/work-with-us/adult-caregiving/

09/30/2026

Each year, on September 30, we pause to honour the children who never returned home from residential schools, Survivors, their families, and their communities.

This day is both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. Together, they serve as a reminder of the tragic history and ongoing impacts of residential schools, and as an opportunity for reflection, learning, and healing.

Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots initiative that raises awareness of the intergenerational impacts of residential schools and promotes the message that Every Child Matters. The orange shirt has become a powerful symbol of the culture, freedom, and self-esteem that was taken from Indigenous children over generations.

The date of September 30, was chosen because it was the time of year children were taken from their homes to residential schools. It also sets the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying efforts in the school year ahead.

Across the country, communities, local governments, and schools come together on this day in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations to come.

At PLEA, our work with children, youth, families and caregivers reminds us every day of the importance of listening, learning and building relationships grounded in respect, understanding and cultural safety. Truth must come before reconciliation, and we each have a role to play in turning awareness into meaningful action.
Today, we remember. We listen. We learn. And we recommit to walking the path toward reconciliation together.

🧡 Every Child Matters.

On September 30, we encourage everyone to:
Wear orange
Take part in local commemorative events
Learn and reflect on the history and legacy of residential schools

Supports are available:
Former residential school students: 1-866-925-4419
Hope for Wellness Help Line (24/7): 1-855-242-3310 or connect via online chat

09/29/2026