Filipino BC and South Vancouver Neighbourhood House Sign Agreement to Develop Community Food Centre in Future Filipino Community & Cultural Centre

Filipino BC and South Vancouver Neighbourhood House (SVNH) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-develop a Community Food Centre as part of the forthcoming Filipino Community and Cultural Centre in South Vancouver. This partnership reflects both organizations’ commitment to building inclusive, culturally responsive infrastructure that addresses long-standing inequities in one of Vancouver’s most diverse and underserved neighbourhoods.

South Vancouver was identified as the preferred location for the centre due to its alignment with the Vancouver Plan 2050, its significant Filipino population, and the lack of culturally relevant community infrastructure in the area. The location also presents a key opportunity to serve another large Filipino population in nearby Richmond, while supporting a wide range of racialized and equity-deserving communities.

Filipino BC intends to operate the new centre as a welcoming, inclusive hub—offering programs and services rooted in Filipino culture and values, while extending its impact to the broader community. The organization is working closely with SVNH and Hungerford Properties, with whom Filipino BC signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2024, to identify a potential site for the multi-use development.

The project builds on the findings of two recent reports: Weaving Our Voices, Our Story of Our Community: What We Heard Report (Filipino BC, February 2025), which captured the Filipino community’s call for integrated social services and gathering spaces; and the Reframing South Vancouver Initiative Evaluation Report (SVNH, March 2023), which underscored the need for culturally relevant infrastructure in South Vancouver, where more than 80% of residents identify as racialized.

“Filipino BC is guided by our core values of kapwa (shared humanity) and bayanihan (mutual aid),” said RJ Aquino, Board Chair of Filipino BC. “When we create space, we do it with the intention of serving and standing alongside community. This project is about more than just a building—it’s about care, connection, and belonging. We’re honoured to partner with South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, and together with our partners at Hungerford Properties, we’re moving one step closer to a centre that reflects the future we want to build.”

The Community Food Centre, a central feature of the development, will act as both a resource hub and a space for cultural connection. It will provide dignified access to food and serve as an entry point to broader supports—offering programs that reflect the cultural diversity and lived realities of the neighbourhood.

“Community Food Centres are grounded in the idea that food is a right, not a privilege,” said Mimi Rennie, Executive Director of South Vancouver Neighbourhood House. “But they also represent something deeper—an invitation to gather, to connect, and to feel a sense of belonging. Food opens the door, but what happens after that is what transforms communities. This partnership with Filipino BC reflects our shared belief that services must be welcoming, culturally informed, and built with community at the centre. Together, we are creating a space that meets people where they are—and helps build the kind of neighbourhood we all deserve.”

This collaboration marks a significant step toward reimagining development in Vancouver: not just for communities, but with them.

Next Steps

Filipino BC and South Vancouver Neighbourhood House are currently in the early stages of feasibility planning for the proposed Filipino Community and Cultural Centre and Community Food Centre. This work will help determine the scope, location, and programming needs for the development.

The next phase of the project will involve further public engagement, the build-out of shared programming, and continued conversations with all levels of government, community organizations, and other key stakeholders. Both organizations are committed to a collaborative, community-led approach that ensures the centre is shaped by the voices, values, and aspirations of those it is intended to serve.

About FBC

Filipino BC is a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing and inspiring youth to become future leaders while preserving and celebrating their rich Filipino-Canadian heritage. With a mission rooted in uplifting the most vulnerable and fostering inclusive spaces, Filipino BC is committed to creating programs and services that prioritize cultural preservation, intercultural unity, and community well-being.

At the heart of Filipino BC’s current initiatives is the development of a Filipino Community and Cultural Centre in South Vancouver — a long-awaited hub that will serve as a gathering place for generations to come.

About SVNH

South Vancouver Neighbourhood House (SVNH) is a community-based organization that focuses on connecting people and strengthening the neighbourhoods in South Vancouver. Our mandate is to develop harmonious relationships among community groups of different cultural, economic, religious, and social backgrounds. Programs and services are determined by the conditions within each community, and by the needs and interests of the people living in that community.