OUR JANUARY NON-PROFIT - PACE SOCIETY

        Blackbird Fabrics donates 1% of our revenue each month to a rotating nonprofit. With the help of recommendations from our team members, friends & family, and our customers, we choose nonprofits that support causes that are important to us and our community. You can find a full list of organizations that we have supported here!

Our nonprofit for January is PACE Society.

        We spoke with Jennie Pearson from PACE Society’s Board of Directors to learn more about their organization and their ongoing initiatives. 

        The PACE Society (Providing Advocacy, Counselling and Education) is a non-profit organization based out of the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver (DTES). Since 1994, PACE Society has provided one-to-one support in areas such as mental health, violence & sexual assault, trans-specific services, and criminal justice issues. Peer-driven, they work to reduce the risk of violence, discrimination, and social stigma associated with sex work through education, support, and advocacy. PACE recognizes that some services for sex workers are best delivered by sex workers and are strong advocates for paying equitable pay for their peer staff members.

        Prior to COVID-19, PACE hosted events and gatherings to provide food and social connections for their community members. When the pandemic hit, PACE quickly switched to providing food delivery service as they noticed that many people were in need of access to food. With the help of federal funding that was available at the time, they were able to hire some of their members to run the program, further helping their community members through employment. Two years on, the government funds have ended but PACE is working to secure new funds and donations to keep this vital program running. They are currently fundraising to secure funds to support equitable pay for their peer workers. We encourage you to learn more about this campaign here. 

        Additionally, PACE is working on creating a Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour advisory committee to oversee their strategic plan and operations. PACE recognizes that many of their members are diverse and from marginalized groups. They are looking to centre more diverse voices to ensure their advocacy and programs are inclusive and reflective of their members. More importantly, PACE is committed to paying the advisory committee equitable pay for their time and work. 

        We asked Jennie how others can support their communities involved in sex work. In Canada, the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform (CASWLR) is a great way to connect with local organizations. CASWLR is a national organization that is working towards decriminalization in order to protect sex worker’s rights. They work at the federal level within the context of the Canadian legal framework for sex work law reform and are frequently working with local organizations to strengthen their cause. 

 We would like to send our gratitude and appreciation for all the work they do for our community. To learn more, please visit Pace Society here.