What We Do

Institutional Relationship Building​

 Relationships are the bedrock of our power. We focus on building relationships within and between our members to create understanding, expand our sense of belonging and find common ground. When we develop relationships with people across lines of difference, the barriers that often prevent us from working together start to break down.

Listening-Research-Action Campaigns

Member organizations set the agenda together. We listen, discern the problems that are arising for people across institutions and then facilitate broad-based action to be taken on those issues. This is done through “listening sessions” within your institution, followed by the development of “research-action teams” composed of members from all of the different MVA-affiliated organizations, who collaboratively develop campaign platforms around specific issues.

Community Organizing Trainings

We offer in-depth community organizing training to members of our member institutions to empower them to create the changes in their communities that they want to see. We identify and develop untapped potential in your organization. We create organizational leaders out of everyday people through experiential learning and mentoring.

Past Campaigns

Living Wages

In 2016, we won a commitment from the City of Vancouver to be a Living Wage employer. North Vancouver followed suit in March 2021. The minimum wage for all City employees and contractors is now $24.08 compared to the provincial minimum wage of $15.65.

Poverty Reduction

We successfully advocated for provincial legislation around poverty reduction. In April 2017, John Horgan (leader of the BCNDP and then-Premier) and Andrew Weaver (leader of the BC Green Party) stood before 800 MVA leaders at an Accountability Assembly held at the Italian Cultural Centre in East Vancouver and committed to legislate a poverty reduction strategy. In 2018, the province passed its first poverty reduction plan, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Act.

Affordable Housing

In 2016, we won commitments from the North Shore mayors and MLA to address the affordable housing crisis on the North Shore.

Affordable and Accessible Transit

In 2019, we won commitments for improved transit services, such as free transit for kids 12 and under from TransLink/BC Transit and handyDART funding which increased the accessibility of transit by providing door-to-door service for those with greater assistance needs. These changes were implemented in 2021.

Community Healthcare

In 2015 we organized with the Hospital Employees Union and local church congregations to successfully pressure the employer at Inglewood Care Home in West Vancouver to bargain an improved contract and job security, increasing the quality of care for residents.

In 2017 we won a commitment from the BC NDP to allocate resources for community healthcare centers.

Team

Staff

​​Krisztina Fulop, Organizer
​​

Board of Directors

Audrey Guay
President
CityGate Vancouver

Doug Kinna
BC General Employees' Union

Maria Fe Infante
Migrante BC

Lina Vargas
​Diversity and Inclusion Support Group of BC

Erie Maestro
Migrante BC

Sarah Bjorknas
​CUPE Metro Vancouver
​District Council

Jennifer Horsley
Public Service Alliance of Canada

Steven Seegerts
Urban Aboriginal Ministry

Francis Hart D'Emilio
Justice and Peace Unit of the Anglican Diocese
​

Hilary Kitson
Canadian Memorial United Church

________________________________________________

Member Organizations

BC General Employees' Union

Canadian Memorial United Church

Carnegie Housing Project

Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

CityGate Vancouver

CUPE Metro Vancouver District Council

Delta Teachers' Association

Diversity and Inclusion Support Group of British Columbia

Fairview Baptist Church

Hillel BC

Hospital Employees' Union

Jewish Family Services

Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

Jewish Seniors Alliance

Justice and Peace Unit of the Anglican Diocese
​of New Westminster

Living Interfaith Sanctuary

Longhouse Council of Native Ministry United Church

Migrante BC

Or Shalom Synagogue

Presbytery of Westminster, The Presbyterian Church of Canada

Public Service Alliance of Canada

Sierra Club BC

Sisters of the Child Jesus Roman Catholic Parish

Spirit of Life Lutheran Church

St. Andrews Wesley United Church

St. Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Parish

St. Laurence Anglican Church

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Parish

St. Thomas Anglican Church

St. Thomas More Collegiate

Temple Sholom

Tikva Housing Society

UNITE HERE Local 40

Urban Aboriginal Ministry, Anglican Diocese
​of New Westminster

Vancouver Unitarians

---

Sponsoring Organizations

In the Media

The Tyee (2014 March 28):     ​A New Kind of Political Force in Vancouver
Our Times (2014 March 31):     ​Metro Vancouver Alliance
Vancouver is Awesome (2014 October 10):    Major Vancouver parties grilled by lively crowd
CityNews (2014 October 10):    Vancouver mayoral candidates support living wage, better transit
CBC (2015 January 27):     Transit tax: Metro Vancouver Alliance plans forums to promote 'Yes' vote
Vancouver Sun (2015 June 9):     Metro Vancouver Alliance building on 'common ground'
Vancouver Observer (2015 July 8):     City of Vancouver to become a 'living wage employer'
Vancouver is Awesome (2015 July 8):     City of Vancouver to become a 'living wage employer'
Vancouver Observer (2015 July 27):     Paul Clark and the Metro Vancouver Alliance
North Shore News (2016 February 10):     Mayors pledge affordable housing action
Diocese of New Westminster (2018 April 26):     South Van Neighbourhood Walk
VanRamblings (2020 November 24):     Metro Vancouver Alliance: Faithful Activism from the Heart