5 B.C. businesses and others doing good during COVID-19: Beirut relief brews, shoreline cleanup crews and more

With the start of school pushed back and a spike COVID-19 cases throughout the province, it's important to stay vigilant and cautious as we all move forward. And don't forget to support local businesses, which are doing their part to keep the economy going while also lending a hand to the less fortunate...

Credit: Courtesy of Nuba

The Nuba restaurant group donated all proceeds from sales of its Turmeric Ale, a collaboration with Faculty Brewing, to Beirut relief efforts

Our weekly series celebrates local organizations that are stepping up to help others

With the start of school pushed back and a spike COVID-19 cases throughout the province, it’s important to stay vigilant and cautious as we all move forward. And don’t forget to support local businesses, which are doing their part to keep the economy going while also lending a hand to the less fortunate. Stay safe, enjoy your bubble, and say thank you to your local front-line workers!

Granville Island Delivery Co.

Granville Island has been hit hard by COVID, with many of its vendors seeing a drop in sales. To help them pull through, Michelle Ng, founder and president of Vancouver Foodie Tours, recently launched Granville Island Delivery Co. Supporting the many merchants that previously lacked an online venue, this one-stop shop lets visitors browse the Public Market and other retail outlets from home.

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

Four months after it shut down to ensure volunteers’ safety during the pandemic, this conservation partnership between Ocean Wise and WWF-Canada has relaunched with solo, family and small team cleanups. And not a moment too soon: the pause left 84,000 kilograms of plastic and other litter on the shores of our nation’s oceans, lakes, rivers, creeks and streams, organizers reckon. Now that Shoreline Cleanup is back up and running, you can volunteer to protect those waters—and help #TeamShoreline reach its goal of enlisting one million citizen scientists by the end of the year. Before you register, give this checklist a once-over.

Nuba

Following the devastating explosion in Beirut, the Lebanese comfort-food favourite a held a buy-one-give-one International Beer Day fundraiser at its four Vancouver-area restaurants. Patrons who bought a pint of the house-special Nuba Turmeric Ale, a collaboration with Faculty Brewing Co., received a complimentary second one for a friend, with all proceeds going to Red Cross relief efforts in Lebanon’s capital city. The cause is a personal one for Nuba co-owner Victor Bouzide, who has Lebanese roots.

Shoppers Drug Mart

Almost 20 percent of B.C. women have to choose between buying period products or essential grocery items, according to a recent survey commissioned by Shoppers. Meanwhile, two-thirds of British Columbians polled didn’t know that many women rely on their local food bank for period products. With their Love You campaign, the pharmacy chain, Food Banks Canada and U by Kotex are encouraging Canadians to include those much-needed goods in their next food-bank donation. To kick-start the effort, U by Kotex has donated 50,000 boxes of period products to Food Banks Canada. You can learn more here.

Trinity Western University

TWU’s master of arts in leadership program, delivered in Mandarin, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. This spring, on behalf of the university, alumni donated $54,000 worth of personal protective equipment to China’s Wuhan Central Hospital. As well, a current student has committed to give 3,000 pairs of medical gloves to TWU’s school of nursing, plus 20 boxes of medical masks and 10 bottles of hand sanitizer to the Global Engagement Office.