Kapwa Strong – A Community Comes Together After Tragedy
Six months ago, unimaginable tragic events occurred following the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver. Even as the initial shock lessens, fear, grief, and trauma still reverberate through the community and far beyond. What was meant to be a joyful celebration of culture became a day of sorrow which has left families, friends, and the community grappling with loss.
“The most immediate thing I had to do was the emergency response with parents,” recalls William, a Filipino community leader. “I had people across the world who couldn’t reach their children call me. I coordinated with folks on the ground to figure out whether their child was one of the victims.”
In the aftermath, the community’s resilience shone through. Community efforts and coordinated partnerships emerged to support those affected, rebuild trust, and begin the long journey of healing. Working closely with the Filipino community, United Way British Columbia joined these efforts, launching United Way BC’s Kapwa Strong Fund and committing 100% of donations to support recovery initiatives within the community.
Kapwa Strong – A Shared Humanity
Central to the response was the Filipino value of Kapwa, meaning “shared identity” or “togetherness.” It’s a deeply rooted belief in interconnectedness—that when one person suffers, the entire community feels the pain. This sense of interconnectedness is why United Way BC chose to name the fund Kapwa Strong in conjunction with Filipino BC.
“Many Filipinos practice this value of shared humanity,” says Lani of Filipino BC. “If one person’s affected, the whole community is affected. It really takes a community to help heal a community.”
That spirit of “shared humanity” was evident immediately. Within hours, local groups offered food, translation services, transportation, and emotional support. “A lot of the initial support came from grassroots people just showing up,” explains JP, a UBC professor and Filipino Canadian leader.
Building Trust and Providing Support
As the community rallied, the need for trusted resources became clear. Families sought answers, survivors faced trauma, and misinformation, including scam fundraisers, spread online. United Way BC stepped in to provide a reliable donation channel, enabling grassroots fundraisers like a high school Crochet Club to contribute meaningfully.
“We’re really grateful to United Way BC for helping get a trusted donation source started,” Lani says. “People with ideas and hands-on work could support the community because United Way opened the granting streams.”
Through response and recovery grants, a wide range of initiatives were funded: culturally grounded healing circles, clinical counselling, and creative therapies like painting workshops led by local groups.
Healing Beyond Talk Therapy
“Through United Way BC, we were able to fund therapy programs like art therapy, DBT, and one-on-one counselling,” William shares. “These programs are a huge success—we were never able to do this before.”
JP, who helped review grant applications, emphasized the importance of culturally sensitive approaches. “There was a lot of focus on rituals and practices of mourning, memory, and remembrance, alongside clinical mental health support.”
Reclaiming Cultural Spaces
The tragedy left lingering fear with attendance at cultural festivals dropping by half. “Festivals that used to draw 30,000 now only see 15,000,” William notes. “People are scared to attend public events celebrating their culture.”
To rebuild trust, Latincouver, an organization that lost three volunteers at the tragedy, created a Health and Wellness Corner at its Carnival with United Way BC’s support. The space offered counselling and community connection in a safe, welcoming environment.
The Latincouver booth created a space for reflection and connection, where visitors could leave messages of resilience and support, access information on where to find help, and take part in a calming, welcoming environment. After the fear many community members still carried, the space provided an opportunity to feel safe, supported, and reconnected with one another.
“We knew people were hesitant,” says Sofía of Latincouver. “But the space became popular. It motivated people to come out, share their culture loudly, and be proud of it.”
The Carnival also became a symbol of solidarity, with Filipino BC and Latincouver standing side by side. “We can’t rise without other communities rising as well,” Lani reflects. “It’s important to celebrate not just the Filipino community, but the community as a whole.”
Grief, Resilience, and the Road Ahead
Though progress has been made, healing is ongoing. “Grief comes in waves,” Lani says. “We have to be mindful of that.”
Still, the tragedy has revealed the strength and resilience of Vancouver’s diverse communities. “Being able to enjoy without fear is important,” Sofía adds.
For many, the lesson of Kapwa, healing through shared humanity, has never felt more real. “To witness the beautiful things people are doing and to support them through this work has been healing for me too,” JP shares.
While its fundraising efforts have ended, United Way BC remains committed to supporting those impacted through the healing journey with its Kapwa Strong Recovery grants. To ensure long-term support, Filipino BC has also launched a new endowment fund with Vancouver Foundation, transiting fundraising efforts to them.
United, we walk the road. United, we heal.