BC Living
Local Easter Offerings to Try This Spring
Delicatessens Across B.C.: More Than Just High-End Grocers
March Sushi – From Scratch
Choosing Connection: A BC Family Day Pledge to Prioritize Presence Over Plans
Embracing Plant-Based Living this Veganuary and Beyond
Heal Your Gut, Naturally
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
Kamloops & Sun Peaks Resort: The Ultimate See & Ski Family Getaway
Local Getaway: Stay at an Elven Haven in Courtenay
The 2024 Spring Road Trip Destination You Won’t Want To Miss
Cooking Classes
Culinary Cinema
B.C. Adventures: Our picks for March
Freshen Up your Skincare this Spring with these 9 BC Based Skincare Products
Are you getting the most from your expertly cultivated and perfectly aged wine collection?
The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Him
How the handmade pin-back button is helping the residents of Vancouver's most down-and-out neighbourhood.
It can be a statement, or a piece of art. You can wear it with pride, or put it on a jacket and forget about it. For its low cost and versatility, the handmade pin-back button has gone to support political causes and—in indie culture—advertise bands, publicize ideas, and establish fashion trends. Now, a Vancouver duo is making the one-inch button work a little harder to improve conditions for residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
Pins + Needs was started by Lauren Bercovitch and Brent Hodge just two weeks before the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Political protests were erupting nearly every day and Vancouver residents lined up for hours to purchase Olympic memorabilia. Rivalry and anticipation were reaching critical levels and Lauren, a self-proclaimed activist, was torn.
pinsandneeds.com
Available at Taxi Design, EWMA Store, THIRD and the Megaphone Magazine office
“I secretly love the Olympics,” Lauren says, bursting into a grin. “I love the figure skating, and their outfits. I love all the events, I love rooting for my country—I love it.”
But working in Canada’s poorest neighbourhood, Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Lauren couldn’t ignore the dramatic and sometimes negative changes taking place in the name of the Olympics—nor could she ignore her urge to do something about it.
Armed with a button maker, Lauren teamed up with friend Brent to create a pin that could express nothing but “pure Canada love,” as she phrases it. The big idea was that their commemorative buttons would also raise money for Megaphone, the Downtown Eastside street paper.
Lauren and Brent raised almost $2,000 in less than two weeks, and Pins + Needs took off. The pair has worked with almost 40 different charities and non-profits since February, folding in comedians, musicians and artists into their cause.
Lauren Bercovitch and Brent Hodge started Pins + Needs just two weeks before the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.
Pins + Needs is an example of social enterprise—a business that sells goods in the market to create a financial and social return on investment. Social enterprise is a developing concept in Canada, and one that’s being embraced by independent producers.
In Vancouver, crafter Samantha Wagner (“Sam Made”) sells handmade sewing kits to raise funds for Kiva, the microcredit company. In Montreal, the Yellow Bird Project sells t-shirts designed by Canadian bands to raise money for charities of the bands’ choosing.
According to Brent, a business major in university, pins just make great business sense.
“The profit margin off a pin is ridiculously good,” he says. “Rounding it off, we’re making 75 cents per one dollar pin.”
It’s also fun. Lauren and Brent often call on their friends or clients to join in on an evening of button-making.
It’s a small gesture the pair sums up with their slogan: Helping people in need, one inch at a time.
“This isn’t the Red Cross,” says Brent. “It isn’t a massive thing. But, it still helps.”