As the Executive Director of Hope Action Values Ethics (H.A.V.E.) Culinary Training Society, Amber has impacted countless lives. In 2007, Amber was asked to develop a school and cafe in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to offer culinary training to some of the province’s most marginalized people. Through H.A.V.E., Amber fosters community, instilling confidence in each of her students as they work towards graduation and beyond. When COVID forced Amber to close the school and cafe, she quickly reinvented H.A.V.E. to continue the work. Today she focuses on providing nutritious meals for the local community, hiring H.A.V.E. students as catering cooks, while also securing funding to offer free meals to the homeless. Amber’s empathy and generosity of spirit has helped more than 1,300 people shift their story to a more hopeful one.
Amber Anderson was named the 2021 Mitchell Award recipient. Named in honour of Keith Mitchell QC, the Mitchell Award recognizes an individual who, through his or her work and volunteer activities, has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to elevating the community in which they live, and those who serve it. The recipient has a unique and selfless leadership style that encourages and inspires the full participation of those he or she leads. Keith Mitchell served as the BC Achievement Foundation’s Founding Chair and guiding light for 13 years. A leader by example and a mentor at heart, Keith brought clarity to the role of the Foundation in its mission to celebrate excellence in British Columbia.
