There are a few things that become synonymous with the holiday season in Vancouver.
Packed malls, peppermint mochas at coffee shops, freezing rain and Peter Thompson.
Commuters at the ultra-busy Commercial Drive SkyTrain station may not know his name, but they certainly recognize the lively vendor.
For the past two winters, he's been working that area selling the Hope in Shadows Downtown Eastside calendar.
"It's funny, because people come up to me and they're like 'You're back, has it been a year already?'" Thompson chucked. "People buy a calendar and come back later to buy more as presents."
Thompson, a former carpenter who suffered a debilitating leg injury years ago, is just one of many vendors trained by the Pivot Legal Society to sell the calendars.
The Hope in Shadows campaign features a free photo contest each year for residents of the Downtown Eastside.
The winners are given cash prizes and the very best 12 images make it into the calendar.
Pivot then trains a number vendors - who may be homeless or disadvantages - to sell the $20 calendars.
Vendors get to keep $10 for each sale they make.
"It's really helped me in tough times," Thompson said. "But I really like to do it because of the interaction and socializing with people. I've met so many people doing this, it's just a boost to the self-esteem."
