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56 Friday, December 27, 2013
SERVING MISSION SINCE 1908
Hope Central offers drop-in centre New Heights Church fills gap left after Union Gospel Mission closed last year Alina Konevski ABBOTSFORD NEWS
A Mission pastor is at the heart of a growing effort to meet the needs of the city’s most vulnerable at one centralized spot. Hope Central now provides 12 meals per week and organizers of the make-shift program have big plans for the future. “We started about 14 years ago as a church hauling wagons up and down the alleys in Mission to people who didn’t have food,” said Greg Elford, pastor with New Heights Church, located at Hope Central on North Railway Avenue. New Heights became more involved after meeting people in need. It partnered with the Union Gospel Mission to provide three or four weekly meals and a drop-in program. When Union Gospel closed its drop-in in August 2012 after more than two decades in operation, Elford saw a void. “We noticed that the Union Gospel had really been a vital part of sustaining food for many people,” said Elford. He called on agencies, churches, community members, the city, and the RCMP for a meeting to analyze the gaps and brainstorm a solution. New Heights emerged as a natural place to re-open a drop-in and meal program. But Elford didn’t just resume where Union Gos-
CAROL AUN PHOTO
Hope Central volunteers George Smith and Dean Ross hand trays of bread to coordinator Carrie Prentice. The group on North Railway Avenue provides a dozen meals a week to clients in need. pel left off. He has greatly expanded support, and Hope Central now provides six cooked breakfasts and six suppers each week yearround. The church hired a coordinator, Carrie Prentice, and has Hope Central on a threestage plan: relief, rehabilitation, and development. Relief was this first year of providing meals and basic supplies, such as toiletries. About 13 churches are represented in volunteers, and different businesses in town, from homegrown bakeries to big box stores
One of our big goals is breaking down barriers between people in the community. Greg Elford, New Heights pastor donate food to feed 40-60 people per sitting. Funding is through private donations and grants. The next step is rehabilitation, which Hope Central is just starting. Elford, Prentice, and dozens of volunteers are opening the centre as a drop-in starting in January.
“A lot of people use the facility as their home base … We’re offering community as well as food and a warm place to be,” said Elford. People will be welcomed to hang out, relax, and take part in services that can move them ahead. “Because we have such a
consistent clientele, or participants as we call them, we figured there’s an opportunity to introduce the people we have credibility with to services that can actually help them make some progress in their lives,” said Elford. “Our hope is to invite all the different agencies in the city that work with people on the street, or could work with them, but have no access to them, to come and be part of our drop-in program.” Elford is in talks with different agencies to provide advocacy work, life skills
training, literacy, budgeting, computer access, haircutting services, and cooking classes. One agency might also provide care for people’s feet; as Elford explained, the homeless spend long days outside in the rain, and their feet are often in poor shape. Elford wants to see businesses and service groups working alongside community agencies at Hope Central to help people improve their lives. “One of our big goals is breaking down barriers between people in the community,” said Elford. Always thinking about how to move people out of poverty permanently, Hope Central has started a unique strategy to foster a sense of ownership among its visitors. People who use services are invited to participate in the maintenance of the place – sweep the floor, clean the bathroom, etc. – in exchange for a ballot in a draw to win a monthly gift card. Hope Central has placed a large paper tree on the wall, with volunteers and participants tracing their hands on opposite sides. Organizers measure success by how many participants end up also tracing their hands as volunteers. For more information, people are welcome to drop in to Hope Central, 33129 North Railway Ave., or contact Carrie Prentice at missionhopecentral@gmail.com.
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