IMPACT – Your Support in Ac�on –
We are still open and still serving on the front lines. Because of your continued support, together we will get through this.
We Asked. You Delivered. Thank You! Thank you for making it possible for us to continue to serve the most vulnerable during this COVID-19 crisis together with Union Gospel Mission. Watch our video at youtube.com/user/SallyAnnBC
Two Weeks. Two Million. Together.
YOUR IMPACT
Our COVID-19 Response Across BC Vernon Our Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) Community Response Units (CRU’s) have been put to good use during the current COVID-19 crisis. In Vernon, since gathering in the cafeteria is not possible at this time, meals are served daily from the CRU to people in need. Thanks to your support during these unprecedented times we continue to serve those in need. Our programs and services remain open, with some key changes allowing us to continue supporting our community’s most vulnerable. Here is how that looks in a few cities throughout the province. Vancouver At Boundless Vancouver our Free Food Market switched to prepackaged bags full of essential groceries. Over 200 packages of groceries were given out in one day to members of the community.
Alberni Valley Throughout the Alberni Valley, staff and volunteers are hard at work, delivering meals to over 500 people in need, and serving to more than 100 directly from the EDS vehicle. Cranbrook In Cranbrook we are ensuring that children who regularly rely on school lunch programs are still getting nutritious meals throughout the week by preparing food hampers with everything they need.
salvationarmy.ca | Spring 2020
Victoria For Easter at our Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre (ARC) in Victoria, staff made and served a delicious lunch of prime rib and yorkshire for clients. This special meal helped give a boost to the spirits of everyone during the COVID-19 restrictions. This is all possible thanks to the continued support of donors and community partners, like you. Thank you for helping us continue Giving Hope Today … and every day. Go to salvationarmy.ca to learn how you can help support our programs and services throughout the COVID-19 crisis and all year long.
I Found My Way In Life
Today, life is happy. “The Salvation Army helped me find my way in life. I always wanted a good life but it was hard to see the good coming from my childhood.” Being a single mom is challenging but she is staying positive and most importantly sober. She has found her spiritual self and is choosing to live and lead by example, praying, eating healthy, exercising, spending quality time with her daughter, resulting in less anxiety, less anger. After graduating, Kate plans to be a social worker. Paying it forward, when it came time to complete school volunteer hours, she chose an organization close to her heart – The Salvation Army Food Bank. “The Army showed me patience and diversity, and this good message pushed me closer towards my recovery. I know I’m going to be okay.” Without the generosity of donors like you, Kate, and others like her, would not have access to life changing programs at our facilities.
Lunch Program Continues During Pandemic
Kate’s childhood and early years were filled with trauma and significant challenges; a family with a history of addiction and her mother a crack addict who left when Kate was 12. She was angry, living in and out of transition homes, consuming drugs and alcohol. At 19, Kate found herself on social assistance, raising a daughter alone, hungry and desperate. Fearing the stigma and of being judged given her mother’s reputation, she was unable to ask for help from the local Salvation Army. Kate started using alcohol and cocaine as a coping mechanism and wanting to break the cycle, she left Terrace, BC. “I knew I couldn’t put my daughter through what I went through as a child, I had to take us away from it all.” After moving around, she found herself near her auntie in Prince George who was living a sober life and in successful recovery. With her support Kate was able to walk through the doors of The Salvation Army looking for help for herself and her daughter.
During a normal school year, alongside the Rotary Club of Haney, Ridge Meadows Ministries provides over 140 nutritious bagged lunches to school children throughout the community every day. Preparation is done in the professional kitchen, and delivered by volunteers to school offices where they are distributed discreetly to students in need. However, with the current COVID-19 pandemic, schools are closed and students are no longer able to receive these meals. In response, to ease some of the burden from families and to ensure no child goes hungry, the school lunch bag program continues with a few adjustments. The program has tripled in size to include high school students and non-school aged children. And families are able to pick up lunch hampers from two school location choices each week.
salvationarmy.ca | Spring 2020
Without the generosity of donors like you, this program would not be possible. Thank you for Giving Hope Today ... and every day. Go to ridgemeadowssa.ca to learn more about the programs and services offered in the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows communities.
CORPORATE CORNER
Times Colonist – Rapid Relief Fund
ARC installed a hand wash station in the lobby to ensure proper hygiene was kept by clients. One of the clients was overwhelmed with the care we provided him during this time. “No one treats us like this – it’s really nice to feel cared for”. In addition to providing close to 600 meals daily through residential and open community lunch programs, ARC activated the Community Response Unit (CRU) to provide lunches to the 300 occupants at the temporary Topaz Park tent city. Stan Hagen Centre for Families adjusted the number of emergency food hampers given to individuals and families, now providing hampers daily to those in need. Over 300 families come in weekly for fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy products. A single mother of three lost her job due to COVID-19 and couldn’t afford food until her unemployment insurance came in. Family services provided her with groceries, along with three Easter baskets for her kids. She was extremely grateful and stated with relief, “We weren’t going to have Easter this year”.
The Rapid Relief Fund is an initiative brought together in Victoria by several community leaders in an immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Times Colonist newspaper launched the largest fundraising appeal in their history, together with the Jawl family, and the Victoria Foundation.
It is heartwarming to see communities come together in times of crises. Thanks to wonderful people like the Jawl family, Victoria Foundation, Times Colonist, and the thousands of generous donors, we are able to answer the increased demands and continue to care for people in need on the Island communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and all year long.
This response was planned to address the impact of the pandemic on the greater Victoria community; providing funds to local food banks and not-for-profit charities, to support the surge of needs. After only five days, the campaign achieved its goal of reaching $1 million dollars in the first week. The goal of a second $1 million was set for the next week, and by Easter weekend more than $4 million had been collected.
Go to victoriaarc.org to learn more about the programs and services offered in the greater Victoria communities.
“No one treats us like this – its really nice to feel cared for” – Victoria ARC client Our Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre (ARC) and Stan Hagen Centre for Families were blessed to be two recipients of the first wave of funding. With donations down and increased demands, these funds were a timely reassuring gift from the community and were immediately put to work.
BC’s First Annual Report is Coming! We are delighted to announce BC’s first Annual Report. It shows the impact of your donations on our programs and services across the province. Available soon in print or digital ... watch for your personal copy.
Thanks to you, our generous supporters, we can continue Giving Hope Today … and every day. Go to salvationarmy.ca/donations to continue making a difference.
salvationarmy.ca | Spring 2020
Our Mission The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world. The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under licence by The Salvation Army Charitable #: 107951618 RR0001
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