IMPACT – Your Support in Ac�on –
Army Provides $1.5 Million in Flood Relief (Pictured above: City of Abbotsford Mayor Mr. Henry Braun and First Nations Emergency Support Society’s Dean Colthorp receiving their funding of $100,000 and $500,000 respectively from Lt. Colonel Jamie Braund)
In the Winter of 2021, British Columbia declared a state of emergency as the Lower Mainland experienced the worst flooding to hit the region in a century. Floods and landslides cut off major transportation routes and entire communities were under water. People lost their homes, businesses were destroyed, and the disruption in transportation limited the number of essential supplies that were available. ...continued on page 2
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IMPACT – Your Support in Ac�on –
In First Nations communities, the support was desperately needed as many of the villages were cut off completely from all forms of help and the recovery efforts are taking twice as long because a lot of the infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, were completely destroyed. The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services responded swiftly and were on the scene in six of the hardest-hit communities feeding and hydrating first responders and evacuees, while also providing shelter, blankets, jackets and much-needed spiritual care. Thanks to your generous support we were able to raise over $1.8 million to use towards immediate and long-term recovery efforts. As part of our work with municipal leaders in the most critically hit areas, including those in the Indigenous communities, we were able to provide more than $600,000 to regions impacted by the flood. This initial round of funding went towards the immediate relief efforts: food security, evacuation supplies, and temporary shelters. In May we were proud to present $725,000 to support communities that are dealing with recovery and restoration. Communities including Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Merritt, and Princeton and the First Nations Emergency Service Society were able to use this money towards construction, equipment and labour, and continued support with food security.
“On behalf of Abbotsford City Council, the City of Abbotsford and our residents, I want to thank The Salvation Army for their flood relief support immediately following the November 2021 flood and now as recovery work continues. Over 300 City infrastructure sites were damaged and $100,000 to the City of Abbotsford will help us move our recovery and restoration work forward.” – Henry Braun, City of Abbotsford Mayor
In the early days of the flood, The Salvation Army was on hand to provide immediate relief to first responders and evacuees in the hardest hit areas. Funds were also distributed to outlying communities to support the influx of evacuees. Communities such as Kamloops and Kelowna were there to support evacuees with everything from food security to clothing to Christmas gifts for those who were displaced into the holiday season. Because of the generosity and support of donors like you, we are able to help communities affected by the floods across B.C. and continue Giving Hope Today … and every day. And we thank you. To learn more about The Salvation Army visit salvationarmy.ca
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THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT Army personnel have travelled almost 9,000 kilometres and spent 1,500 hours in recent weeks helping Ukrainian refugees in Hungary. During the time of the humanitarian corridor in March, the Salvation Army team in Moldova managed to send urgently needed medical items across the border where a team from Ukraine transported them to a children’s intensive care unit in Odesa. Several trips to transport further items have taken place since. Other host countries have also offered sanctuary and support. These include Austria where The Salvation Army is networking with partner organizations to help those who have escaped from the war zone.
Humanitarian Response to Russia/Ukraine War The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services immediately placed a humanitarian response to the conflict and war happening in Ukraine. We’re working with the local government, providing sanctuary and support, accommodation, and delivering essential items. Responding across Europe The Salvation Army has responded to the needs of refugees in all but two of the European countries in which we operate, by providing food, hygiene, practical advice, and spiritual care. As always, this care is offered without prejudice or discrimination to all those in need.
In Le Havre, north-western France, The Salvation Army is officially responsible for the social support of Ukrainian refugees, both in the first emergency reception centres and in more permanent accommodation. The Salvation Army took on responsibility for one of Norway´s largest refugee emergency accommodation centres. Housing 700 Ukrainian refugees for two to three months at a time, before they are offered permanent housing in the municipalities. Please visit salvationarmy.ca
In Ukraine, we’re providing relief such as sandwiches, hot meals, hot drinks, drinking water, and other non-food items to internally displaced people in various locations. The Eastern Europe Territory and International Headquarters (IHQ) International Emergency Services (IES) are in daily contact with corps officers in Lviv. There are also plans to implement a ‘care for the carers’ package to support all responders with additional spiritual care. More than 500,000 refugees have crossed the border into Hungary, with countless volunteers helping to provide for people in need. 52 pallets of relief supplies have arrived from The Salvation Army in Switzerland, whilst Salvation
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the Downtown Eastside. Your support will save lives and transform this community. Visit ninestoriesofhope.org to donate now.
Double Your Impact Your generous gift to our Nine Stories of Hope campaign will be matched and doubled. But you must make your gift before June 30. Your gift will play a significant role in our lifesaving mission by helping us raise the remaining $5 million we need to complete the project. As you may know, our Vancouver Harbour Light facility was founded to be a beacon of light in a dark place. For over 65 years, with the help of partners like you, we have been working in the Downtown Eastside, providing support and recovery services that have led to a new life for many thousands of people. But we have outgrown our outdated, 100-year-old buildings, which is why we are planning to build a new facility. And you can help. Your single act of generosity can add a new women’s treatment program dedicated exclusively to meeting women’s needs and challenges, create 300 year-round beds for those experiencing homelessness, provide educational and vocational training for clients of all skill levels, and significantly expand food service capacity enabling us to serve 180,000 meals annually and more! We believe your compassion will rise to help meet them. Your gift of $1,000 will become $2,000, or your very generous gift of $5,000 will become $10,000 and have TWICE the impact on our reaching this goal. But only if we receive your gift by June 30! Be part of this once-in-a-generation project to rebuild
Encouraging and Embracing Diversity Through Cooking and Learning As part of their plan to expand their kitchen and programming, The Salvation Army’s Boundless Vancouver Community Ministries has launched a new initiative to embrace their diverse community. The multicultural cooking class, introduced by Pamela Burt, Food Coordinator and Special Events Coordinator, engages members of the community in two-hour classes for cooking and culture sharing. “We find volunteers, neighbours or people who walk through our doors, people from all different cultures, and we ask them if they are interested in leading a cooking class,” says Pamela. Each class is offered as a two-part series, the first part teaching appetizer recipes and the second part teaching a main dish. “I want to give people a chance to shine and teach about food and their culture.” – Pamela Burt, Food Coordinator and Special Events Coordinator In addition to cooking, the classes allow time for leaders to share stories of their families and cultures. Burt, who has a background in culinary nutrition, adds health and ...continued on page 5
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nutrition lessons to the class. “I think it’s a great way to bring in neighbours, share what we do at Boundless, and build relationships,” she says.
are proud to have the two of them join us and bring with them a wealth of diverse experience from their respective fields.
The first class was led by a Syrian refugee and former caterer who taught a traditional baba ghanoush recipe. “We played Syrian music, we danced a little bit, it was so much fun. Everyone got to take the meal home with them, and they had a blast,” says Burt. Next, Burt is planning a class on potato pakoras with a volunteer from Pakistan, as well as an exciting three-part series dedicated to sticky rice dumplings and the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in June.
Kasey Reese joins us after a 30–year career in telecommunications where he worked with TELUS and AT&T. During his career, he had leadership roles in enterprise risk management, internal audit & workforce diversity & inclusion.
“Our main goal is to promote the diverse backgrounds and cultures of our neighbours,” says Bernice Chiu, Community Relations Coordinator. “We welcome everyone. We want to make this a place to bring people together, to enjoy food, and to have fun.” Because of the generosity and support of donors like you, we can create programs and services that help families across B.C. and continue Giving Hope Today … and every day. And we thank you. Story was originally published in Salvationist.ca
At TELUS he and his team redesigned TELUS’ enterprise risk assessment approach, re-engineered the internal audit processes; established the ethics office & worked collaboratively with stakeholders across the company to help TELUS achieve significant & sustained external recognition for ethics, enterprise risk governance, business community management, diversity and inclusiveness, environmental sustainability and CSR reporting. As an openly gay executive, he was a founding member of LGBTQ2+ employee resource groups at both organizations. We are extremely thankful to have Kasey join our team as he brings in his wealth of knowledge and years of professional expertise to The Salvation Army. Marcus Wong is a West Vancouver City Councillor and community leader. Marcus has served on the board of the West Vancouver Police Department, Impact North Shore (an immigrant services agency formerly known as the North Shore Multicultural Society) and is currently President of the West Vancouver Track and Field Club. He is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and has served on the Senate of the University of Birmingham (UK), the BC Association of Police Boards, the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and the Richmond Art Gallery.
Meet the Newest Members of the Greater Vancouver Advisory Board At one of our recent meetings, we were able to officially welcome our latest members, Kasey Reese and Marcus Wong to our Greater Vancouver Advisory Board. We
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A leader in strategic marketing communications and stakeholder relations Marcus is a recipient of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers by the Governor General of Canada and has experience working for the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Embassy of Canada. Marcus holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from Queen’s University in political studies and a Master of Science degree in marketing from the University of Birmingham.
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Downtown Eastside. The Nine Stories of Hope project will increase access for the entire community, expanding programs and services, including a new women’s treatment program. “VanMar Constructors has the tremendous privilege of working with The Salvation Army. This relationship has provided our company with a unique perspective as we are witness to the dedication of The Salvation Army staff and volunteers and their commitment to serving those less fortunate. We are proud to support The Salvation Army and their efforts to make a positive impact within our communities.”
Corporate Corner – VanMar Constructors Inc. VanMar Constructors Inc. has been a dedicated partner and friend to The Salvation Army for several years. As a Gold sponsor to our annual Hope in the City Breakfast (HITCB), they come to the table every year for people in their community. Our partnership extends way beyond the HITCB relationship with VanMar as we have entrusted them to be our construction management company, as we rebuild our new Vancouver Harbour Light facility on the
With the generosity of partners like VanMar Constructors we continue to feed, clothe and shelter the most vulnerable members of our community, while helping others escape violence and addiction. Thank you VanMar for your commitment to giving HOPE today… and every day. Guided by professional workmanship and a final product of the highest quality, VanMar Constructors is a longtime family-owned construction business, celebrating an amazing 50 years of success next year. For more information on how your business can support The Salvation Army, please contact Michelle Boileau: (604) 296-3832 | Michelle.Boileau@salvationarmy.ca
Your Impact at Work As a vital partner contributing to the work of The Salvation Army, you help us feed, clothe and shelter those in need, while helping others escape violence and addiction. The support you provide allows us to be a transforming influence in the lives of our most vulnerable citizens. And because of you, we give people hope today… and every day in communities across this province. Thank you.
Because of your generosity, last year in British Columbia:
14,000+
PEOPLE RECEIVED CHRISTMAS HAMPERS
1.4 Million+
155,000+
PEOPLE RECEIVED EMERGENCY FOOD HAMPERS
PEOPLE RECEIVED A FREE MEAL THROUGH OUR FEEDING PROGRAMS
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2,000+
BEDS WERE MADE AVAILABLE EVERY NIGHT
1,000+
INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED SOME FORM OF ADDICTION TREATMENT SERVICE
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