Building Capacity

BUILDING CAPACITY A project to transform downtown Trail

The Salvation Army has operated in Trail and its surrounding communities for over 100 years, meeting the needs of various individuals and families. Currently we run a Community & Family Services program, food bank and soup kitchen— all known as Kate’s Kitchen—while also operating a Thrift Store in a separate location. With an increase in demand for our services, this set up no longer works for us or the community and we are not able to serve the community effectively or efficiently.

As a result, we have decided to make a significant investment in the community we live, work and serve in by renovating our Thrift Store property in the downtown core, moving everything under one roof. The project has great support from the provincial government, the City of Trail, along with community partners and private funders. We are excited about the potential outcomes for the community and the people who live here.

“The project is going to enhance our program and service delivery in a functional space and increase our capacity to meet the growing needs of our community,” says Lieutenant Olivia Campbell-Sweet.

Moving Kate’s Kitchen to the downtown location will be of greater benefit for the community overall. Some of the advantages include better transportation access for those using our services, larger capacity for current programming, the possibility of partnering with other community services and implementing new programs.

By way of feedback from the community, along with testimonials from our own clients, the downtown area has been determined as the area of greatest need.

“This is where the need is and unfortunately the needs are growing… so this is where we need to be,” says Sweet. “This project is going to benefit the community in so many ways and I believe that is why we have so much support from community members and others.”

The project is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2022. Stay tuned for more information.