Giving Hope Today
Celebrating 25Years ues we are away from “None of us know how many pay cheq . We reach out to Army ation Salv the of needing the services ation Army Salv ll, Lowe --Deb .” all socio-demographics
WE SALUTE YOU For the past 25 years, the Abbotsford Salvation Army has served those in need by providing a wide range of ministry, educational, social and welfare services. Their on-going dedication to offer hope and assistance to those in need, inspires us all to do the most good for others.
JOIN US FOR AN OPEN HOUSE SEPTEMBER 16TH FROM 2-4PM EVERYONE WELCOME. LIVE MUSIC 34081 GLADYS AVENUE
John van Dongen, MLA Abbotsford South
604-870-5945 103 - 1925 McCallum Road www.johnvandongen.ca john.vandongen.mla@leg.bc.ca
Giving Hope Today
Salvation Army Marks 25 Years Neil CORBETT Abbotsford News
The Salvation Army is looking back on 25 years of service to Abbotsford people in need. In 1986, the local branch was born out of the Chilliwack Salvation Army, which helped to establish the Cascade Community Church on DeLair Road. That house of worship provided the genesis of many charitable operations in the city. David Primrose has been the business administrator for the Abbotsford Salvation Army since 1996, but he was a volunteer treasurer prior to that, going back to 1988. In the early years, the organization offered a variety of services, many comparable to those today, but they were scattered at various venues throughout the community as they came onstream. The Salvation Army was virtually homeless itself at one time. The determined congregation once held services at Henderson’s Funeral Home, and at the
gymnasium at Fraser Middle School as it waited for its own church facilities to be ready. Flipping through a photo album, there is a picture of the former meal centre that started operation in 1987– a modest house on South Fraser Way. A similar-looking home on Moray Avenue provided emergency shelter for 10 people. A little office on Cypress Street was the social services office. There’s a shot of a younger Primrose in a clown suit, doing children’s ministry. There are pictures of cheque passings, signs announcing new Salvation Army services and buildings, and ground-breaking events. They chronicle the Army’s determined march to its current location. In the summer of 2004, the group purchased a newer building on Gladys Avenue (then Cyril) that formerly housed the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre. It was not far from the Salvation Army’s thrift store, which was called the Care and Share Centre, but the new building was
The Abbotsford Salvation Army from its humble beginnings as a new organization in a 1986 ground-breaking ceremony on DeLair Road. and its present facilities on Gladys Avenue.
CONGRATULATIONS! to The Salvation Army on your
25 Anniversary th
We at Canadian Western Bank wish to extend our appreciation for all of the good that you do for our community. Your tireless efforts are inspiring to us all.
Thank you From Hugh Ellis Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager, and Staff of Canadian Western Bank, Abbotsford Branch
100 - 2548 CLEARBROOK RD, ABBOTSFORD 604.855.4941 | www.cwbank.com | Monday - Thursday 9am - 4pm | Friday 9am - 5pm
Giving Hope Today
able to pull together all of the services under one roof. Now, a meal centre offers breakfast and lunch for as many as 190 people on its busiest days. It has a thrift store. There are 20 emergency shelter beds, and 14 supportive housing units where people can stay for up to a year, as they get back on their feet. In back of the building is a garden, put together with the sponsorship of Home Depot. There are boxed gardens of vegetables, including tomatoes which will soon be harvested for the kitchen. There are flowers growing on a trellis, and a client with a painting easel captures them on canvas. “I rant and rave about this place,” he says. “This is the bottom line for Christianity.” People see the facilities, but they don’t necessarily see the work of the Sally Anne team. There are two officers
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and 94 employees. Majors Ross And Agnes Hailes are in command of the organization, and they lead a team that includes a chef, a nurse who monitors clients’ nutrition and various conditions like diabetes, a psychiatric nurse who monitors mental health, and an activities coordinator. There is counselling and support, and an outreach team that works with the city’s unseen homeless. “(Sally Ann) tries to establish relationships with people who don’t want to come in, for whatever reason,” explained Deb Lowell, the public relations director for the Salvation Army. There is also a volunteer coordinator, who organizes the work of 250 people who donate their time. “The community of Abbotsford is so generous, and we really rely on that generosity,” said Lowell. As the Christmas season approaches, they will again be looking for volunteers to work 3,400 hours manning donation kettles.
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Off site, there is the increasingly popular Salvation Army culinary arts school, which graduates trained cooks, and there is a Mission Thrift Store. To mark the anniversary, the Sally Anne will host an open house for the public on Sept. 16, beginning at 2 p.m.. “We want people to come in and see what we’re doing, and how we’re investing donor dollars,” said Lowell. She said the Salvation Army, by the nature of its work, is not as much celebrating as it is commemorating the work that has been done so far. And, there is an eye to the future. “We are committed to being here for the duration of the journey.”
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Thank You
Giving Hope Today
to the Salvation Army for 25 years of providing social aid for our community.
Celebrating 25Years
CHANGING THOUSANDS OF LIVES IN 2010...
Michael de Jong, MLA Abbotsford West
More than 65,000 nutritious meals served. More than 69,000 parcels of fresh produce and bread. More than 66,500 bed nights in our emergency shelter. More than 65,800 personal assistance interviews.
TODAY...
604-870-5486 www.mikedejongmla.bc.ca mike.dejong.mla@leg.bc.ca
Almost 200 lunches provided every day.
Congratulations on a Quarter
Century of
Dedication and Commitment to our Community! In celebration of this milestone for the Salvation Army, we offer our heartfelt appreciation for the role you play day after day in the lives of our citizens. Best wishes from all of us at Price Smart Foods.
Joe Fauchon STORE MANAGER
300 - 32700 S. Fraser Way, Abbotsford 604.854.5318 • pricesmartfoods.com OFG: Proudly local for nearly a century.