From hot lunches to toy hampers, a partnership grows between The Salvation Army and Braemar School

by markm
Categories: Uncategorized
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    Walking along the hallway in Edmonton’s Braemar School, there are some marked differences from the typical high school. As Salvation Army volunteers walk to the cafeteria every Tuesday, baby strollers are parked here and there along the wall and there’s a room full of maternity and baby clothes, because Braemar is a bit different.

    This unique school is located in the same community as The Salvation Army’s Edmonton Temple and is a supportive school dedicated to pregnant and parenting teens to ensure they have the support they need to finish their education. The Salvation Army has been a partner with Braemar for the past few years, providing a hot, healthy lunch to the students once a week through Community & Family Services (CFS). Following this initiative, other local social organizations have also started providing lunches once a week.

    In the spring of 2022, Edmonton Temple was honored and awarded by Terra Centre for Teen Parents the 2021 Program Support Award for their lunch program with Braemar School. A new arm of the partnership also began recently to include Christmas assistance, notably toy hampers.

    Stephanie L. Gedcke, The Salvation Army Edmonton Temple Church Community Ministries Coordinator, and volunteer Cora displayed their awards from Terra Centre for Teen Parents.

    At the beginning of the 2022 Christmas season, Edmonton Temple had over 30 registrations for Christmas assistance from the school. On December 15, packages of toys were delivered by Edmonton Temple’s CFS to make sure these young parents are able to give their children a present on Christmas morning, just from them.

    “This group of young parents and their infant children can easily be overlooked or forgotten. They often rely on their fellow students for a sense of community and family, and The Salvation Army reaches in to show that someone cares,” says Lt. Col Brian Venables, The Salvation Army Divisional Secretary for Public Relations. “Whether providing weekly home cooked meals or sharing in toys for the little ones and even some groceries, it is comforting to know that they are being helped. It is an honor to provide care to young mums trying hard to make their families better.”

    This CFS program and others like it, are recipients of the funds raised from our Christmas Kettle program. Your donation helps make sure these programs run throughout the year.