New Community Resource Centre Opens in Calgary
The Salvation Army has officially opened a new Community Resource Centre in the neighbourhood of Forest Lawn in Calgary, which aims to engage and help the community.
This plan had been in the works for over five years. The Army wanted to increase its reach in Forest Lawn, as this is the area in the city with the highest level of poverty.
“There will be a few things we’ll focus on, and that is helping people experiencing poverty, newcomers to Canada, as well as food insecurity.”
Cliff Wiebe, executive director of The Salvation Army’s community services in Calgary, explains that there was a lot of groundwork before the project was underway. They researched the needs in the community and, based on this, a layout was presented.
“The key is that we want to engage with the community,” Cliff said. “Being in Forest Lawn there will be a few things we’ll focus on, and that is helping people experiencing poverty, newcomers to Canada, as well as food insecurity.”
The resource centre is 50,000 sq. feet. The building it occupies used to be a retail store, which made its large size perfect for the plans of The Salvation Army. The centre will be home to community service programs, including food assistance, literacy, and the Christmas Toy Program. It will also serve as a base for the local Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) team. A unique addition to this resource centre will be a recreational area with a mobile skate park and space for drop-in sports.
The multifunctional aspect of the centre aims to ensure it can adapt to the needs of clients in the future.
“We know the needs in our community today will be very different than the needs 10 or 20 years down the road. So, we designed a space that we can use for almost anything,” Cliff said.
The recreational area not only allows people to come and be active, but it also helps Salvation Army staff build connections with families that could potentially receive different kinds of assistance.
“This kind of engagement is a key part of our system of care that will lead us to better serve the people who come through our doors,” Cliff added.
The large spaces will also allow The Salvation Army to host events throughout the year, such as community meals, job fairs and school events.
More than 200 people attended the grand opening.
To inaugurate the building, The Salvation Army hosted a grand opening event which had a creative ribbon-cutting ceremony with the help of skateboarders. Over 200 people attended the event. Officers/pastors across different divisions were present, as well as some of the future clients of the resource centre.
“Being in a situation of despair, they gave me hope.”
One of these clients was Jane (not her real name), who presented a speech in which she shared her support to the community and family services team who helped her, and her children build a new life.
“I want to say to The Salvation Army, thank you so much. You helped my family feel welcome in Calgary and helped us get established. Being in a situation of despair, they gave me hope,” Jane shared.
Just like Jane, many families across Calgary will benefit from all the programs and services running out of the Community Resource Centre.
The centre officially opened its doors to the public on Feb. 5. This project was possible thanks to the donations of the community to The Salvation Army.
By Juan Romero