Pidcock House Shelter Celebrates 25th Anniversary  

The Pidcock House shelter has been providing a safe place for those in need and has played a pivotal part of The Salvation Army serving the marginalized in the Comox Valley since 1996. The shelter recently celebrated its 25th anniversary after decades of offering a warm bed, dinner meal, and breakfast for a number of guest every night. Originally dedicated starting as a shelter space for men the Pidcock house opened room for women when it became co-ed in 2005.  

The Pidcock house operated with 12 beds for men on the first floor with six beds for women on the second floor till the winter of 2009 when the shelter expanded its services to include an Extreme Weather Protocol mat program. The new mat program stays open till the end of March every year to give those without a place to stay shelter from the temperatures during the coldest months.  

In 2017, with the support of BC Housing, the shelter was renovated to add the required square footage to install a brand-new kitchen with room for 24 guests in the dining area. Along with the new kitchen, six private rooms were created and the additional space allowed for more mats to be added to the extreme weather response.  

When the Pathway of Hope program was first introduced the Comox Valley Ministries were one of the first locations in the province to offer it to clients. The six private rooms at the Pidcock House shelter offered a place for guests to stay while working on strategic goals to help them break the cycle of poverty. Today the Pathway of Hope program is helping five individuals on their personal journey, and the shelter has space for up to a total of 41 people who might not otherwise have a place to rest their heads and get a hearty, nutritious meal when times are tough. 

Pictured: Michelle and Kevin Elsasser, Mayor Russ Arnott, Mayor Bob Wells, MLA Ronna-Rae Leonard, and 
Sharon Tidd at the 25th anniversary celebration.