How The Salvation Army is Keeping the Community Connected with Encounter Cafés

It’s no secret that the exponential growth of the internet and the aftereffects of COVID-19 have damaged society’s “third places”— physical location other than work or home where people can connect with others. Cafés and community centres are examples of third places, but in a world where it’s easier to post your thoughts to strangers than it is to talk to them, it’s growing increasingly difficult to find judgement-free spaces for interaction in our communities.

This is why The Salvation Army’s new program, Encounter Cafés, is so important.

Encounter Cafés is a series of themed cafés aimed at meeting specific needs identified in the community. Hosted by The Salvation Army’s Encounter Church, cafés such as Time with Tots Café and Seniors Café offers Halifax Regional Municipality residents a chance to gather in a safe and fun space while interacting and connecting with others over a shared interest.

“Encounter Cafés is about bringing the community together,” says Kassie Yarn, café coordinator. “We know that seniors battle with loneliness every day, parents on fixed incomes struggle with a lack of childcare, new Canadians seek acceptance and safety as they learn and practice their English skills, and the needs go on. Our goal is to meet these needs and give hope to our community through Encounter Cafés.”

It’s early days, but Encounter Cafés is off to a strong start. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and attendees have expressed their thankfulness towards The Salvation Army for giving them this opportunity to connect (or reconnect) with their community.

Examples of this include parents at the Time with Tots Café sharing how much of a struggle socializing their children during COVID was, and how grateful they are for the Café for allowing them to relax and talk with other parents while their children play together. Or parents expressing their appreciation for having a free tutor/place for their kids to study.

At its heart, The Salvation Army Encounter Cafés is about demonstrating love through service to a community with more than “words and speech”, but with “actions and truth”.

“If we hear the people’s needs and simply tell them that we hope things get better, that’s being polite,” Kassie says. “But if we hear the people’s needs and do something about it, that’s love. So, the Encounter Cafés is our way to love the people in our community. Simple as that.”

Currently there are five Encounter Cafés being offered, with the following times and dates:

Seniors Café: Mondays from 10 a.m. -11:30 a.m.

Time With Tots Café: Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m.

English Conversation Café: Tuesdays from 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.

Study Café: Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m.- 5p.m.

Alpha Café: Thursdays from 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

If you are interested in signing up for an Encounter Café, you can email Café Coordinator Kassie Yarn at kassie.yarn@salvationarmy.ca for more information.