Weblog | Salvation Army Community Centre

On the road again

2009-06-25T10:17:00.001-07:00

The Salvation Army Breakfast Van is going mobile!

Starting on Monday, June 29th, the van is stopping at four locations each Monday | Wednesday | Friday

8:30 to 8:50 a.m. :: The Bridge on 20th
9:00 to 9:15 a.m. :: 525 Avenue I South
9:20 to 9:35 a.m. :: King George School
9:40 to 9:55 a.m. :: 401 Avenue E South

Women's Shelter Re-Zoning Meeting

2009-06-25T00:50:00.000-07:00

On June 16th, the Salvation Army, the City of Saskatoon, and the citizens of Pleasant Hill got together to discuss our desire for a zoning change to allow us to purchase and open an emergency shelter for women and children who are homeless in Saskatoon.

Along the way, there was a mis-communication between the City and Pleasant Hill School and the school was locked when everyone got there. Luckily it was a perfect evening to sit outside and talk so instead of using the school's auditorium, we used the front lawn. The result was we all got to enjoy the late spring weather and no one can accuse us of meeting behind closed doors!

If you missed the meeting or have any questions about the project, please don't hesitate to contact Captain Rhonda Smith at the Centre via phone (242.6833), e-mail, or in drop by in person.

Prison Barbecue

2009-06-24T08:23:00.001-07:00

Every year the Salvation Army Communty Centre heads north to Prince Albert and the Riverbend Institution for our annual barbecue for the inmates and staff there. This year we brought along 450 hamburgers, 350 hotdogs/smokies/sausages, a couple hundred cans of pop, salads, chips, and dessert for everyone.

Yesterday Major Henri, our program director Sylvia, and myself made the trek north and had a great time cooking, serving, and chatting with guys there. Thanks to the chaplaincy staff at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary and Riverbend for such great hosts. Also thanks to staff at Riverbend for being so accommodating to us. We really appreciate it!

Public Meeting for the Rezoning of the Salvation Army's Family Shelter in Pleasant Hill [Flickr]

2009-06-19T05:02:19-07:00

Salvation Army Saskatoon Community Centre posted a photo:

Public Meeting for the Rezoning of the Salvation Army's Family Shelter in Pleasant Hill [Flickr]

2009-06-19T05:00:44-07:00

Salvation Army Saskatoon Community Centre posted a photo:

Public Meeting for the Rezoning of the Salvation Army's Family Shelter in Pleasant Hill [Flickr]

2009-06-19T04:59:35-07:00

Salvation Army Saskatoon Community Centre posted a photo:

Public Meeting for the Rezoning of the Salvation Army's Family Shelter in Pleasant Hill [Flickr]

2009-06-19T04:58:32-07:00

Salvation Army Saskatoon Community Centre posted a photo:

Public Meeting for the Rezoning of the Salvation Army's Family Shelter in Pleasant Hill [Flickr]

2009-06-19T04:57:30-07:00

Salvation Army Saskatoon Community Centre posted a photo:

Garage Sale on Friday

2009-06-11T12:23:00.001-07:00

Garage Sale this Friday. The fun starts at 9:00 a.m.

Community Event: Garage Sale and Free Clothing at St. Vincent of Lerins Orthodox Church

2009-05-27T08:09:00.001-07:00

Saturday May 30th
8:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.

St. Vincent of Lerins Orthodox Church
Corner of Avenue E and 30th Street

Garage Sale and Free Clothing!

Restaurant Inspections

2009-05-16T21:41:00.001-07:00

With a fair amount of fanfare, the Government of Saskatchewan has released their Saskatchewan Restaurant Inspection Reports. Like all places that serve food in Saskatoon and area, the Salvation Army’s kitchen and dining room is regularly inspected as is our Emergency Response Vehicle.

You can go online and check out what the reports say or you can take our word for it. We are quite proud at how clean our kitchen at the Centre is kept and the report specifies that there are no issues with either one of our food service areas.

Poverty Linked to Higher Health Care Costs

2009-05-14T12:14:00.001-07:00

The Star Phoenix has a quick story on how a new study links poverty to higher health care costs. I was asked to comment and you can read the entire article here.

Low-income Saskatoon residents are disproportionately more likely to visit a hospital, make use of expensive health services and take medication, says a study to be published Wednesday.
The paper, to be published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, is the first of its kind in Canada to link individual income levels to health survey information from Statistics Canada on a regional level, co-author Mark Lemstra says.
The study uses health and income data collected from 3,433 Saskatoon residents between 2000 and 2005. It confirms previous findings that low-income residents are more likely to use expensive health services, such as emergency rooms, and have poorer health overall.
Lemstra says more must be done to elevate low-income people to a middle-income range, which he says could save the province $179 million per year in health-care expenditures.
"You can't have a medical solution to non-medical problems," Lemstra said. "It costs an extra $179 million to ignore poverty."

The Salvation Army Community Centre and “wet shelters”

2009-05-14T11:56:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week a story was published on CBC Saskatchewan that addressed a recent report (PDF) published by the Saskatoon Indian and Metis Friendship Centre, interviewed 44 people who were having trouble finding housing.. Captain Rhonda Smith and I sat down with a reporter from CBC Radio and we addressed several of the issues that came up in the report that were relevant to our role as a shelter for men in Saskatoon.

When the story did come out, it focused on some comments I made about wet shelters. The quotes made it look like we as a Centre were engaged in discussions about a wet shelter which is not accurate and was never the intent of my answer. The greater context of the answer made it clear that the Salvation Army Community Centre is a drug and alcohol free shelter and as a “dry shelter”, we were the wrong people to ask about the effectiveness of wet shelters. I suggested that the people to talk to about wet shelters were the Saskatoon Health Region and more specifically Larson House. When the story was published, I was disappointed that the article did not share the broader context of our conversation and it gave the impression that we were actively engaged in discussions about a wet shelter in Saskatoon when we are not.

For over 100 years in Saskatoon, the Salvation Army has been providing assistance to people with a variety of social and spiritual needs. The Salvation Army Community Centre in Saskatoon continues this practice by offering a alcohol and drug free environment for the community to take come to and receive food, shelter, emergency services, budget management, and spiritual care.

Clients who do choose to drink or consume drugs are referred to Larson House or in the case of extreme intoxication, are picked up by the Saskatoon City Police (or if it is in their best medical interests, we call an ambulance and they are given medical care).

While the vast majority of the 18,000+ beds we served up in 2008 were used by men wanting a drug and alcohol free shelter, some of our clients are determined to continue to consume drugs and alcohol on a consistent basis. For those clients we work with them in finding other places to reside and in extreme cases, we ask that they do find other places to reside other than our facility for the safety of our staff and other clients.

If you have any questions about this or any other manner, don’t hesitate to call the Centre at 306.242.6833 or e-mail jordon.cooper@salvationarmysaskatoon.org or our Executive Director at rhonda_smith@can.salvationarmy.org.

One Day of Hope

2009-05-07T04:20:00.001-07:00

The Salvation Army has released a debut documentary, “One Day of Hope,” on its Web site: www.SalvationArmy.ca. The film, which was directed by Hubert Davis from Untitled Films, gives a day-in-the-life look at the people and places that make up The Salvation Army’s shelter services.

Homelessness in Canada

2009-05-05T07:57:00.001-07:00

The Salvation Army released their national study on homelessness today. According to Canwest News Service

According to the survey, almost all shelter users said they want to move into permanent housing, while nearly half reported mental health problems or alcohol or drug addictions.

On average, shelter users have been homeless for three years and the lack of affordable low-income housing has resulted in emergency shelters becoming long-term housing replacements, Harris said.

"It becomes more of a longer term response than it should be," Harris said. "Instead of people being there for a couple of weeks to get back on their feet, they end up being there for a longer period of time because there aren't employment supports or housing supports — things they need to move and transition back from the shelters into the communities."

The Salvation Army provides nearly 6,400 emergency and short-term housing beds for men, women and families each night, accounting for one-quarter of all shelter beds in Canada.

The full survey can be found online here (PDF)

Montreal woman lends a hand as she travels across Canada

2009-05-04T09:14:00.001-07:00

An article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix about Deborah Hayek who joined us at the Centre last week.

A few weeks ago, Deborah Hayek was eating Easter supper with her family in Montreal when she got her big idea.
She decided to take a train across Canada, stopping in several cities to volunteer, before arriving at her grandmother's home in Vancouver.
"When you go to a city for two or three days, it's hard to get out of the tourist mode," she said. "I was trying to think of ways so that I could meet people and actually understand the country better."
She began calling people in different cities to make connections. Less than a week after she began, she got on the train. "I tend to do things kind of spontaneously," she said.
The spur-of-the moment project took the 23-year-old from Quebec to Saskatoon. She spent Earth Day collecting garbage and planting trees in Toronto and volunteered at the MS Walk in Winnipeg.
On Tuesday, she was seated in front of a group of 10- and 11-year-old students as a volunteer for the Junior Achievement program.
Her mock job interview for a class of Grade 5 students at Brunskill School sent giggles throughout the room as the students prepared to critique her skills.
The students are part of a business basics program delivered by Junior Achievement volunteer Lisa Strozen.
As a teacher and business owner, Strozen goes into classrooms to teach students about businesses, with the hope of encouraging them to create their own ventures. On Tuesday, she trained Hayek to deliver the program to students.
She also plans to volunteer at the Salvation Army in Saskatoon and the rehabilitation centre for adults with brain injuries and take part in a conversational circle with new immigrants.

If you want to join the many people across Saskatoon (and now from across Canada) who volunteer at the Centre, feel free to give us a call at 306.242.6833. We have a wide range of places and opportunities for those who want to make a difference in Saskatoon!

Residential Services Job Opening

2009-04-28T17:46:00.001-07:00

The Salvation Army Community Centre (here in Saskatoon) has a job opening for a night residential worker. A consistent 40 hour work week, good benefits, interesting job. It’s listed on Sask Jobs as security but it is actually a front line residential worker at the men’s shelter. If you are interested, e-mail me at jordon.cooper@salvationarmysaskatoon.org or drop off your resume at the Centre.

Register for Beaver Creek Camp

2009-04-13T14:56:00.001-07:00

It’s time to register for camp again!

Teen Camp

Ages 13-16 years
August 3-7

Adventure Camp

Ages 7-12 years
July 13-17

The cost is only $25 a person or $50 per family.

Call 242-6833 for more information or e-mail Laurie at laurie.gerein@salvationarmysaskatoon.org

The Salvation Army Garage Sale and Barbecue

2009-04-13T14:54:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, April 29th
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Hotdogs and Pop are both 50 cents.

Refurbished Broil King barbecues on sale for $5/piece.

It’s all being held at 339 Avenue C South.

Curbing prostitution in Saskatoon

2009-04-10T08:22:00.001-07:00

The current issue of the Salvationist has an article on how the Saskatoon Community Centre is curbing prostitution in Saskatoon by holding regular John Schools.

Albert Brown, correctional coordinator for The Salvation Army in Saskatoon, doesn’t have the easiest job in the world. He runs a rehabilitation course for clients of prostitutes, also known as “johns.”
“I have one day to help the men get past their denial,” says Brown, “and make them see the harm they are causing to prostitutes, their families, the community and themselves.”
Popularly known as “John School,” the alternative measures program originated in 2000 and more than 360 have taken the course. Since then, only five are known to have re-offended. “If the men don’t take ownership of their issues, they’ll be sent back to court to be dealt with,” states Brown. “Failure is not an option.”

The articles describes John School like this:

Police exhibit weapons confiscated from prostitutes. Former sex trade workers talk about sordid life on the streets and community health workers warn of the diseases that can be caught. None of the stories are pretty. There is no glamour to prostitution and they want to dissuade the men from any such notion.
Community residents explain what it’s like to live in a red-light area, where women can’t walk down the street without being accosted. They relate how backyards are routinely checked for used needles or condoms before children can go out and play.
After that, a former john discusses how he got into trouble, the implications that had for his family and how he’s struggled to put his life back together.
The most emotional part of the day follows when a couple speaks about how their daughter met a man at a local fair. Within days, she was working the streets. The parents’ nightmare lasted for years, never knowing if she was safe. Despite their love and best efforts, the daughter disappeared and her body was found a couple of years later.
Finally, there’s a debriefing where the men each stand in turn and explain the impact the session has had. By the end of the program, they’re emotionally exhausted and many are ready to change their harmful behaviour.

What it's like to live in poverty?

2009-03-25T08:42:00.001-07:00

This video was created by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops about how hard it is for those at or below the poverty line to survive in the United States. It was shown at the National Social Services Conference of the Salvation Army in Chicago last week and I thought it was worth passing on.

Salvation Army Emergency Shelter for Women and Children

2009-02-10T10:54:00.001-08:00

Back in early 2008, the Salvation Army Community Centre in Saskatoon recognized the need for an emergency women and children's shelter in Saskatoon. The YWCA was constantly full and a booming Saskatoon economy meant that it was harder and harder to find emergency accommodations in Saskatoon. In 2008 alone, the Salvation Army Emergency After Hours helped women and children in crisis with 2509 hotel rooms.

After a lot of hard work with the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, the Government of Saskatchewan, and other agencies, we secured capital and operational funding for the project. Since the process started a year ago we have been looking almost daily for property that would best serve women and children in need. The same conditions that made the need so visible (the booming economy and real estate market) made it hard to find an appropriate location but we finally found one that will allow to house up to ten families a night on an emergency basis.

Pending a successful rezoning, the project will be open to women and families in the spring of 2009. Thanks to the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, the Ministry of Social Services, and other individuals and agencies that have helped us get this far.

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please contact Jordon Cooper (Residential Coordinator) or Captain Rhonda Smith (Executive Director). Both can be reached at 242.6833.

Bethany Home

2009-02-09T19:43:00.001-08:00

Bethany Home has a new website. For those of you who don’t know Bethany Home is:

The Salvation Army commenced it's women's social services in Saskatoon in 1938 with the opening of the Bethany Home and Hospital for single mothers. Over the years the hospital role was modified and finally in 1975, the hospital section was closed. Bethany Home now opens its doors to young children and teenagers who have no safe home to live in.

For contact information, history, and photos, make sure you check out their new site.

Technorati Tags: Bethany Home

By the numbers

2009-01-22T08:55:00.001-08:00

The numbers below give you an idea of what kind of year the Salvation Army Community Centre had in 2008.

Our 2007 stats

6638 beds used
67,417 meals served
4,055 breakfasts served to high school students
3,533 women and children provided with emergency after hours assistance
1141 hotel rooms used to provide emergency shelter for women and children
228 emergency infant needs provided for
4205 Christmas hampers given out
2222 people given free clothing
219 emergency food hampers distributed
70 inner city kids sent to camp
113 Family Tracing cases handled

What we did in 2008

84,725 meals served
17,553 beds provided
5458 adults and children provided with emergency after hours assistance.
122 emergency food hampers provided
2509 hotel rooms used to provide emergency shelter for women and children with 8278 meals provided
203 emergency infant needs provided for
2 fires where our help was requested to provide coffee, beverages, and sandwiches
230 bus tickets arranged for
1131 taxies provided
104 Family Tracing cases
4223 people given free clothing

It's been quite a year and we want to thank our the Government of Saskatchewan for continued funding, the support of thousands of people making donations at the Centre, via the Christmas kettles, and the Red Shield appeal, and all of the other NGO's in the city that we work with on a daily basis to make Saskatoon a better place to live for people in need.

Hamper Handout Day

2008-12-22T11:52:00.001-08:00

The Salvation Army in Saskatoon is giving out a couple thousand Christmas Hampers today in addition to the ones given out by Brent and Penny's Adopt a Family and Denny Carr's Secret Santa. In all around 5000 hampers will be distributed to families in need over the holidays.

Today was hamper distribution day and I was able to get in just before we opened to the public today to take some photos of what the Salvation Army and the people of Saskatoon were able to give out this Christmas. Thanks to everyone who gave to the Star Phoenix's Sporting Christmas, at the kettles, at the Centre, and to both Adopt a Family and Secret Santa. We made a huge difference!

Food hampers ready to distribute. In addition to the food in these boxes, each family receives a turkey or a ham, carrots and potatoes.

The bags are full of toys for the children. Each bag was specifically put together with toys from Rock 102's Toy Soldier campaign. The toys are wrapped, sorted, and are waiting here for families to come and pick them up.

We See What Most Don't

2008-12-22T11:03:00.001-08:00

You can give at the Centre or at any one of our kettles located throughout Saskatoon.

2008 Santa Shuffle Photos

2008-12-22T10:33:00.001-08:00

Nathan Regamey took some excellent photographs of the 2008 Santa Shuffle held in Saskatoon on December 6th, 2008.

The annual Santa Shuffle Fun Run & Elf Walk brings families and friends together. The event is held across North America and we had a record number of runners and walkers taking part in 2008. This merry event helps The Salvation Army to assist families and individuals in need during the Christmas season and throughout the year. A big thanks to everyone who participated in the run and helped make a difference in the lives of Saskatoon families this year!

Technorati Tags: Running Room,Santa Shuffle,Meewasin Valley

Government of Canada Announces $450,000 in support for the Emergency Women’s Shelter in Saskatoon

2008-12-20T17:51:00.001-08:00

The Government of Canada announced a $450,000 contribution through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy for the Salvation Army Community Centre to open a women’s shelter on Friday.

Canada’s Government is helping families and individuals in Saskatchewan break free from the cycles of homelessness and poverty and build a stronger future for themselves.
Mr. Ed Komarnicki, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for Souris–Moose Mountain, today announced investments in 12 projects in Saskatchewan under the Government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS).
“Our government is delivering on our commitment to help those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. We are proud to support community efforts that help find local solutions to local issues,” said Mr. Komarnicki, who made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. “By investing over $1.7 million in these 12 projects across Saskatchewan, we are supporting community efforts to help those in need.”
The announcement took place at the Salvation Army Community Centre in Saskatoon, a shelter, food provider and drop-in centre. The organization is receiving HPS funding to help create 42 emergency shelter beds and six temporary cots for women and children. Individuals will benefit by having a safe place to live in which they can access support services and transition out of homelessness.
“The Salvation Army Women’s Shelter will provide a safe and supportive environment for women and children in times of crisis, empowering women to take the necessary steps to obtain safe, secure and long-term stable housing for themselves and their families,” said Captain Rhonda Smith, Executive Director of the Salvation Army Community Centre.
The Homelessness Partnering Strategy provides funds over two years to help communities across Canada combat homelessness. The HPS recognizes that housing stability is essential to self-sufficiency and full participation in Canadian society. The Strategy focuses on transitional and supportive housing as important measures to help people overcome homelessness. With its clear goals of improved partnerships, enhanced sustainability and tangible results, HPS will provide concrete, meaningful and lasting results for Canadians in need.
“Our government is investing more in affordable and supportive housing than any other federal government in Canada’s history and, as a result, we are helping tens of thousands of Canadians who are especially vulnerable in the current economic environment,” said Mr. Komarnicki.
The link between homelessness and mental illness is well established. In 2007, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the first-ever Mental Health Commission of Canada. In Budget 2008, the Government committed $110 million for the Commission to develop new, innovative demonstration projects to help Canadians facing mental health and homelessness.

Technorati Tags: Homelessness Partnering Strategy,Government of Canada,Ed Komarnicki,Salvation Army Community Centre,Salvation Army,Saskatoon

Rock 102’s Toy Soldier Programs “Wraps Up”

2008-12-15T14:27:00.001-08:00

“There is nothing that says ‘Christmas Spirit’ like the community coming together to help a less fortunate child have a toy to open on Christmas Morning.” says Shack, Rock 102’s Morning Show host.

This morning 120 Saskatoon volunteers gathered at the Salvation Army Warehouse and wrapped thousands of toys, as part of Rock 102’s 2^nd Annual Toy Soldier Wrap Day!

The 1^st Annual Wrap Day made history in 2007 as the first year ever local children of Saskatoon had wrapped presents in their Salvation Army hampers. Volunteers & Rock 102 wrapped over 15,000 gifts, all of which were donated to the Rock 102 Toy Solider campaign by thousands of generous individuals in Saskatoon.

Over 18,000 toys were collected this year!

Thank you to all of the volunteers, our sponsors, Midtown Plaza, Mc Donalds, SMP and the Royal Bank. A special thank you goes to everyone who donated a toy and to SGI & Zellers for their generosity.

The Salvation Army will distribute all toys to needy families on December 22^nd.

It's cold outside

2008-12-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

If you are in Saskatoon right now, you know that it is awfully cold outside. At the time of writing this post, it was -32 degrees Celsius and with a biting windchill, it is -45 degrees Celsius outside.

Many people phone and e-mail and ask what do we do when it gets this cold. Well we do a bunch of things to make sure that no one is left out in the cold.

During the day we open our lounge up for clients so they can stay out of the cold. While normally we close down the place for cleaning during the day, when it is this cold, it stays open all day so guys do not have to go outside. As soon as the dorms and washrooms are cleaned, we open all of them back up for the men so they can have some more space to relax, catch up on some sleep, or read.
People naturally assume that we get a lot busier when it gets this cold but generally it is a little quieter (people tend to hunker down and stay put when it is this cold). If we do get busier, we would make available our entire building rather than refuse someone (we hate refusing anyone on the basis of space at the best of times but in the winter we make sure that no one is going to freeze). Years ago I took a tour of an old Soviet submarine. It had bunks on the engines and the torpedoes. While the Centre doesn't have torpedoes, we will put a mattress and a bunk anywhere if it means that no one is left out in the cold.
We work with Larson House and the Saskatoon City Police to ensure people who are intoxicated or high are taken care of if they do wander into our place. Speaking of the Saskatoon City Police, officers do bring in people that do not have shelter or who have been found in shelter that isn't suitable for the weather outside. We warm them up, give them suitable winter gear, and give them a safe place to sleep. Outside of the city limits, the local RCMP does the same thing with hitchhikers. They bring them down and we help them out.
Our Clothing Cave is generally open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday but in cold weather we outfit people any time they need it. At both of our reception areas we have mitts, toques, scarves, socks, and thanks to Mark's Workwear House and Sleep Country, our lobbies also have numerous winter jackets to give out to anyone in need.
While this doesn't happen just because it is really cold out, once the temperature starts to dip a bit, the kitchen staff bring out the porridge and oat meal. Wilfred Brimley would be proud. When it is cold like this the kitchen tends to heap up the portions and serves bigger meals to compensate for the calories burned to stay warm.

If you are looking for a way to help, there are a couple things you can do to make a difference.

Donate. Whether it be a financial donation or if you have a warm winter jacket, socks, toques, gloves, men's underwear (and long underwear) or a scarf, it all helps out. You can drop off a donation at 339 Avenue C South anytime, day or night. When it is this cold we give out the stuff as soon as it comes in so whatever you can give, our clients appreciate tremendously.
Direct people panhandling or who are in need to us. At this temperature we do not turn anyone away and we work with the Ministry of Social Services to ensure all of their essential needs are met. A warm bed and three and a half meals a day are provided (we provide a filling snack at night as well). Over the last couple of days, City of Saskatoon, bank, and other service agencies have all brought people in. If the person needs a different agency or more help then we can offer, we keep them safe, warm, and comfortable while we arrange whatever help is needed.
Help spread the news about what we do. Despite being here for over 100 years, some people don't know that there is a men's hostel in town or that we help women in emergency need. We work hard at getting the word out but we can always use your help as well.