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Weblog:
News from the Salvation Army Community Centre
Crescent Shuttle Service has been canceled
Saskatoon Transit’s Crescent Shuttle, a free service connecting Riversdale, Broadway and the Downtown, will be cancelled as of June 1, 2008 according to the City of Saskatoon website. Anyone looking for more information on Transit information can check out the City of Saskatoon's site. Labels: Riversdale, Saskatoon
Why thrift still thrives
From Christian Week And if it weren't for faith-based thrift stores, those second-hand shops run by various Christian ministries and scattered from one end of Canada to another, a lot of ministry in this country-and beyond-just wouldn't happen. The words “faith-based thrift store” usually call to mind the ubiquitous “Sally-Annes” (Salvation Army Thrift Stores) across Canada. The Salvation Army's National Recycling operation runs between 120 and 130 thrift stores in urban centres, and local Salvation Army offices operate another 220 smaller stores. For more than 100 years these stores have been raising funds for the Christian charity that is today the largest non-governmental provider of social services in Canada. Diane Van der Horden is director of public relations for The Salvation Army, Maritime Division. When discussing the role of the thrift store, she uses the term “national recycling operation.”
Nowadays, that is an essential part of the identity of the thrift store for The Salvation Army. Yes, the stores raise millions of dollars for Salvation Army projects, but their website, materials and spokespeople also focus on the environmental impact those stores have by saving vases, bicycles, trombones, clothes-you name it-from landfill sites. “The Salvation Army may have been one of the agencies involved with recycling before it became one of the buzzwords of our culture,” says Diane. “The revenue is important, absolutely essential actually, but also the leadership The Salvation Army plays in diverting things from landfills. Local municipalities are amazed at the volume that The Salvation Army diverts.” Nationally run stores alone rescue more than 50 million lbs of merchandise from disposal each year. The Salvation Army has also gotten savvy at marketing. You can now buy gift cards for shopping at their stores. They also sell on EBay. Thrift store shopping has gone mainstream, which is good for business-and great for ministry. While there are two Salvation Army Thrift Stores in Saskatoon, we have the Clothes Cave and the Dock inside the Centre. They provide free clothes, furniture, and goods to people in need all across the city. For more information on when they are open or if you have goods to donate, contact the Centre.
Red Shield Appeal Continues
From the Salvation Army website... Halfway through the month, The Salvation Army’s May Red Shield Campaign, a fundraising appeal to raise money for programs and services available to the nearly 5 million Canadians living in poverty, is still in need of support. “The month of May is critical as The Salvation Army continues to raise funds to sustain our programs that serve many living below or at the poverty line,” says Graham D. Moore, Territorial Secretary for Public Relations and Development. “We trust that Canadians will continue to be generous as we seek to help the vulnerable and marginalized.” With a goal of $3 million, money raised during the Red Shield Campaign will go directly to support a vast array of social programs available to Canadian families that includes food banks, practical assistance, shelter, addictions services and street youth outreach. In addition to this fundraising effort, Salvation Army officers, staff and volunteers will work to raise overall awareness regarding the problem of poverty in Canada. The child poverty rate remains at 11.7%; exactly the same as it was in 1989 and the average low income family survives on an annual income that is $9,000 to 11,000 below Statistics Canada’s before tax low income cut-off. A national Salvation Army advertising campaign will also highlight the problem of poverty in Canada this May, under the tagline “Poverty shouldn’t be a life sentence.” Labels: Red Shield Appeal
Remembering Rod Anderson
Today the Centre shut down over lunch time as most of the staff attended the funeral for Rod Anderson. Rod has been staff for just over two years at the Centre and will be much missed by the staff and residents. His obituary from the Star Phoenix is below. Rodney Peter Anderson January 21st, 1972 May 8th, 2008 Rodney Anderson passed unexpectedly on Thursday, May 8th, 2008. He will be loved and remembered by his sister, Evelyn Anderson (Randy Hebb); brother, David Anderson; step father, David Hardie; uncles, Merle (Esther) Anderson, Mervin Anderson; aunts, Brenda Anderson and Yvonne (Irvin) Steiner and numerous cousins. Rodney was predeceased by his mother, Joanne; grandfather, Peter and grandmother, Emma. 
Labels: Life at the Centre
2008 Camp Dates for Beaver Creek Camps
2008 Red Shield Campaign
From the Salvation Army website Toronto, May 5, 2008 – The Salvation Army is launching the Red Shield Campaign, a fundraising appeal to raise money for programs and services available to the nearly 5 million Canadians living in poverty today. “The month of May is a critical time for The Salvation Army,” said Graham D. Moore, Territorial Secretary for Public Relations and Development. “Many families across Canada live below the poverty line and the funds raised during this time will help sustain our programs as we continue to serve the marginalized in communities throughout the country” With a goal of $3 million, money raised during the Red Shield Campaign will go directly to support a vast array of social programs available to Canadian families that includes food banks, practical assistance, shelter, addictions services and street youth outreach. In addition to this fundraising effort, Salvation Army officers, staff and volunteers will work to raise overall awareness regarding the problem of poverty in Canada. The child poverty rate remains at 11.7%; exactly the same as it was in 1989 and the average low income family survives on an annual income that is $9,000 to 11,000 below Statistics Canada’s before tax low income cut-off. A national Salvation Army advertising campaign will also highlight the problem of poverty in Canada this May, under the tagline “Poverty shouldn’t be a life sentence.” As the leading non-governmental direct provider of social services in Canada, each year, The Salvation Army: Provides direct, compassionate, hands-on service to over 1.5 million people
Provides 6,370 shelter beds for the homeless each night, 1/3 of all the shelter beds in Canada
Provides practical assistance to over 900,000 family members
Serves 2.3 million meals to the hungry The Salvation Army’s Red Shield fundraising Campaign is an annual fundraising event that is in its 89th year. It utilizes online, phone, direct mail and door-to-door appeals to solicit donations from generous Canadians. Giving to The Salvation Army offers an opportunity to invest in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community. Please visit www.SalvationArmy.ca or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY for more information and to donate. You can also donate at the Salvation Army Community Centre. If you need more information, contact us at 306.242.6833 Labels: poverty, Red Shield
The Salvation Army in Myanmar (Burma) responds to Cyclone Nargis
The Salvation Army in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) is responding to the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, which is thought to have killed more than 20,000 people. Communications to Myanmar have been severely affected but news has been received that local Salvationists are helping victims in the Yangon area. As is reported on the Salvation Army's international website A Salvation Army assessment team from the region is en route to the affected area and will make plans for the most immediate needs to be met. There is no doubt that this tragedy has caused much suffering and that it will take a long time for Myanmar and the population to recover from the effects of this unexpected devastation. Major Mike Caffull, Field Operations Officer of International Emergency Services, says: 'Early indications suggest that Salvationists in Myanmar are responding magnificently to the disaster that has hit their country, but it is also clear that there is going to be a great need for substantial financial support to enable an appropriate response to the damage and suffering that is already being experienced and which is likely to continue for some time.' Click here to donate to international efforts of the Salvation Army. Labels: Emergency Disaster Services
Housing Trends in Saskatoon
These slides came from a recent seminar by CMHC on housing in Saskatoon. We posted here some of the more interesting statistics detailing the cost and how hard it is to find shelter in Saskatoon. The second chart also mirror our own increase of usage at the Centre. Technorati Tags: CHMC, housing trendsLabels: Saskatoon, urban
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