Since 2003, The Salvation Army has operated a breakfast program out of its Fraser Street building in Vancouver. “We started with coffee and doughnuts but now we serve complete breakfasts, from juice, coffee and tea to bacon and eggs and everything in-between,” says Major Russ Holland, the community and family services director.
The food is donated by stores and restaurants in the community, and 50 to 80 people show up. Local volunteers help staff these breakfasts, which are held three times a week, and nurse volunteers are on hand to assess medical concerns. Major Russ can refer people in need to other Army facilities should that be required.
Award-winning photographer Kim Stallknecht recently chronicled a typical morning at the facility for this exclusive Faith & Friends feature.
“It's an incredibly warm and inviting atmosphere,” she says. “Laughter, hug and conversations filled the room. Spiritual teachings were read before breakfast, and everyone present was respectful, quiet and grateful. Throughout the morning, people continued to come in and join their friends over bottomless cups of coffee and generous breakfast portions. For these folks, it's a safe and familiar community that comes together out of the rain and chill for a fortifying breakfast to start their day.”
The Salvation Army in Orillia, Ont., has been running a weekly street ministry since 2016, providing essential help to vulnerable people. They help an average of 200 people each Friday. In 2023, they served more than 9,000 meals. While hot meals are the focus of the program, there is also an emphasis on additional support, such as providing thrift store vouchers, toiletries and sleeping bags.
Climate change represents a growing threat to people and the planet. In 2015, the majority of countries around the world adopted the Paris Agreement, an international framework to reduce the effects of climate change by limiting the rise of global temperature to 1.5 C. Salvationist features editor Giselle Randall spoke with Major Heather Poxon, the first territorial environmental officer in the United Kingdom and Ireland Territory, about how she is helping to change hardware and hearts.
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