Founded 20 years ago by pastorsand students to serve the needs of newcomers in the area, Winnipeg’s English Café has become a vibrant connection between the community and The Salvation Army.

Full Service

Offering informal and conversational English programs, the café is a welcoming destination for anyone who wants to improve their English, be they recent immigrants or anyone who has been in Canada longer and is looking to strengthen their skills. 

The English Café aims to provide accessible learning, with weekly classes hosted every Tuesday night. Children’s programs allow parents to take part in classes without having to find alternative care.

Outside of classes, participants can get help filling out and filing government documents such as citizenship forms, creating résumés and even reading mail.

Building Community

But being an extension of The Salvation Army, the English Café’s goals stretch far beyond the language barrier. “People don’t come to the English Café just to learn English,” says Hurmat Habib, volunteer engagement co-ordinator at The Salvation Army’s Living Hope Community Church in Winnipeg.

Though this may be a primary reason, they also come to socialize and make friends.

“People see other participants they recognize and realize they are neighbours or live nearby. Then they’ll talk about getting coffee or going shopping together.”

But community building does not just pertain to relationships between participants, but also with the participants and Living Hope Community Church. As Hurmat explains, many retired pastors and members of the congregation have been involved in the English Café over the years. Participants are rarely familiar with The Salvation Army and, as they encounter these volunteers, they begin to understand the organization’s structure.

“People tell me that even though some volunteers are majors or captains or lieutenants, they are humble and willing to help,” Hurmat says. “The participants appreciate how they try to get to know and understand them, form bonds and make them open to the idea of church.”

Since the official merger of the English Café with Living Hope, the weekly classes have opened with prayer.

“Everyone participates,” says Hurmat. “Even people from different religions and cultures.”

In fact, the program has experienced a positive problem—it has run out of Bibles because newcomers keep asking for them.

Such community-building actions have created a favourable culture that helps people attending the English Café feel safe and trusting. From there, many have been led to come and see what the church is like. Currently, 11 people from the café’s programs now attend Living Hope, helping with greetings and reading devotions.

A Personal Journey

This process of finding and becoming involved with The Salvation Army is one that Hurmat certainly understands.

Immigrating to Canada from Kyrgyzstan with her family in 2005, Hurmat unknowingly moved near a Salvation Army church in Winnipeg. Her children first brought the organization to her attention.

“They mentioned there was a place they could go for a kids’ club. But when I learned that it was called ‘The Salvation army,’ I said no.”

Hurmat’s rejection of the organization—something not uncommon among immigrants who have a negative connotation with any type of army—did not last long, however. After developing a better understanding of the word “salvation,” she decided to check it out.

“I liked the people. They were open. How they greeted us made me stay and love them,” Hurmat says.“I trusted the people, I trusted them with my kids, and I learned it was safe.”

Hurmat began using the food bank and attending the café. Her English improved, and she came to fully understand The Salvation Army’s mission.

“I love them,” she smiles. “I asked if I could volunteer because I wanted to give back.”

Within a year, Hurmat began attending the church and helping with the kids’ club and the food bank. When her English improved, she began working at the café and has been the volunteer co-ordinator since 2012.

An ideal candidate due to her experience with the program, the multilingual Hurmat—she speaks English, Persian, Russian, Kyrgyz and Uzbeki—creates learning materials, topic activities and lesson plans for the different English levels and supervises the Tuesday-night program.

Changing Lives

Hurmat’s work with The Salvation Army makes her proud.

“Back home, we don’t know about volunteering. It was something new for me. But I like not only earning to make a living, because I have to think about my soul and my faith. This life is short. We have to face God, and we should try to do what God tells us.”

As such, Hurmat cares about the impact of her work with the English Café. For her, there is comfort in the fact that listening to people and praying for them can help play a part.

“It’s what keeps me going, knowing I’m changing someone’s life.”

Nathan Reid-Welford enjoys writing about people’s initiatives, journeys and passions. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English writing from Redeemer University, where he also studied business and history. Nathan enjoys creative, fictional and promotional writing, and playing the drums and guitar. 

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