At The Salvation Army in Williams Lake, B.C., a city in the Cariboo region, the days are busy and full.

“We run five days a week, Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” says Lieutenant Jessica Hoeft, who serves alongside her husband, Lieutenant Nathanael Hoeft, as corps officers. “We serve breakfast and lunch, with help from many volunteers, and operate two additional food distribution programs.”

As the registered food bank in Williams Lake, The Salvation Army is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Food baskets are distributed to those in need once a month. And a Shared Shelf program, which runs Monday to Friday afternoons, offers fresh produce, breads, baked goods and extra items not included in the food baskets, and can be accessed as often as needed.

In recent years, demand for these food programs has increased, in parallel with a decrease in monetary and food donations.

“The lower volume of donations has a big impact,” says Lieutenant Jessica. “Fortunately, we have great partnerships with local supermarkets, who provide us with produce daily.

If the supermarkets can’t sell something, we take it, evaluate it according to Food Banks Canada standards, and distribute it to our guests. If the produce isn’t good, we partner with local farmers to collect the food waste, striving to be a zero-waste facility.”

Community Hub

The Army’s doors are open to the community, with a drop-in centre in the basement that functions as a community hub for people in the downtown core. Lieutenants Hoeft are always looking for ways to improve the space for everyone who wants to use the facilities.

“We have four pool tables, a foosball table and air hockey. We also have an area specifically for watching movies, Netflix and TV shows,” says Lieutenant Nathanael. “It’s a sober safe space where people can come to eat and rest. We often find people sleeping here which is a testament to how safe they feel in our space.”

The drop-in centre also offers a fitness room, laundry service and showers for guests. A canteen sells coffee and confectionery goods at a nominal cost. And through a partnership with the thrift store, outreach workers can help with vouchers for clothing or household items.

Spiritual Care

The Salvation Army knows that along with meeting practical needs, it’s also essential to meet mental, emotional and spiritual needs.

“In our time here in leadership, we realized the need for comprehensive holistic care for people,” says Lieutenant Jessica.

Last year, an innovation grant allowed them to create a dedicated space for a prayer room. The purpose of this space is to provide a calm and relaxed environment where people can come if they are in a state of crisis or have deeper questions they want to ask or wrestle with.

“We’re proud of this space and excited about how it can be used to engage in spiritual conversations and bring hope to individuals,” says Lieutenant Nathanael.

For Lieutenant Jessica, the prayer room created an opportunity for a powerful moment of connection with a client.

“I engaged with a guest who overdosed the night before and arrived from the hospital in great anxiety,” she says. “I suggested a shower and clothes from the thrift store. We had breakfast and sat in the prayer room, and I gave her a First Nations version of the Scriptures. She found spiritual strength and made a plan to move forward. The Spirit of God moved.”

To learn more about the programs and services offered at Williams Lake Corps, visit WilliamsLakeSA.ca

Giuliano Mendonca is the marketing and communications co-ordinator in the British Columbia Division.

Photos: Giuliano Mendonca