The Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope in Nanaimo, B.C., is significantly enhancing its services to people experiencing homelessness through a new facility expansion and mobile outreach unit.

The expanded facility adds 34 shelter beds, a commercial kitchen, dining space and administrative offices, nearly doubling the Centre of Hope’s capacity and creating more room for future programming.

This project is much needed after the centre’s programs operated out of temporary locations for the past three years, and as demand for food and shelter services in the community continues to rise. Currently, meals are prepared off-site, packaged and transported to the Centre of Hope for distribution, and this places pressure on the centre’s resource room, which serves multiple purposes throughout each day.

“The resource room serves breakfast, then becomes program space. It serves lunch, then becomes program space again. It serves dinner, and then it becomes recreation space,” explains Bern Muller, executive director. “It is constantly being turned over, and it is exhausting.”

The expanded facility will feature a commercial kitchen and a dining room with seating for 40 people. Above the kitchen, two floors of residential space will provide additional shelter beds, and the top floor will host administrative offices to free up existing areas for programming. 

New conference rooms, chaplaincy spaces and community meeting areas are also part of the plan.

After the expansion, the Centre of Hope will move into a second phase of work with a complete renovation of the original space to include energy-efficient upgrades, new shower and laundry facilities, and to reconfigure shelter space to help reduce overcrowding.

“With these renovations, people will have more room and less anxiety, which helps improve the overall atmosphere,” says Muller. “When people have a little more space, things feel less stressful.”

Muller explains that the new dining room will be a welcoming environment where community members can receive coffee, food and additional support. “What we’re able to provide is a predictable meal service. People know where it is, they know when it is and they know it’s consistent,” he says.

The renovations are expected to be completed in the fall so that the shelter is ready before winter. 

Ministry on the Street

Another new initiative for the Centre of Hope is a mobile feeding program that offers more than just a meal.

“We have tried to feed the street community for years and that assistance has taken different forms,” says Muller. “We put our heads together and determined breakfast was probably the most important meal for people to start their day.”

Due to the complete overhaul of the building, the team had to adapt the way meals were distributed. As a result, the mobile feeding program was launched.

Using an emergency disaster services (EDS) truck, volunteers and staff hand out 65 breakfasts daily, five days a week. Thanks to support from donors and BC Housing, the team can now produce up to 100 meals per day.

The truck is equipped with a working kitchen and coolers, allowing staff and volunteers to store and serve meals safely.

“The van has a pass-through window and a metal counter that adds dignity to the way the meals are handed out,” says Muller.

Aside from food, which includes sandwiches, fruit, pancakes and coffee, the outreach team also provides blankets, socks and coats to offer comfort when needed. The interaction also allows for spiritual support for those who wish to talk further.

So far, the initiative has shown success.

“I’ve been on the truck myself a couple of times. It has been well received. It’s appreciated. People are courteous, they wait patiently and they have expressed gratitude,” says Muller.

Muller believes the feeding program is already making a difference. “Human connection is so critically important,” he says. “What we have found really significant is that when people start the morning with a cup of coffee, they get some encouragement, a bit of positivity.”

Beyond these new projects, the Centre of Hope is also preparing for its second annual Open Harbour Luncheon in November, which spotlights the Army’s work across Nanaimo while helping raise funds for programs. Approximately 300 people attended last year’s luncheon, and they look forward to another successful event this year.