The food bank at New Westminster Citadel, B.C., serves approximately 200 people weekly who come from the city and the surrounding communities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam. When Captains Jenny Marin and Carlos Cuellar became the corps officers in the summer of 2025, they recognized an opportunity to build a bridge between the corps on the second floor of the building and the food bank, which operates below it.

In October, after seeing the International Social Justice Commission’s video and resources for International Day of the Girl 2025, Captain Marin thought up an initiative to reach out to women and girls in their community through the food bank.

A former storage space on the main floor of the building was transformed into a welcoming centre, complete with purple and pink decorations, balloons and posters with empowering quotes and more information about International Day of the Girl, and a banner sharing the 2025 theme, The Warrior: Her Voice, His Victory, based on Ephesians 6:10-18. They created a list of all the families that receive support from the food bank who have daughters under the age of 18 and personally invited them to visit and collect care packages.

The women’s Bible study group at the corps was excited to get involved, creating gift bags filled with personal hygiene items, oral hygiene items, some fashion jewelry and handmade knit items to be distributed to each mother and daughter. 

“It was beautiful to connect with people in that way,” says Captain Marin. “We got to meet them one on-one, get to know who they are and share with them who we are as The Salvation Army.”

And according to Captain Marin, the gesture was well received. Some of the women left in tears saying, “You made my day.”

“One woman came to us and said that it’s hard for her to come to the food bank, but that we made her feel welcomed and cared for,” says Captain Marin. “It was very moving.”

Addressing the practical needs of women and girls, particularly around personal hygiene, was an important part of the outreach. “Some women who come to our food bank don’t even take tampons because there’s a stigma around something as normal as having a period,” says Captain Marin. The drop-in event helped empower women and girls, while ensuring they received necessary hygiene items in a dignified way.

Additionally, the corps partnered with a nearby school, Purpose Independent School, connecting with the principal and teachers to create and distribute packages to female students.

“Historically, church attendance has typically begun with the women and children. They’re at the core of the family, so it’s been important for us to reach out to them directly,” says Captain Marin. “We are building connections within New Westminster, which is a community expected to grow 25 percent in the next three years.”

The food bank continues to serve a growing and diverse population of newcomers to the area, and these intentional connections are drawing more people into the church. According to Captain Marin, a native Spanish speaker, there are 18 new people attending the corps and 75 percent of those are Hispanic.

“My husband, Captain Carlos, started standing in the line at the food bank and just getting to know people,” explains Captain Marin. “We’ve been able to connect with them personally and tell them that we are The Salvation Army. We’re a Christian movement and we have a service on Sundays.

“We need to continue to share that spiritual component and the force that moves the Army,” she adds. “Other agencies can provide food, but this is what makes us different.”