The Salvation Army’s Victoria Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre (ARC) unveiled a newly renovated kitchen this July. The renovation project was a partnership with HeroWork, a volunteer organization that performs transformative renovations for charities with the goal of repairing and enhancing infrastructure to help improve service to the community.

The project included new flooring and appliances, updated electrical and plumbing, a redesigned food services and dining area, and two new residential dormitories.

“We are so excited about this kitchen and the partnership with HeroWork,” says Major Sheldon Feener, executive director of the ARC. “It has been an incredible effort and a spectacular result.”

The ARC food services facility feeds 147 residents three meals a day and offers a drop-in community dining room for anyone in need. Sean Rankin, food services program manager at the ARC, hopes that the new kitchen will allow them to produce more food for their clients and better meet the growing demand from the street community. With this new facility, he plans to start a kitchen program that will offer clients a chance to learn about working in a commercial kitchen, from dishwashing to food production. “This would be great experience and would look good on a resumé for the future,” says Rankin.