THE SALVATION ARMY FORT MCMURRAY CORPS

The Salvation Army is the largest non-governmental provider of social services in Canada.

We have been in Fort McMurray since 1979 and are at the frontlines responding to the immediate needs of the marginalized and vulnerable members of our community.

We operate two emergency shelters, a family services department, soup kitchen and services within group homes or home and community settings for adults with developmental disabilities known as S.T.A.R.T. – Support Today Achieve Results Tomorrow! We are also a partner in the Housing First initiative.

If you removed The Salvation Army from Fort McMurray, it would cost $15.6 million to replace our services, programs and staff (Halo Canada Project 2017)

We operate mostly on donations as well as some provincial and municipal funding. We receive no federal funding.

Did you know that $5 can provide a bagged lunch while $6.50 can provide a hot meal?

Did you know that a donation of $10 can buy shampoo, body wash, toothpaste and deodorant for an individual for two weeks? Or two towels for patrons to shower? Or a pair of gloves and hat for a patron?

Did you know a donation of $50 can provide a pair of winter boots or gas for a client to get to their new job? Or diapers, wipes and baby formula for a struggling family?

We believe in people, partnerships and possibilities.

We are a transformational influence offering hope, belief and possibility.

We assist everyone from newborn to senior, regardless of race, creed or religion.

In Fort McMurray, we operate two emergency shelters: An Emergency Shelter and an overnight out of the cold All Persons Mat-ter program, more commonly known as the mat program.

The Emergency Shelter Program has 56 beds including eight for women. It is a sober living shelter for men and women aged 18 and older and operates seven days a week.
The regular stay for an individual is 21 days, allowing them the opportunity to secure full-time employment and permanent housing. Additional in-house supports and referrals are available if needed; along with those offered by community agencies.
The rooms are furnished with four beds and a set of lockers for individuals to store their belongings in. One room has six beds.
They are provided breakfast and dinner every day, and given a bagged lunch if required. The shelter is usually open 5:30 p.m. to 7:45 a.m. It remains open 24 hours a day during extreme cold weather alerts. During these openings, the individuals staying in the shelter are also provided lunch.
We have in-house security to ensure the safety of all staff and individuals at the shelter.
We do not charge individuals for this service if unemployed.

The mat program is a wet shelter for the men and women of our homeless community. Regardless if an individual chooses to stay with us or not, all are welcome to a hot meal, listening ear, an opportunity to shower, receive a change of clothes, even have a shave and a haircut.

In 2018, the shelter had 8,025 occupied beds and the mat program had 11,150. Additionally, we served over 21,000 meals and provided 3,049 bagged lunches from October to December alone.

We also offer a Christmas dinner to patrons in both shelters, complete with a visit by Santa and a little something under the tree.

Our soup kitchen operates on weekends and on all stat holidays including the Christmas holidays, serving low income, near homeless and homeless members of our community. In 2018, our soup kitchen served over 5,543 meals.

Our Community and Family Services department is a frontline service for low income and at-risk families and individuals. We offer practical assistance such as helping keep a roof over their heads, keeping the lights and heat on, paying for prescriptions and providing clothing, food hampers and bus passes. If there is a genuine need, we will do everything we can do to meet it and currently assist over 400 people a month. During Christmas, we offer families and individuals food hampers and toys for children. We are always in need of gift cards from such stores as Walmart and gas cards. Additionally, we assist those needing pre-employment certifications such as OSSA and work boots for those successful in finding a job.

Our S.T.A.R.T. Program supports adults with developmental disabilities with practical life skills to teach them everything they need to live a full life. This includes employment services, independent living programs, day programs and group supported living homes for those needing extra care.

The Salvation Army is also a partner in the Housing First Initiative which aims to provide the chronic homeless population with stable housing, intensive case management and referral to community resources to support additional challenges including addictions and mental health issues.

Our Emergency and Disaster Services has teams comprised of trained personnel who serve whenever there are hardships, natural or manmade disasters and other emergency situations. Our Community Response Unit (CRU) is a mobile canteen that allows us to provide an immediate response to disasters and emergencies with hot meals, snacks and drinks for First Responders as well as those impacted by the incident. The CRU is also out most nights with our Community Outreach Ministry to provide food, water and personal care packages to members of our homeless community. Staff and volunteers also provide a listening ear and referrals to community services as needed.

The Salvation Army operates a Thrift Store which sells gently used clothing and household goods at reasonable prices to the community at large. It also supplies clothing, towels and blankets to the clients in our shelters. Funds raised in the store help cover the cost of operating the Community Services Centre on MacDonald Avenue in Fort McMurray as well as other facilities, programs and services.

We gratefully welcome all donations, whether financial or in goods and/or services. Also, we have a constant need for:
Scarves, hats, mitts, winter coats, socks, underwear, tooth paste, tooth brushes, shampoo and other personal hygiene products for adult men and women.
New and gently used clothing, accessories, foot wear, and household items.
New or gently used work boots.
Toys for boys and girls.
Items for Christmas stockings such as gloves, puzzle books, make-up, candy, chocolates, chips, pop, water bottles, mini flashlights, hand warmers, Tim Hortons, Walmart and gas gift cards, and Christmas cards with messages of hope.