While the Williams Lake Salvation Army saw an increase in the demand for support in 2023, it experienced a decrease in donations, said Jessica Hoeft, Salvation Army lieutenant in Williams Lake.
For the Christmas Kettle Campaign, the Salvation Army was around $10,000 shy of their budget, and for regular Christmas donations from the community, they were short $55,000.
“It does make a difference for us,” said Hoeft, explaining that to help support people around Christmas time – and to make up for the increase in the cost of living – they gave people gift cards with larger amounts of money that came from their own funds.
Monetary donations weren’t the only thing down; food donations were also down, despite the Salvation Army’s food budget doubling.
Hoeft attributed the decrease in donations to the cost of living.
“When people have to support their family, there are no extra funds to go toward other endeavours.”
In 2023, the Salvation Army served 18,596 meals, valued at $174,568.
Hoeft said they are grateful for their partnerships with local grocery stores, allowing the Salvation Army to pick up items Monday to Friday. These items include meat, produce, bread, confectioneries and other items that are available. Groceries stores include Save-On-Foods, FreshCo, Walmart, Wholesale Club, Shoppers Drug Mart and sometimes 7-Eleven.
As for the demographic coming into the Salvation Army, Hoeft said it’s everybody.
“If we look at people’s economic security, everyone is one lay-off away from being in desperate times. The cost of housing is a huge hurdle and barrier for people.”
While the Williams Lake Salvation Army doesn’t have a housing shelter, they refer people to the Cariboo Friendship Society and the Hamilton Hotel. They’ll help people with applications for BC Housing, including helping individuals with getting identification, and if needed, direct people to other communities where they may have greater support, such as family members, if it will better help them.
The Salvation Army’s drop-in centre is a sober, safe space for adults, promoting wellness and wholeness. In 2023, they had over 10,000 visits and provided 510 showers for people. People visiting the drop-in centre can also work with an outreach worker for support. The centre also provides laundry for those in crisis, which in 2023, was 378 people.
Substance use is a common factor the Salvation Army sees in people experiencing hardship.
“People who are living in survival mode try to find what will best help them through … We champion abstinence recovery lifestyles but we’re not going to turn anyone away.”
This year, there was an increase in responding to emergency situations in the drop-in centre and Hoeft noted they are grateful for the paramedics who support them.
Canada’s Salvation Army slogan is giving hope today, what Hoeft said is their goal in every aspect of how they serve the community. One of the ways they’ve done this is through a recent renovation in the drop-in centre creating a space called Loving Presence, allowing people a space for one-on-one relationship building, journeying people through all walks of life and offering a space of prayer, said Hoeft. Funding for this came from the Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory.
“We are here because we want to help … We don’t want people to feel ashamed of coming. Everyone is meant to live in community and have another person to support them. We want to show and demonstrate that we are part of community,” said Hoeft.
“It’s never a handout, it’s a hand up.”
READ MORE: Annual Christmas lunch served at Williams Lake Salvation Army
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