Saint Lawrence Centre
10012 97A Street T8V1C2 Grande Prairie, AB, Canada

Landsman Properties has been an amazing community partner and good friend of the SLC. Thank-you for your commitment to Grande Prairie's wellness!

THERE IS SOME STRONG DOPE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. Low and Slow. Don't use alone. Carry Narcan.

At least breakfast is smiling today.

Soup Man Patrick C is away for a couple of weeks. Thank you Jeffery's for filling in and providing delish soup!

Friends, it's been 5 years since we first opened some borrowed doors to our drop in program. Oct 7th at 8am we will open the doors to Grande Prairie's new PERMANENT Daytime Programming space! The SLC will be the mainfloor tenants of the Street Outreach Centre located at 10012 97A Street, across from Rotary House. No ribbon cutting or fan fare just yet. I've been told this is a "supple..." er "soft opening." As we added finishing touches today there were alot of mixed emotion...s; thankfulness for the Rotary Club of Grande Prairie for funding the purchase of the building; comfort knowing the sustainability of the space is managed by the City of Grande Prairie; joy for the life changing encounters with love that will be had; and sorrow for all our friends and family who have passed before this day came. Street involved individuals and agency staff are welcome to visit starting tomorrow. Please mask up and follow physical distancing protocols. As of Oct 10th, only folks without other shelter options will be able to access, due to COVID19 prevention strategies. So many others words should be said, but we tired.

Hey everyone. We are getting closer to opening at our new location. We had to buy some fancy things, and now we could use your help to pay for them :) . Visit www.slcgp.ca to donate or send etransfers to [email protected] if you are able.

During the 2019 Rotary Community Food Bank Drive, 47 tons of food was collected. Thats huge! The need is even greater today. Unfortunately, this year we wi...ll not be knocking on your door to gather food items. We ask instead that you visit www.gpfooddrive.ca and make a donation. Your donation will allow The Salvation Army & The Community Kitchen to purchase the supplies needed to provide meals and hampers to those who need them. Every donation makes a difference! Rotaract Grande PrairieSwan City Rotary ClubRotary Club of Grande Prairie After FiveRotary Club of Grande PrairieGrande Prairie Interact ClubRotary Club of Grande Prairie Sunrise

Heroes. https://www.cbc.ca//lethbridge-supervised-injection-site-u

2020 COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVE! - https://www.gpfooddrive.ca/ This September from the 10th to the 15th, you can donate food items, hampers, or money towards feeding ...the people in your community who need it the most. Tell your friends! Follow the event page: https://www.facebook.com/gpfooddrive/ See more

During the 2019 Rotary Community Food Bank Drive, 47 tons of food was collected. That’s huge! The need is even greater today. Unfortunately, this year we wi...ll not be knocking on your door to gather food items. We ask instead that you visit www.gpfooddrive.ca and make a donation. Your donation will allow The Salvation Army & The Community Kitchen to purchase the supplies needed to provide meals and hampers to those who need them. Every donation makes a difference! Rotaract Grande PrairieSwan City Rotary ClubRotary Club of Grande Prairie After FiveRotary Club of Grande PrairieGrande Prairie Interact ClubRotary Club of Grande Prairie Sunrise

This isnt working for anyone. There were 13 spaces in our homeless emergency shelters Wednesday night. About 30 people were tenting in the downtown core Thursday morning. As weve said in previous posts, we dont condone or encourage urban camping. However, doing what we can to support the survival of individuals experiencing homelessness is why we exist.... Bylaw officers didnt under-fund shelters for the last 10 years Urban Campers didnt ask to be too chaotic for mental health helps but too unwell for detox services Bylaw officers didnt watch the number of people in our community needing supportive housing grow from 40 to over 100 over the last 4 years. As a confrontation between campers and officers grew to shouts, wails, and nearly fists and arrests yesterday, one thing became very obvious; This isnt working for anyone. Our local homeless initiative is working overtime, but the need is great. Year after year we create better systems for getting folks the help they need. However, we are still struggling to make strides in our hardest to serve group, individuals in chaotic use with mental health disorders. Allow people to camp, or ensure adequate resources, or rely on enforcement to displace individuals. Our community has signaled they have little patience for camping. Multiple levels of government have moved at a snails pace to ensure our communities can respond to homelessness in a sustainable and effective way (yes, even during the NDP golden age). We are relying on enforcement to solve what everyone else hasn't. Some incredible humans have been left to do an impossible job; And it isnt working for anyone.

Happy Feast of St. Lawrence, patron saint of cooks, comedians, and as we know in a particular way in our city: the poor! We pray in a special way for Saint Law...rence Centre today who puts in countless hours into caring for those most in need! For those that don't know what they do, they provide (through the support of donors) Daytime Drop In programs where they provide respite and support for individuals in need. Folks can rest between appointments, grab a snack, take a shower, use the WIFI, and get connected with community resources through the help of our knowledgeable staff and partners. Another great program is their Saturday Suppers, although they are currently not happening due to Covid-19. For more information on Saint Lawrence Centre or if you would like to donate to their cause you can go to their website at: https://saintlawrencecentre.ca/

Congrats Jeremy! You are our winner for the summer 50/50. $1810! Yes, more than reported on the video. It's a St. Lawrence day miracle!

This isn’t working for anyone. There were 13 spaces in our homeless emergency shelters Wednesday night. About 30 people were tenting in the downtown core Thursday morning. As we’ve said in previous posts, we don’t condone or encourage urban camping. However, doing what we can to support the survival of individuals experiencing homelessness is why we exist.... Bylaw officers didn’t under-fund shelters for the last 10 years Urban Campers didn’t ask to be too chaotic for mental health helps but too unwell for detox services Bylaw officers didn’t watch the number of people in our community needing supportive housing grow from 40 to over 100 over the last 4 years. As a confrontation between campers and officers grew to shouts, wails, and nearly fists and arrests yesterday, one thing became very obvious; This isn’t working for anyone. Our local homeless initiative is working overtime, but the need is great. Year after year we create better systems for getting folks the help they need. However, we are still struggling to make strides in our hardest to serve group, individuals in chaotic use with mental health disorders. Allow people to camp, or ensure adequate resources, or rely on enforcement to displace individuals. Our community has signaled they have little patience for camping. Multiple levels of government have moved at a snail’s pace to ensure our communities can respond to homelessness in a sustainable and effective way (yes, even during the NDP golden age). We are relying on enforcement to solve what everyone else hasn't. Some incredible humans have been left to do an impossible job; And it isn’t working for anyone.

Resources for harm reduction, or bathrooms, or food. Even using relationship as the guiding point, we mess up sometimes.

There are so many reasons to give up. There are SO MANY MORE to keep trying! Thank you to everyone who supports our team to do what we can in relieving the effects of poverty and the ongoing opioid epidemic. Thank you for not forgetting about the Centre and those we help survive.

Ticket sales end Monday and the draw is on the 10th!

Only 5 days left to get some raffle action! https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/saintlawrencecentre

The $80,000 Emergency Community Support Grant to Rotary House / Saint Lawrence Centre will ensure that their Daily Needs of Vulnerable People Affected by COVID-...19 program supports two programs designed to assist Vulnerable people in our region. $20,000 of these funds will cover the cost of personal hygiene items, emergency prescription needs, socks and underwear, bus tickets to help displaced individuals return home, food for individuals unable to utilize soup kitchen or food bank, and other day-to-day or survival needs. To address the needs coming about from increased isolation and decreased access to traditional supports, the Saint Lawrence Centre will use their existing staff to assist those in need with their daily and emergency needs. $60,000 of these funds will provide an Activity Community Coordinator/Community Navigator for street-involved individuals affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, at-risk street-involved individuals are struggling to survive in some instances now that several of the services they are dependant on have had to decrease their availability due to COVID-19. Through this proposed program individuals will have access to expertise (Coordinator/Navigator), and resources (client support funds) to increase their resilience and opportunities to take next steps on their housing or recovery journey.

Two weeks to go. Let's get the prize up! https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/saintlawrencecentre

Two amazing young men sponsored bug spray for our visitors. Ya'll are raising some very thoughtful kids!

Contest Time! Do you want to win a 500 gift card? Do you want to win a 500 donation to 2 of your favourite local charities!? Follow the in...structions in the post to enter! GPYESS - Sunrise House Odyssey House Bandaged Paws Animal Rescue Association Ronald McDonald House Charities Alberta, Edmonton House Tiny Hands of Hope Saint Lawrence Centre Special Olympics Grande Prairie Pace Community Support, Sexual Assault and Trauma Centre - Grande Prairie #NFMOhome #takeithometoday

Thank you Northern Bottling Distributors Ltd. for your continued support. We are good for Vitamin C for a few days!

The food provided by the Foundation has meant folks do not have to be put at further risk by going away to find a meal. Public Health benefits aside, the food provided to our visitors has meant LIFE to many. Thank you everyone who has had a hand in providing lunches!

We have a long way to make up for missing our spring fundraiser. Take part in our Cash Raffle to help keep our doors open! Follow the link or call 780.228.5734 to purchase tickets. Prefer just to give us your $? Visit www.slcgp.ca https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/saintlawrencecentre

Fine feathered friends. We will be hosting our first ONLINE raffle in the coming week. Please message the page with your email address if you would be willing to be one of our online promoters. Everyone else, stay tuned for our launch date.

The nylon forest is sprouting again in our fine city. The SLC and Rotary House obviously do not condone or approve of individuals misusing private or public lands. We do, however, care deeply for the well being of all our friends who need to tent. Downtown Grande Prairie is a multi-user and multicultural space. Poverty, addiction, and trauma have an impact on a community and on the families who make up that community. Look for opportunities to be meaningfully involved in reducing these impacts. Whatever solutions might be developed or implemented, empathy and understanding must remain in the forefront. Our reaction to poverty says the most about our willingness to confront the issues promoting it.

Thank you to everyone who has donated in the last months. When we can come up for air, we will be making a public appeal to help cover for the lack of a spring fundraiser. We are surrounded by an amazing network of supporters and it's what keeps us going!

Do you have a $10,000 crime fighting idea? Check this out. https://www.cityofgp.com//crime-pre/crime-mitigation-grant

May 27th, 2020 The Salvation Army Food Truck is Opening in Grande Prairie Starting Wednesday, May 27th until Friday, June 5th, The Salvation Army is opening the...ir CRU Community Response Unit (mobile food truck) for the public to access meals during this pandemic. The food truck will be parked at The Salvation Army downtown location, also known as the Food Bank. The Salvation Army will be open from 12:00pm 2:00pm Monday through Friday for take-out meals. People will be able to grab lunch and supper to go during these hours. The Salvation Army looks forward to the opening of their food truck in Grande Prairie and hopes to help our community thrive during this time. Inquires: Captain Peter Kim, MDiv Executive Director / Community Ministries Officers The Salvation Army - Grande Prairie Food Bank / Community Kitchen / Emergency Disaster Services / Pathway of Hope 9615 - 102 Street, (P.O. Box 907), Grande Prairie, Alberta T8V 2T8 Phone: 780-532-3720 Cell: 780-933-8013 E-mail: [email protected] www.salvationarmygp.ca Corps Officer / Pastor The Salvation Army Community Church - Grande Prairie 9525 - 83 Avenue, Grande Prairie, Alberta T8V 6V1 Phone: 780-538-2848

On a cold day like today we are very thankful for the efforts of Jane Manning and all the other Grande Prairie Rotarians who have organized the dignity drive this spring. Feet are dry and tenders are covered!

If you know RH, you know Chiko. Ballin!

Please see the images below for a guide of who to call in various situations, including noise complaints, reporting a crime, emergencies, needle pick-up and more!

Thank you to our fantastic INTERNATIONAL cereal sponsor. Albuquerque, you are rockin'!

Happy Mothers Day! We see you doing your best. You are doing your best when you come downtown and put some clean clothes under his head while he is passed out on the grass. You are doing your best when you feed her friends because she isnt here to feed anymore.... You are doing your best when you believe in him even when he is doing a pen bit. You are doing your best when they fall asleep in your arms and you pray they learn from your mistakes and won't have to make the same ones you did. Thank you for your LOVE. It has changed the world more than anything else ever could.

Anders, Saturday Supper Volunteer Alumni, is vying for a prize with GP Boys choir. Have a listen. If you are so inclined "like" the original video and help him do the win! Sounding great!

You can barely see it, but we have an awesome new plexi barrier for our snack serving area provided by D.R. Sales Woodworking. You might remember last year, when our program was homeless, we encountered ALOT of opposition from businesses in the proposed neighborhood we were looking to move into. When we were door knocking in the area D.R. Sales Woodworking was the only supportive voice. Thanks for taking care of your community!

We're just going to leave this here. https://www.cbc.ca//cerb-covid-pandemic-coronavirus-1.5552

Amazing love warriors. Thank you so much.

You might be thinking Its been awhile since we heard from the SLC. You would be right. I do not have to tell you all the reasons why its been awhile between updates. You have all been coping and doing your best to reduce risk for your community and your loved ones. We are doing the same. First, the money. When we set our budget for 2020/2021 we were short about $30,000. The demand on services provided at the Centre have only grown year over year (Insert hopeful message he...Continue reading

Thank you Northern Bottling Distributors Ltd. for gifting, and delivering, 25 cases of water and a pail of hand sanitizer! Your continued support means so much to us in these crazy times.

Fourleaf freshness. Great work!