The Salvation Army Victoria ARC
525 Johnson Street V8W 1M2 Victoria, BC, Canada

Such a great moment when people reach out to show appreciation for the hard work that we have been doing to help our community. @TysonBarrie of the #Oilers called Major Sheldon last week to thank him for the hard work that the ARC has been doing during the pandemic in Victoria which includes almost 90,000 meals (and counting) for our street community. Thanks for your support Tyson and have a great year in Edmonton!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What are you grateful for this year?

Commissioner Rosalie and I want to send our best wishes and prayers to you on this International Day of Peace, and we do that in the name of the Prince of Peace.... As his followers, we seek not only to be keepers of peace, but we want to be peacemakers, actively working to persuade the people we live and work alongside that violence achieves nothing. Please join us in praying for peace, particularly in these challenging days.

https://salvationarmy.ca/annual-report-2019-20/

https://salvationarmy.ca//07/21/feeding-victorias-homeless/

https://salvationarmy.ca//salvation-army-converted-freig/

Our very own Major Sheldon Feener

Leadership Victoria is proud to present Sheldon Feener, Winner in the Category of Healthy Standard of Living, sponsored by BC Transit for the 2020 Victoria Comm...unity Leadership Awards: Major Sheldon will tell you that as a leader he wants to be out with his team every day, not stuck behind his desk as Executive Director of The Salvation Army Victoria ARC in Victoria. His leadership style is simple; hire kind, talented people and support their ideas. Major Sheldon is a lifelong advocate for those struggling with homelessness, poverty and addiction, with an intimate understanding that homelessness is much more than a simple housing issue. His inherent belief that all people deserve love, respect and dignity are exemplified daily in his work enriching the lives of others particularly the vulnerable and those less able to help themselves. Among the community programs, he has established are those that serve the needs of individuals affected by trauma, substance use, brain injury, homelessness, poverty and mental illness. In many instances, these programs have led to safely, affordably and permanently housing more than 170 men since his appointment to his current post in 2017.

It is so difficult for guys to be living in a facility like ours in a time like this. There are so many restrictions on what they can do, where they can go, who they can hang out with and that gets tough. Today, in an effort to brighten the mood our Food Services team, lead by Sean prepared a prime rib lunch complete with Yorkshire puddings and au jus for the whole house and the management team served it to the guys. Needless to say, it was a hit and everyone was well fed. ...Its amazing what good food can do to boost the spirits. Huge thanks to Sean and his team for an amazing meal! #lovepeople *while the management team looks close in the picture, I can assure you social distancing was practiced during the service.

So many vulnerable people are looking to our shield for hope and support right now. Help us keep them safe and healthy. Donate today: https://bit.ly/2KcWoIx

As the world comes together during these unprecedented times, we too have come together with our friends at Union Gospel Mission. We are on the front lines ensu...ring people have food and shelter. But we need your help. Needs are surging. Our goal is Two Million in Two Weeks. Together. Donate now: CovidReliefTogether.org See more

Some of our supporters have been asking, so here is an update on services in the time of COVID-19 at the ARC. We care for and support some of the most vulnerable men in our community and we take their well-being very seriously. Caring means continuing to provide services in a safe way, and doing our best to give hope everyday. We have the most dedicated staff. They are truly living out our mission statement now, and that all comes down to loving our guys.... We are still running our shelter, transitional housing, and halfway house, but we are not taking on new clients. We have changed some of our procedures to increase hygiene and physical distancing for our residents. We have a new hand washing station in the lobby (complete with daily song lyrics to sing whilst washing) and we are requiring all people coming in the building to wash their hands. We are also requiring hands to be washed before entering the dining room for meals. We are running a "stress-busters" program to give guys (in small numbers) space to talk about what we are all going through and to help get our minds off it all through meditation, prayer, and some stand up comedy on YouTube... even Mr. Bean. Our therapy dog, Faith, is still here to give us all some comfort and to be cute and funny to lift our spirits. We continue to serve the community hot meals on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but we are using to-go boxes for the time being. We appreciate your prayers, shares, and any support you have to give during this time. Please stay home if you can and stop the spread of this virus.

Call for ARTISTS SUBMISSION DEADLINE MAY 21, 2020 Partner with The Salvation Army Help Transform Lives The last of its kind in Victoria B.C., The Salvation Army Addiction & Rehabilitation Centre has stood in this City since 1918 and continues to be THE safe place for men to heal, address and defy dependencies, and Transform lives. Our incomparable team is determined to provide safe, affordable housing, emergency shelter, transitional housing, quality counselling, education,... and drug & alcohol recovery programming to those making the transition from homelessness, poverty and addiction, to family and community; housed, healthy and free from addictive lifestyles. In everything we do, we continually strive to do it with excellence. There is however, one critical piece of our program missing a beautiful space that feels like home. Our ideal space is a warm, welcoming environment that promotes healing and dialogue for our guests, residents and program participants. Heres where we ask for your support. We believe that the addition of artwork to what is currently a blank, institutional slate, will transform our space, and in turn play a vital role in the lives of our guests working painfully hard to transform their lives. The Salvation Army ARC Victoria is asking for donations for a new Permanent Collection at our Johnson Street facility. We have three floors to beautify, and we would love your participation. We are seeking artists willing to submit two-dimensional works that inspire hope. Submissions are open to artists living and working in Victoria and its surrounding areas. We warmly welcome artists from all backgrounds and levels of experience. Along with an image of your submission (max 5MB), please include your name, title of piece, medium, and size. Pieces that measure less than 48 inches in height are preferred. Please send to [email protected] on or before May 21, 2020. We look forward to reviewing your submission. With our most sincere gratitude, The Salvation Army ARC Art Committee. The Salvation Army began our work in the City if Victoria on Cormorant street in 1897, when the need for social services was growing rapidly. So rapidly in fact, that we had to relocate our emergency shelter to a larger building at the corner of Johnson and Wharf in 1918, where we have been serving this community faithfully as a not for profit social service provider ever since - specifically serving men struggling with addiction and poverty. Since then we have rebuilt our building three times and renovated twice. Our most recent build, erected in 1956, is a 170 bed multipurpose facility that makes every effort to provide its residents opportunity to live in a safe, drug & alcohol free environment. Annually, we provide our Citys marginalized population 56,138 good night sleeps, 200,000 meals, and emergency assistance to more of our community than we could ever count and our doors have not closed a day since 1956.

We have a new volunteer position. Please check out our CRF Volunteer posting!! Orientation and Training on March 25! http://www.victoriaarc.org/volunteer.html

We offer food hampers and vouchers for our thrift stores to those in need! If you are new to Victoria, homeless, or in a financial emergency, you and your family may be eligible for free vouchers for our stores. If you are curious, come see an intake worker during office hours today!

Come and join us...

Our volunteers today at our annual Community Christmas dinner. Thanks for helping us serve, LITERALLY!!

It is "Giving Tuesday" today, so heres information on how to support what we do at the ARC. http://www.victoriaarc.org/how-to-donate.html

Our very own Jeff and Shieldy (Janine) at the Santa Claus parade!

30 mats here at the ARC.

EWP called tonight!

The Salvation Army is hiring... check out this link! https://www.indeed.ca/salvation-army-jobs-in-Victoria,-BC

https://www.christholdfast.org//the-church-is-a-homeless-s

Thank you Benifactor for inviting The Salvation Army Victoria ARC Changing minds and hearts begins with education and awareness. #Lovepeople @salvationarmy

Look for our booth at a job fair on June 25, 2019;1-3 PM at Parkside Hotel, 810 Humboldt Street, Victoria. For more information, see the poster...

1489 people died of overdose in BC in in 2018, 96 of those deaths occurring in Victoria. Overdose death is now the leading cause of accidental death in BC. We need change now! Join us!!

Are you passionate about serving your community? We are looking for talented, compassionate people determined to overcome poverty, homelessness, and addiction in Victoria. Join our team as we provide care to our citys most vulnerable. We are looking for people with all sorts of education and professional backgrounds for our day-to-day operations. Please visit our website for current opportunities. http://www.victoriaarc.org/employment-opportunities.html

Sincere thanks to our friends at Soap For Hope for filling our shelves for the houseless in our care. We cant wait to give it all away!

On Feb. 23, 2019, CHEK is airing "Us and Them," a documentary that follows four individuals for ten years on the streets of Victoria as they cope, not only with... homelessness but also mental illness and addiction. The film will be followed by a panel moderated by CHEK News anchor Ben OHara Byrne. The panel will include Film Producer Krista Loughton, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, and representatives from Island Health, the Our Place Society and The Victoria Foundation. Do you have any questions on homelessness for the panel? Please share them below.

Guess what donations are needed at our Thrift Stores??? Clothes. Go Mari Kondo your closet!!!

Hey friends of the ARC. We are looking for new volunteers. Please check out the opportunities on our website at http://www.victoriaarc.org/volunteer.html to see what opportunities we have. Please pass this on to friends and family! Thanks a million!!