The Support a Mother of Five Needed

Kayla, a mother of five, came to Bissell Centre at the end of 2011 while trying to acquire housing through our Homeless to Homes (H2H) program. Kayla had been going through very difficult times as she had lost a child three months prior; she had been physically assaulted which resulted in her hospitalization and two children being apprehended by Children Services.
With the help of Bissell Centre, Kayla was able to apply for Supports for Independence (SFI) benefits and  access our Inner City Victim Services program.    We are happy to report that Kayla and her children were housed in March and  are doing quite well.  

Click here if  you’d like to help more people access our multiple services.

Getting Off the Street with Support and a Full Time Job

Shawn, a long time community member of Bissell Centre, used to live on the streets and struggled with an alcohol addiction.
Shawn got a job through our Casual Labour program last year with an ice manufacturing company in Edmonton.   Due to the physically demanding work environment many of our previous Casual Labour placements couldn’t handle the work.

Shawn persisted in working with them and so they hired him on full time.   He is now learning new skills and expanding his job duties (including driving a fork lift). The ice manufacturer has also helped Shawn find housing for a reasonable rent and they are also paying him a fair living wage at $23.00/hr!

This is why Bissell Centre exists:   to ensure everyone has equitable access to opportunities that will enable them to have dignity and achieve a sustainable livelihood, meet their own basic daily needs, feel hope for a prosperous future, and feel engaged in life.

And this is why we need your help: We are not fully funded by the Government, and therefore we rely on our generous community to support our programs so that we can help more people like Shawn.

Show your support for our work by making  a DONATION.   Or call 780.423.2285 or mail in a cheque to Bissell Centre 10527 96 Street, Edmonton, AB T5H 2H6.

Thank you so much for your support!

Fill the Bleachers for Bissell & Boyle: Inner City Recreation Program Fundraiser

Partial proceeds from the following soccer game will go towards our Inner City Recreation program!!!We will receive $5/ticket  if 500 or less are sold.   If we sell more than 500 tickets, we receive $10/ticket!

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. FC Edmonton Soccer Game
Sunday July 15 , 2012 at 2 p.m.
Clarke Field – 11000 Stadium Road, Edmonton, AB

Help us to fill those bleachers, and enjoy some hometown soccer while you  support accessible recreation in our community!  

Get Your Tickets Now

| Find out more about our Inner City Recreation program here |

Follow us @BissellCentre and Follow FC Edmonton @FCEdmontonNow    

Bill – a staple in Bissell Centre for 20 years!

Q & A with Bill – Our Donations Pick-up Driver

How many years have you been with Bissell?
I’ve been with Bissell for 20 years. I’ve been working as the pick-up driver for about 10 years.

At 84 years old, most people your age are retired and yet, you are working full-time. Can you tell me why?
I enjoy working. It keeps me physically and mentally fit. Plus, I love the staff and clients that I work with at Bissell. I enjoy meeting new people.   I talk to about 100 different people a day!

What exactly do you do for Bissell Centre?
My job is to drive around town picking up food for the clients. I go to places like Alberta Health Services, Starbucks, the Italian Centre, Walmart, Funky Pickle, Shaw Conference Centre and Cobbs Bakery to collect their food donations and bring it back to Bissell. There is food to be picked up on a daily basis.

How much food do you pick up on a daily basis?
It varies. It can be as much as 600-700 pounds of food, like when I pick up at Capital Health. As astounding as that number may sound, it is not that much food. The food gets used up quickly, since we feed about 150 people daily.

Wow! That’s a lot of heavy lifting! Do you work with a team?
Nope. It’s just me. I do all of the heavy lifting. I don’t mind. I have always enjoyed working with my hands. I don’t have any back problems or anything –just asthma. But it’s manageable with my inhaler.

When is it the busiest time of the year for pick-ups?
I’m usually pretty busy all year round, but I would have to say from mid-November to about mid-January, we get a lot of pick-ups because of all the holiday parties.

In terms of donations, what is the one thing Bissell is always in need of?
Coffee!!! We need more coffee donations. We go through coffee so fast here! We can’t keep up. We are always running low on coffee.

  – Interview by Karen Lee, Guest Blogger

If you wish to make a food or  other in-kind  donation, please contact Barb, In-kind Donations Coordinator, at [email protected] or 780-423-2285 ext. 159.

Reg Canadian Charity · 118810829RR0001