Leaving a Lasting Legacy with Bissell Centre

What if the compassion and care you’ve shown throughout your life could continue creating change for generations to come?  

Even leaving 1% of your total estate in your will to Bissell Centre can have a huge ripple effect on those looking for support. It might not sound like much, and you’re still leaving 99% to your family — but even this seemingly small fraction of your total estate could help low-income families have access to necessities for raising healthy little ones, people looking for housing have support readily available, and those who are at risk of losing their homes have access to financial support and education. 

Best of all, you don’t need great wealth to create lasting change. Your future gift is more than generosity. It’s hope in action that ensures long after you’re gone, your values live on in a stronger, more caring community.  

How to leave a legacy with Bissell Centre 

Did you know Willpower can help you calculate what impact a 1% planned gift in your will could have on an organization like Bissell Centre? Its suite of free tools and advice can help guide how best you can leave a legacy of giving and community care. But the best advice it offers starts with making sure you speak with your lawyer or financial planner about the kind of gift you want to leave.  

After you talk about the financial realities of your estate with an expert, adding Bissell Centre to your will is remarkably easy. There are a few details you need to make sure you include: 

• Bissell Centre’s Registered Charity Number — # 118810829RR0001   

• Bissell Centre’s Address — 10527 96 Street, Edmonton, AB., T5H 2H6   

Once you add these details to your will, along with what percentage of your estate or total gift you want to leave, then your legacy of care for your community is set and you’re continuing to help countless individuals and families find their paths out of poverty and homelessness.  

The continued impact from your legacy 

In 2025, Bissell Centre provided support to 8,709 unique individuals through our tax clinic, financial education program, housing services, family services, Indigenous cultural supports, and more. We housed 246 people, helped 581 people avoid eviction or utility disconnection, and supported 2,864 people with their tax returns.  

This is only one year in Bissell Centre’s more than 150 years of supporting Edmontonians in the downtown community. Your planned gift can help us continue our mission to remove barriers and support people as they move out of poverty. With your support, we will see our vision of eliminating poverty in our community become a reality. 

Leaving your legacy to Bissell Centre in your will makes a difference for someone trying to find secure and stable housing, a family struggling with daily essentials, or a whole community finding hope. With careful planning and preparation today, you can help create a better tomorrow for everyone in your community.  

Reach out to your legal or financial advisor or contact Terry Tobin at ttobin@bissellcentre.org to learn more about how you can make a lasting impact on the community. 

There’s a gap: Why Edmonton families need your support with diapers and formula

Diapers and formula are essential for raising a happy and healthy family. High costs are making it harder for families experiencing poverty to find stability — often struggling to afford these necessities and there are few programs than can help. 

People in Alberta with infant children spend between $900 and $1,200 each year on diapers. On average, infants use eight to 10 diapers each day and without regular changes babies are at risk of diaper rash and other illnesses 

For people with limited resources, providing necessities for an infant can seem insurmountable. That’s why on May 1, we launched Tushies and Tummies as a 10-day Mother’s Day Sprint to collect diapers and formula for families with young children. Our Family Services program provides diapers and formula to families in need and is one piece that can help a family break the generational cycles of poverty. 

To continue this important program we need support from our community, including you! 

Why Donate Diapers? 

Donating disposable diapers can be crucial for families facing multiple barriers. Providing free diapers means families in need don’t worry about running out, and instead can focus on keeping their children clean, healthy, and happy. 

Families without regular access to disposable diapers might try: 

• Changing them less often. 

• Leaving wet/soiled diapers on their children for full days. 

• Using other materials like newspapers or tea towels as diapers.  

To attend most child care centres, caregivers also need to provide their own disposable diapers, creating another barrier for people accessing programs like Bissell Child Care’s free respite care. The added stress can increase anxiety and be detrimental to mental health for both caregivers and children and even compromise the bond between child and caregiver.  

Family at Bissell Child Care. 

Reasons to Donate Formula 

Ensuring children receive all the vitamins and nutrients they need is critical to their development. While mother’s milk is the ideal, it isn’t always an option.  

Donating formula becomes a lifeline for hundreds of families across the city accessing our Family Supports program. In 2025, this program helped 291 families with essentials like diapers and formula. We also provided referrals and navigation to other supports that help keep families healthy and strong.  

It takes a community to keep children healthy and strong. Your donation of diapers and formula today keeps tushies clean and tummies full, relieves stress on families as they navigate their pathway out of poverty, and helps strengthen the community for future generations.  

For this Mother’s Day, help ensure families have what they need to raise healthy and happy little ones. We have drop-off locations for diapers and formula across Edmonton and in Sherwood Park — and they’re accepting donations right up until Mother’s Day on May 10, 2026! 

Even after Mother’s Day, we’re always accepting diapers for all ages and sizes and formula donations. They can be dropped off at our Bissell Thrift Shop at 8818 118 Avenue every Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.