When we experienced a fire to our original Thrift Shoppe in September 2013, we were left scrambling to provide important services. When a second fire hit nine months later at our temporary location on June 21, 2014, we were left devastated. #RestoreBissell fire relief fundraiser is a two-week online event where we need your help to raise $25,000 to re-open the doors to our original Thrift Shoppe for late October.
The online fundraiser starts Monday, July 28th and runs until Friday, August 8th. We encourage you to please donate at restorebissell.organd spread the word using hashtag #RestoreBissell.
The re-opening of the store is vital because it provides $60,000 in annual revenue after expenses to support various Bissell Centre programs and services. With an estimated 100,000 articles of clothing lost in the fire, it interrupted the flow of clothing to our inner-city Community Closet, which provides free clothes to low-income families and individuals. When the store closed due to the fire, 5,000-6,000 monthly customers were forced to look elsewhere for affordable clothing and household goods.
For more information, please contact:
Devin Komarniski Acting Manager of Marketing & Communications 780.423.2285, Ext 131 dkomarniski@bissellcentre.org
Bissell Centre and Mayfield Toyota hosts #DropYourGonch, a one-day underwear drive event urging the public to donate new underwear for the homeless in Edmonton. Free food will be provided by Century Hospitality and there will also be entertainment and door prizes.
The goal of the event is to collect 1,000 pairs of new underwear in support of Bissell Centre to provide comfort for people in need!
Underwear is one of the most asked for clothing items by those who are homeless, but one of the least donated. By reaching our goal of 1,000 pairs of new underwear it would allow us to provide approximately 20 fresh pairs to people in need every day throughout the summer.
A gift of new undies would mean so much and we’d love it if you’d join us!
#DropYourGonch Event Details:
When: Saturday, June 21st
Where: Mayfield Toyota (10220-170 street)
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
For more information about the event, please click here or contact Devin Komarniski, Acting Manager of Marketing & Communications, at dkomarniski@bissellcentre.org.
On Sunday, April 27th from 1:00-4:00pm, Bissell Centre will host the second of two music auditions on the first floor of their WEST building (10530-96th street) as the organization gears up to help sponsor the Heart of the City Music and Art Festival! 
The first audition will take place at Boyle Street Community Services (10116-105 Avenue NW) on Saturday April 26th, from 1:00-4:00pm and everyone is welcome to join the fun at both auditions!
The auditions will be showcasing the talents of musicians hoping to perform at the festival on June 7th and 8th in Giovanni Caboto Park. The mission of the Heart of the City Music and Art Festival is to provide a free, family-friendly music and arts festival in the heart of Edmonton that promotes and supports original, local and emerging artists.
Bissell Centre was one of the groups that helped create the Heart of the City Festival way back when. Last year we were one of the sponsors of the event.
For more information or if you have any questions, please call Rylan Kafara at 780-860-6154.
Easter came early for the children at Bissell Centre’s Childcare Program on Thursday, April 17th with snacks, fruit, and of course, colourful hats! The children and their parents enjoyed good food, music, and fun to celebrate the Easter holiday at Bissell Centre.
Bissell Centre’s Childcare program is an accredited daycare facility supporting 1,400 children every year in a safe, healthy, and enriching environment. A range of activities are offered to assist in developing children’s social, emotional, intellectual and cultural growth. The Early Childhood Development Program is available to all parents and guardians of newborns through six-year-old at no charge once per week.
For more information about Bissell Centre’s Early Childhood Program and other Family Support Services, please visit: bissellcentre.org/programs/child-and-family-resources/
Thank you to EPCOR for providing much needed funding for Bissell Centre’s Early Childhood Development Program and for serving breakfast to the children in our Childcare Facility on Tuesday, March 25th. EPCOR’s Breakfast at Bissell Project will provide $20,000 in funding that will enable us to purchase fresh food, produce, and arts & crafts supplies to ensure healthy eating and positive development for the children in our care.
EPCOR continues to be a strong supporter of Bissell Centre’s vision of eliminating poverty in our community through funding initiatives, volunteering, and providing donations to those who need them most. The Breakfast at Bissell Project is another initiative that aligns with both Bissell Centre’s core values of eliminating poverty and EPCOR’s investment pillars that support food, shelter, safety, and educational programs.
Bissell Centre’s Early Childhood Development Program supports families living in poverty with free temporary childcare for newborns to children upwards to five years of age. This is an accredited centre allowing children to play and learn in a safe, supportive, and educational environment. The program gives parents time to access other Bissell Centre services, look for housing, secure employment, or attend medical appointments. Bissell Centre’s Food Services Program also provides a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and snack every day for the 1,400 children that rely on our childcare facility every year.
For more information about Bissell Centre’s Early Childhood Program and other Family Support Services, please visit: bissellcentre.org/programs/child-and-family-resources/
The Sexual Exploitation Working Group (SEWG) is pleased to announce their Annual Week of Awareness events to take place April 6th -11th that is set within the National Victims of Crime Awareness Week. They have great keynote speakers and interesting workshops focused on ending sexual exploitation.
Proclamation 
Monday, April 7, 2014
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
CBC Stage, City Centre Mall
All the other events take place at Santa Maria Goretti Centre located at 11050-90th Street (evening events are free).
For full information, check out www.dlsfilm.com and for details about the seminars, please click on the links below.
Register for one or two days for the SEWG Seminar, April 10th-11th (No Cost for the Seminar):
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/taking-action-yegsecret-exposed-2014-sexual-exploitation-week-of-awareness-conference-tickets-10661399533
Wednesday, April 9th (7pm – 10 pm) – Free Public Event: Hard Talk Panel on Rape Culture and Sexual Exploitation:
http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/taking-action-yegsecret-exposed-a-hard-talk-panel-on-rape-culture-tickets-10754656467
Thursday, April 10th (7pm – 10 pm) – Free Public Event: Screening of “Buying Sex”, with guest presenter, Trisha Baptie:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/taking-action-yegsecret-exposed-film-screening-buying-sex-tickets-10933794273
Friday, April 11th (6pm – 10 pm) – Free Public Event: Screening of “Whistleblower” with guest presenter, Kathryn Bolkavac:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-whistleblower-with-kathryn-bolkovac-tickets-10769890031
Approximately one thousand Grand Slam breakfasts were sold during a seven hour time span at the downtown Denny’s Restaurant on Tuesday, March 4th! A special thanks to the staff and management at the Downtown Denny’s Restaurant for hosting the event and to everyone who came out to support the cause.
Over $2,500 (including generous donations) was raised to support Bissell Centre’s vision of eliminating poverty in our community. This was a great opportunity to connect with the surrounding community to spread awareness about issues facing impoverished individuals and families living in the inner-city.
Thanks to everyone who submitted a picture of your Grand Slam for the $100 Denny’s Gift Card prize!
View all the great photos of the event >
On Thursday, July 27th, Bissell Centre held its 102nd Annual General Meeting where discussions centered on the 2012-2013 Annual Report, the CEO Report, the new pilot program 24/7 MAP, and upcoming initiatives for the organization. Attendance included Homeward Trust, REACH Edmonton, The City of Edmonton, representatives from the Edmonton United Church Presbytery, Bissell Centre CEO Mark Holmgren, plus Board Members and Bissell Centre staff. 
Read More…
As the spring slowly rolls in, Bissell Centre is gearing up for its annual gala – Bissellebration (pronounced Biss – celebration)! This year the committee has chosen to do something a bit different. Normally, the revenue from Bissellebration has not been designated to any program. As we prepare to re-launch Moonlight Bay Centre as a retreat centre, a corporate meeting space, and a Bissell Centre client camp we thought it would be prudent to support this renewed initiative. The lake front property has not been used for two years and we are excited to re-open the doors to transforming lives!
>Part of celebrating success is being able to say thank you! And we’d like to say thank you to Servus Credit Union for being a Blue Sponsor this year and also providing a live auction package that includes a Private Suite at Rexall Place to see the Bruno Mars concert on July 18, 2013. This is the second year that Servus has been part of Bissellebration. We asked why they choose to support this event:
“Servus Credit Union is proud to support Bissellebration 2013,” said Michael Dickinson, Director of Corporate Communications. “At Servus, we embrace the philosophy of people helping people and we are very pleased to assist Bissell Centre in achieving their vision of eliminating poverty in our community.”
As a community organization that is working collaboratively, we want you to know about an exciting learning opportunity that we at Bissell Centre are helping to bring to Edmonton this Fall. We are working with the Tamarack Institute to sponsor the 2013 Communities Collaborating Institute: Accelerating Impact, which is being held October 7th – 11th, 2013.
Tamarack’s Communities Collaborating Institute is Canada’s signature, learning event for collective impact professionals. The 2013 CCI: Accelerating Impact is geared specifically for those wanting to strengthen their capacity to create large-scale, collective impact in communities – linked to provincial/state or national agendas. I have attended two CCIs myself and highly recommend you consider attending.
Join Adam Kahane, Tom Kelly, Stephen Huddart, Ratna Omidvar, Catherine Twinn, Liz Weaver, Mark Cabaj, and me for this unprecedented leadership event. Inspired by the insights and perspectives of celebrated thought-leaders, it is an opportunity to rejuvenate and strengthen your ability to engage and mobilize across sectors to advance a common community agenda for transformation. Learn more about the event’s evolving list of Thought-Leaders online here.
Registration officially opens today, Tuesday March 19th 2013. This event has been over-subscribed each of the past six years and we expect the same this year in Edmonton, Alberta.
- Date: October 7 – 11, 2013
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta
- Venue: Radisson Edmonton South Hotel
- More information & registration: www.tamarackcommunity.ca
Change leaders need both ideas and techniques. The 2013 CCI: Accelerating Impact promises to be a dynamic peer learning opportunity with a special focus on transformative techniques for uniting diverse opinions into a common agenda for social change. These include: Scenario Planning, Change Labs, Working Effectively with Complexity, Developmental Evaluation, Collaborative Governance Community Conversations and more.
Learn how you and your organization can benefit from this amazing learning opportunity. Special reduced rates are available for two or more participants from a community, organization or network who agree to attend together.
I hope to see you at the 2013 CCI this Fall in Edmonton.
Mark Holmgren, CEO
Bissell Centre
