UPDATE: Because of your help, we collected 2,154 pairs of NEW underwear for the homeless folks in our community. That’s 1,154 above our initial goal of 1,000!
Thank You!!
We are excited to host our 2nd Annual #DropYourGonch underwear campaign encouraging the public to donate NEW underwear for homeless people in Edmonton.
The campaign starts Monday, July 20th and wraps up with a main event on Saturday, July 25th at our Thrift Shoppe (8818-118th Avenue) from 10:00am – 4:00pm.
The goal of the campaign is to collect 1,000 pairs of NEW underwear to meet the need through to the end of summer.
Underwear is one of the most asked for clothing items by people in the inner-city community, but one of the least donated.
“We are critically low and can’t fill the need at this moment”
– Devin Komarniski, Manager of Marketing and Communications
The campaign also promotes health and hygiene, while boosting self-esteem and confidence, which are crucial for people who are transitioning out of homelessness. People living on the streets may go months without a new pair of underwear, which creates discomfort and a lack of dignity as they struggle to get off the streets.
For more information about drop-off locations, how to donate online, and to learn more about the campaign, please visit our webpage.
ShineFM’s 6th Annual “Turkey Raiser” – Totes for Turkeys Event– is back! 105.9 ShineFM and AM930 The Light partners with Save-on-Foods locations throughout the city and surrounding areas to help local charities raise turkeys and funds to help with their community Thanksgiving dinner. Bissell Centre will also be giving turkeys for low-income families so they can have a joyous thanksgiving at home. You can donate a turkey or gift card in-store for the chosen charities and in return you receive a tote bag. In past years, the stations have raised upwards of 900 turkeys on this one-day event! This year Bissell Centre, along with Edmonton’s Meals on Wheels, will join in this important fundraising endeavour so that hundreds of mouths can be fed this Thanksgiving.
Listen to the event interview with Bissell Centre on Shine FM and please spread the word on Twitter with hashtag #totes4turkeys!
Bissell Centre and Boyle Street Community League are co-hosting a two-day event on Friday, September 26th (6:00pm – 8:30pm) and Saturday, September 27th (12:00pm – 8:45pm) in celebration of Alberta Culture Days 2014. This event takes place at the Boyle Street Community League located at 9538 – 103A Avenue and brings together two community agencies to honour cultural diversity in our city. We encourage you to come and experience the live music, performances, and cultural presentations! Now in its seventh year, Alberta Culture Days is the province’s largest celebration of the arts, heritage, diversity and community spirit with the Boyle Street Community League and Bissell Centre hosting an event for the first time. This annual event is as much about family and community, as it is about cultural vibrancy.
For more information, please contact Amanda Almeida, Manager of Community Participation and Volunteer Services, at aalmeida@bissellcentre.org.
Together, we raised $33,720!! That’s $8,720 over and above our $25,000 goal. We are so grateful!
A special thank you to Lift Interactive for creating the #RestoreBissell micro-site, and Servus Credit Union for their generous $15,000 matching donation. And last, but most certainly not least, our community of supporters and advocates. You tweeted, you blogged, you Instagram’d–and you donated.
Thank you to everyone for continuing to support our #RestoreBissell fire relief fundraiser. We are only $5,500 away from our goal of $25,000 that will help us to re-open the doors to our Thrift Shoppe in late October after it was damaged by fire.Servus Credit Union will match your donation up to $15,000 and your continued support could potentially help us exceed our goal! The fundraiser ends on Friday, August 8th.
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.
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.
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.
