As harvest season is in full swing, the City Market Downtown will be joined by five of Edmonton’s innovative culinary up and comers to host a fundraising event for Bissell Centre on Sunday, October 5th.
The Edmonton-based chefs have created a fall-harvest specific menu based on seasonal produce and proteins found exclusively at the City Market Downtown. The dinner, which will be hosted at SABOR Restaurant, will include seafood direct from Iceland, farm-raised pork and beef — the freshest ingredients direct from market vendors.
“This exciting event is to raise awareness and funds for the Bissell Centre, a organization near and dear to our vendors and customers” says Dan Young, board chairman of City Market Downtown. “It makes sense for us in partnership with some of the best and brightest in Edmonton’s food scene to organize a family-style harvest feast to raise funds for this important work being done at the Bissell Centre each day.”
Collaborative menu designed by:
Chef Bryan Cruz – The Marc Chef Edgar Gutierrez – Tres Carnales and Rostizado Chef Brayden Kozak – Three Boars Chef Adelino (Lino) Oliviera – SABOR Restaurant Chef Charla Padilla – Madison’s Grill
The harvest feast will also include special guest Chef Pierre Lamielle from Calgary, a recent Chopped Canada champion and Top Chef Canada competitor. He is co-owner of foodonyourshirt.com with partner Candace.
Get your tickets now via Eventbrite!
We have some great stories that include an update about our Thrift Shoppe fire recovery; family camp at our Moonlight Bay Centre for parents and children who are struggling with poverty; an Employment Services success story; and much more!
Read or download our Summer/Fall Newsletternow!
Last week, we received a cheque for $15,000 from FIRMA Foreign Exchange to support our fire relief efforts. This generous gift will help with the restoration of our Thrift Shoppe, which supplies affordable clothing to low-income families, provides free clothing for the homeless, and generates revenue that supports and strengthens our life-changing programs.
THANK YOU!
Learn more about FIRMA here: https://www.firmafx.com/ca-en/
This yet another example of Philanthropy in our community! Read our new blog series, Anyone Can Be A Philanthropist! for more inspiring stories.
This is a story in the Edmonton Journal about Bissell Centre’s Collective Kitchen. You can click on the video image below to get to it. It’s a good story, but it really is more about volunteer, Gail Hall, and the amazing women who come to Bissell Centre to learn how to do more and do better for their families.
Mark Holmgren, CEO
Our Business Plan is structured to reflect our long-term plan which we call our strategic touchstone. I believe each business plan should include a quick report of progress made to date and then outline what deliberate strategic actions we intend to undertake in the new plan. Our business plan will then used as the basis for creating the CEO’s work plan for the year as well as the work plans for each officer, director, and manager in the organization.
While this business plan outlines Bissell Centre’s priorities for the upcoming year, it is true that there are some strategic objectives we are seeking to emphasize, as follows:
- Grow our capacity to excel at addressing homelessness within and beyond the Housing First model.
- Increase efforts to help clients achieve financial stability by developing a continuum of employment services, from casual labour to permanent employment.
- Continue to expand our hours of services, where appropriate, to ensure we are appropriately present and active in the lives of our diverse client population.
- Continue to move towards an integrated service delivery model that is client-centred and inclusive of case management across all programs.
- Continue on with our partnerships to operate 24/7/365 crisis diversion services through assertive outreach
- Through our review of Drop-in programming, identify improved ways to engage and help street involved people break out of their cycle of poverty and homelessness.
- Expand our Inner City Victims Services, as funding arrives, to increase our capacity to serve victims and to launch crime prevention services.
- Launch our Community Bridge Pilot, which will focus on preventing homelessness for those who have never before been faced with the prospect of losing their home.
- Seek out partnerships and resources to increase our capacity to serve and support low income families, especially young single parents trying to become effective parents while developing their careers.
- Seek out partnerships and resources to increase our capacity to support adults with FASD.
- Increase our organization’s awareness of Aboriginal culture while exploring new opportunities to offer culturally-relevant services.
- Continue to operate as a fiscally sound organization while we also continue to grow our operations.
- Become an employer of choice
Click the image above to download our business plan (PDF)
![Dennys-EDM-Grand-Re-Opening_Blog-Banner-[24X36]](https://bissellcentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/dennys-edm-grand-re-opening_blog-banner-24x36-1.jpg?w=500)
Denny’s Restaurant located at 10803-104th avenue NW will host their Grand Re-Opening offering Original Grand Slam breakfasts for only $2.00 (tax included) on Tuesday, March 4th from 7:00am – 2:00pm. The breakfast includes two pancakes, two eggs, two bacon strips and two sausage links. All proceeds of this event will support Bissell Centre’s programs and services that help those in need move from poverty to prosperity. We hope you can join us!
Download the official poster here.
Join our Facebook event page here.
Official hashtag: #GrandSlamYEG.
Tweet your excitement by clicking the following links:
#GrandSlamYEG Tweet 1
#GrandSlamYEG Tweet 2
#GrandSlamYEG Tweet 3
In this issue:
- Festive Season Recap
- Message from Mark Holmgren, CEO
- Program Highlight & Info on Winter Warming
- Monthly Giving Opportunity
- Donor Spotlight & Volunteer Opportunities
- Moonlight Bay Centre – Rental Info
View or download the newsletter now >
We opened our doors to 90 displaced residents of Dwayne’s Home, a transitional housing complex that caught fire shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday. The fire ripped through a third floor suite of the downtown building causing approximately $400,000 worth of damages and leaving the formerly homeless residents out in the cold.
After quick coordination by the Red Cross, residents were transported to Bissell Centre by designated ETS buses where staff and volunteers were able to meet their immediate needs: food, amenities, and refuge from the cold. Furthermore, Bissell Centre served as an operational hub for the Red Cross, Alberta Health Services, EPS, the City of Edmonton, and other service agencies as they formulated a crisis resolution plan.
83 of the 90 residents we’re eventually transferred to other organizations that could provide overnight shelter and care. Seven women remained with us through the night and were fed a hearty breakfast–thanks to kitchen staff–before being shuttled to other accommodations Thursday morning.
Fortunately, most of the residents will return to their homes today as all but fifteen suites have been deemed safe and free from damages. This is unexpected good news as it was initially estimated that the residents would not be let back into their homes for at least a week.
We are equally happy and honored to have been able to provide support during this devastating incident. The residents of Dwayne’s Home are people that we care deeply about; people that we admire; people who have endured the many hardships of homelessness, risen above their struggles and are now off the streets and in homes. Given the complexities and grip of homelessness, it is a truly remarkable feat. We wish them well.
Hope Mission, Salvation Army, and the Shaw Conference Centre are amongst the many groups who generously offered their services and support.
Donations of towels, unopened toiletries, new socks and underwear, clean men’s clothing, and clean winter coats, gloves, hats and boots can be dropped off at The Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society. Call (780) 428-4422 for more information.
Support Bissell Centre’s efforts to house the homeless >
It’s what I am feeling. And I must add, I feel grateful often.
I am grateful for each and every one of our 120 plus staff who work so hard to help those who are homeless, hungry, in pain from past and current abuse, and sadly are without the love and support from family and friends that most of us count on. Bissell Centre staff have big hearts and they are committed to making a difference. I am grateful not only for their actions but their ideas about what more Bissell Centre might do to make needed change in our community. I can’t tell you how proud I am to lead this wonderful organization and I am thankful for the leadership they show me.
I am grateful for our incredible community of friends and supporters. I can’t ever hope to mention everyone who contributes to Bissell Centre’s work, but it is inspiring to see young children and teenagers volunteering here, undertaking their own fundraising campaigns, and speaking to other groups about the importance of eliminating poverty. People of all ages and all walks of life are a part of us. People and groups of all faiths are active in our work and support us in so many ways. The same is true of businesses of all sizes.Service clubs, women’s groups, unions, universities and grade schools – it’s a seemingly unending list of people, organizations, and businesses who care, who want to help, who desire a better future for those struggling.
Bissell Centre partners with many funders to deliver contracted services, including several departments of the Alberta Government, Homeward Trust and REACH Edmonton. We also receive grants from the City of Edmonton (FCSS), United Way, Edmonton Community Foundation, and the Stollery Charitable Foundation for ongoing work here at Bissell Centre. I am grateful that these partners believe in our ability to deliver quality services to high standards of effectiveness and efficiency.
I am also grateful that Bissell Centre is not content to just exist off major contracts and grants. Each year we generate 25 to 30% of our revenues through donations from individuals, businesses, unions, service clubs, schools, small foundations and others who help us keep open our drop in centre, feed thousands, give away free clothing, take care of our children in an accredited day care, provide parenting and family support, and deliver services that improve the health and wellness of our community members. It’s riskier to do this, but Bissell Centre’s history is one of partnering with the community, It was the community that gave us birth 103 years ago and has continued to walk with us in our work ever since. Thank you.
I am grateful to the 800 volunteers who give of their time and talents to our mission and work. I tip my hat to my board of governors and thank them for their guidance, intelligence, commitment, and their faith in me as their CEO. We have so many volunteers I have not met them all. They serve meals, staff our free clothing outlets, wrap presents, shovel snow, help with office work, give haircuts, and offer friendship to our participants. They will be there on New Year’s day setting up, cooking, serving,
and cleaning so that Bissell Centre can provide a free turkey meal to more than 1,000 community members. I can’t imagine what things would be like here without our volunteers.
When we experienced the tragedy of our Thrift Shoppe being knocked out of operations by a $900,000 fire, the community responded with clothing drives, donations of thousands of socks, gloves, and caps. Six of our funders stepped up to provide some extra resources. Government and business leaders contacted us to see how they could help. All of this support allowed us to open up a temporary store in time for Christmas. This could not have happened without the community’s care and help.
I am grateful, as well, to the people we serve. Living in poverty, living homeless, living with mental illness, living with the abuse of their past… and still they keep on trying. They line up each day for casual labor jobs. They work with our staff to change their lives and find homes. They try to quit drinking or doing drugs. They sing and play music in our drop in centre, and I am always honored when they shake my hand, give me a smile or a hug. I am grateful for the many people who overcome their obstacles and land good jobs or become addictions free or find the courage to leave abusive situations.
I am grateful for those who love me and care about me, who are there for me when I am sad or frustrated or feeling lost. I am especially grateful for those times they forgive my own shortcomings and continue to walk with me toward a better place.
I am grateful for being able to serve. And to all of you for helping me to do that with my life.
Wishing you peace, hope, and joy.
Mark Holmgren, CEO
We don’t just rely on government grants.
Bissell Centre’s fundraising goal this year is $1.8 million.
If you can, please invest in our work.
