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.
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.
People across the greater-Edmonton region are invited to Bissell Child Care (9331 105 Ave. Edmonton) on March 28, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for its spring open house. Bissell Centre’s child care program is catered to children newborn to six-years-old, with spaces reserved for families needing full time care or respite care.
“This is an excellent opportunity for parents to see first-hand what makes Bissell Child Care so unique,” says Jaye Brown, Manager of the Early Childhood Development Program with Bissell Centre. “This is a space where programming has benefited countless children and continues to give them an incredible start to life before they enter kindergarten.”
A History of Quality Child Care in Edmonton
Bissell Centre has been running a respite child care program since the 1970s, expanding to offering full-time child care services when its new child care space opened in 2020. Children attending Bissell Child Care receive one meal and two snacks every day (provided by Bissell Harvest Catering), can attend field trips all summer long, and have access to specialized supports — all at no additional cost to parents.
“Bissell Child Care is not only for families living in the downtown core and experiencing instability,” says Brown. “We are an inclusive environment that recognizes how everyone can be a part of this community and we welcome all children and their family.”
Crucial to Bissell Centre’s Mission in the Community
Guests can treat themselves to light snacks and refreshments as they explore the nature-inspired space where children play, learn, and thrive. Educators and leaders will be on-site during the event to answer questions and provide guided tours with more information on what parents can expect when sending their children to Bissell Child Care.
Bissell Child Care is just one of Bissell Centre’s social enterprises that seeks to help fund Bissell’s crucial programs: also including Bissell Thrift Shop and Bissell Harvest Catering. All funds raised are directly invested back into programs helping people uncover their unique paths out of poverty and homelessness — increasing Bissell Centre’s capacity to meet people where they are at and help strengthen the community.
Close to 400 walkers on more than 60 teams walked through downtown Edmonton on February 28, 2026, for Bissell Centre’s ninth annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser. More than $161,000 was raised to go towards Bissell Centre’s programs in housing, financial empowerment, eviction prevention, family supports, and Indigenous cultural supports.
Temperatures hit as low as –24 degrees that night with wind chill, but it didn’t deter any walkers from showing up and walking alongside people in need to help strengthen the community. The walk kicked off at YMCA Boyle Street Plaza at 4:00 p.m., starting with an opening reception where walkers picked up their matching colourful toques before taking to their routes.
Walkers could choose either a two-kilometre route that took them up to 100 Street, or a five-kilometre route which saw walkers traverse all the way to 109 Street. Once walkers completed their routes, they headed back to Boyle Street Plaza for a complementary pasta buffet from Bissell Harvest Catering.
Money raised at Coldest Night of the Year makes real impacts on people in the community. In 2024, Bissell Centre helped house more than 500 people, prevented more than 600 evictions, returned more than $7.6 million through more than 4,000 personal tax filings, and connected hundreds more people to resources to help them live with a better quality of life.
Next year’s Coldest Night of the Year walk will take place on February 27, 2027.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Capital Power
Boardwalk
Coca-Cola Canada Bottling
Home Depot Canada
BigSteelBox
Alberta Residential Landlord Association
Recruitment Partners Inc.
Associated Engineering
JACEK Chocolate Couture
BioWare
Fairmont Hotel McDonald
GSJJ
Tim Hortons
North Country Fair
And thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this incredible event a success!
Bissell Centre is holding its annual Coldest Night of the Year walkathon on Saturday, February 28.
Beginning at YMCA Boyle Street Plaza (9538 103A Ave. Edmonton), the opening reception starts at 4:00 p.m. and walkers will set off at 5:00 p.m.
This event features hundreds of Edmontonians walking through the city’s downtown, in matching colourful toques, to help raise funds for Bissell Centre’s critical programs and services.
Last year’s walk
Last year’s walk saw close to 400 walkers on 79 teams helping to raise $150,000 for programs that help people find sustainable housing, increase their financial knowledge, connect to Indigenous culture, and provide essentials for families.
“There’s something powerful about seeing hundreds of people bundle up and walk together on a cold winter evening,” says Michelle Reid, Manager of Community Engagement. “It’s a visible reminder that our community cares deeply about making sure everyone has access to safe housing and supports.”
What to expect at the event
Teams of walkers have been raising funds since November and will continue until the day of the walk. Kicking off from Boyle Street Plaza, walkers can choose either the two kilometre route through City Centre or five kilometre route up to 109 Street before heading back to Boyle Street Plaza for a reception with warm food and soft drinks.
Reid says seeing people from the larger Edmonton community show up to walk alongside one another reminds her how events like these open doors for people and helps strengthen the community.
About Coldest Night of the Year
Coldest Night of the Year started back in 2011, with three Ontario ministries, to raise awareness around what their communities are experiencing. It wasn’t long before hundreds of organizations across Canada and the United States adopted the event, including Bissell Centre whose own Coldest Night of the Year walkathon remains an essential event to ensure it can continue offering its range of programs including in housing, financial empowerment, family supports, and Indigenous cultural supports.
It’s never easy when relationships end. For Claudia, separating from her husband also meant separating from the business they grew together.
“Without that business, I virtually had no income,” Claudia explains. “I was looking for work, but I couldn’t find anything for a long time.”
At the time, she was on income support while caring for two teenagers at home and it wasn’t long before the bills started piling up. But someone suggested that Bissell Centre might be able to help.
Discovering a new way to receive support
“Aside from seeing the name in print, I had never looked too deeply into Bissell Centre before reaching out for help,” says Claudia. “I wouldn’t have thought to reach out to Bissell Centre on my own.”
Shortly after her first meeting with the Community Bridge team, her outstanding bills were paid. The team then explored her financial situation to set up a personalized monthly repayment plan that allowed her to continue living comfortably and supporting her children as they entered adulthood.
Uncovering a streamlined path out of debt
Earlier this year, Claudia proudly paid back her loan from Community Bridge.
“Looking back, it was almost too easy,” she says with a laugh. “The whole process was so easy and respectful. It feels great to have paid it off and to be able to pay if off. The monthly payments were low and realistic to pay off.”
Today, Claudia’s two adult children are in university, and she works a steady job. She keeps up with her monthly expenses and supports her children.
“We’re living comfortably and have a lot of high hopes for the future,” Claudia says.
Thanks to support from ENMAX, the Community Bridge team has been able to connect with folks at risk and prevent them from being evicted and facing homelessness. Last year, Community Bridge helped 678 individuals just like Claudia, with almost 100% of program participants repaying their loans.
The 2020s has been an important decade for Canada’s relationship with the Indigenous Nations. We’re seeing large institutions like Canada’s federal government acknowledge and recognize the atrocities committed against Indigenous Peoples.
One incredibly important stride forward was the publishing of the Final Report from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). This more than 700-page report highlights interviews with more than 2,300 people affected by violence against Indigenous People.
These stories illustrate the challenges faced by women and girls, and the continued violence against members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. By reading this document, we can gain better knowledge on the marginalization experienced by Indigenous Peoples — and ultimately, have the wisdom and perspective to know what we can each do individually to help create a more equitable world.
The Four Key Areas of Rights for Indigenous Peoples
In addition to the 231 recommendations the report makes to help end violence and marginalization against Indigenous Peoples, it highlights four key areas of rights for Indigenous Peoples and provides explanations as to how each help work towards this goal of ending violence:
- Right to Culture – this right specifically highlights previous generations trying to assimilate Indigenous Cultures and Nations and how these efforts created the foundation for the marginalization Indigenous Peoples continue to experience today.
- Right to Health – this highlights how all people within Canada have the right to access health care. For countless people rooted in Indigenous Nations, this is an area where they have experienced discrimination — this barrier to health care further adds to the violence experienced by Indigenous Peoples.
- Right to Security – countless stories shared through this national inquiry demonstrated the near constant threat Indigenous Peoples face while living day-to-day. And it’s not only physical security: emotional, mental, social, and cultural security are all key to ending this disproportionate violence.
- Right to Justice – experiences through Canada’s justice system can be incredibly inconsistent for Indigenous Peoples. These disconnections through Canada’s justice system can further perpetuate the violent experiences of Indigenous Peoples.
Why Education is Foundational to Ending Violence
While the 231 recommendations and the four key areas of rights largely focus on larger-scale systemic changes, that doesn’t mean everyday people are powerless to help steer this change along.
In fact, just being more aware of the kind of violence that Indigenous Peoples are facing is the perfect foundation needed to see the kind of change that will help end this violence.
Any meaningful action starts with awareness and education. With the knowledge and wisdom of the issues, their roots causes, and what needs to be done to address this inequity, the better you can direct your own actions to be more equitable to people rooted in Indigenous Nations.
And the more people there are who fully understand the issues and how to direct their own actions, the more forward momentum we can see to finally seeing an end to this disproportionate violence.
The fire crackles in front of 14 Elders and Knowledge Keepers sitting in a circle sharing, reflecting, and trying to imagine a more positive future for their communities. They were all invited to Moonlight Bay Centre for a retreat to commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a day that can be especially difficult for these Leaders in their communities.
Many of them have either witnessed firsthand the atrocities of residential schools or have close family members who have shared their own stories (if they came home at all). And while the Elders and Knowledge Keepers reflected on the past and the challenges of the present, a new feeling emerged, seemingly from the embers and ashes dancing off the campfire.
They felt hope for the future.
Thoughtful Reflections Sitting by the Water
While this retreat included much of what someone might expect to find at an all-inclusive resort, the true aim for this event was to pay homage to the hard work of Elders and Knowledge Keepers acting as near-constant beacons of hope, helping their communities to safer waters. And while grief and reflection were ever-present, so was friendship, comradery, love, and optimism that they will continue navigating troubled waters.
“Many of the Elders and Knowledge Keepers who attended told me they had no idea we had a property so close to the water like this,” says Janet Paskemin, Manager of Indigenous Cultural Supports. Moonlight Bay Centre sits on Wabamun Lake with wonderful views of the water and surrounding woods.
“Just being by the water can do a lot for Elders and Knowledge Keepers,” says Janet. “It can help them clear their minds, reflect more thoughtfully, and think much clearer. For a lot of this retreat, the Elders and Knowledge Keepers sat by the lake, sometimes talking but more often just in silence with each other.”
Comradery, Friendships, and the Gifts of Food
While some of the Elders and Knowledge Keepers who attended were longtime friends, just as many had never met — despite this, the comradery was more than evident. These bonds formed sitting by the lake, solidified by the fire, but it was in the kitchen where one of the strongest gestures took shape.
Food Sovereignty is an act where visitors to Indigenous Nations would receive food as a token of gratitude and friendship. True to honouring the customs and traditions from Indigenous Nations, one Elder, who was previously a Chef, insisted on making home-made pancakes for everyone at the retreat.
“In truth, he wanted to give something to his friends, the same way we were giving so much to everyone during that retreat,” says Janet. “It’s hard to understate how important gestures of honour, friendship, and love are for the Elders and Knowledge Keepers.”
Hope for the Next Generations
Janet recalls one thing she heard time and time again throughout the retreat: that the Elders and Knowledge Keepers see the work that’s being done for Indigenous Peoples by so many young people. She expressed how the Elders and Knowledge Keepers are so incredibly hopeful for the next generations to continue improving the lives of others.
We were honoured to host the 14 Elders and Knowledge Keepers at Moonlight Bay Centre to acknowledge National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We’re proud knowing that these important leaders in their communities had an opportunity to not only rest and reflect but to connect, share, express, and revitalize.
Too many Edmontonians face a difficult decision every month — pay bills or pay rent.
This was the reality for Katherine (name changed to protect privacy) — and she almost lost her home. As a single mother of two with a part-time job and extra monthly support coming from Alberta Income Support, she was still falling behind and facing an imminent eviction.
After working with her employer to change her job to full-time, she lost her Alberta Income Support benefits and found herself still needing extra help to ensure she and her two sons wouldn’t be evicted from their home. With the eviction notice in-hand, she connected with our Community Bridge program for help.
The main goal of Community Bridge is to prevent evictions and ensure people at risk don’t experience homelessness. Through financial education, benefits navigation, and direct financial assistance, this program seeks to not only prevent immediate evictions, but also help ensure individuals don’t have to face these challenges again.
“Katherine came to us already taking the initiative to change her part-time work to a full-time job,” says Katrina John-West, Manager of Homelessness Prevention and Housing Support with Bissell Centre, where she oversees the Community Bridge program. “Her Alberta Income Support had ended and having a full-time job still wasn’t enough to help her catch up.”
How Community Bridge Helped Katherine
To ensure Katherine could break from this cycle, the Community Bridge team helped her in three areas to pay off her remaining debt and guarantee her housing stability. The first step was making sure Katherine could receive emergency income benefits from Alberta Income Support.
“What some folks don’t know about Community Bridge is we can act as advocates for people,” explains Katrina. “We can also make references to other sources of financial assistance that folks might not know exist.” In addition to advocating for Katherine’s Alberta Income Support emergency benefits, the Community Bridge team connected her with benefits from the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. Financial benefits helped, but didn’t cover all her debts — which were collecting interest.
The second approach to helping Katherine came in a one-time, interest-free loan from the Community Bridge program. This lump sum assistance is, on average, paid back within one year of receiving it — even without any timelines or pressure from Community Bridge. “How quickly and frequently folks can pay back this assistance shows us how much we’re helping their financial situations,” says John-West. “It’s setting people up for the best successes possible so they can become empowered with their finances.”
The third type of support Katherine received was a referral to Civida, Edmonton’s largest affordable housing provider. This referral was for additional rent assistance benefits, but many qualifying folks also find new and more affordable homes with Civida — further breaking the cycles faced by countless Edmontonians.
Avoiding Eviction, Controlling Finances, and Finding Stability
Today, Katherine remains in her home with her two sons, now both teenagers and preparing for adulthood. She’s regained control of her finances, cleared out all her debts and arrears, and continues to work full-time while maintaining her household.
“Katherine is a really special success story,” says Katrina. “Many times, we’re meeting people who are in the middle of being evicted or aren’t able to work. Katherine was doing everything right and the odds were still stacked against her. Everything she needed was within reach — she just wasn’t sure where to look. I’m so proud that the team could point her in the best direction for her and her family.”
Thanks to support from ENMAX, the Community Bridge team can continue connecting with folks at risk and prevent them from being evicted and facing homelessness. “We believe in empowering our communities and helping more people access the essentials for a healthy, thriving life,” says Krista Moroz, Manager, Community Partnerships & External Relations at ENMAX. “By supporting Bissell’s Community Bridge Program, we’re not just helping individuals and families in crisis — we’re also investing in the long-term strength of our community and a brighter future for all Edmontonians.”
From January to October 2024, we helped 464 individuals, just like Katherine, facing immediate evictions from their homes. Best of all, 96% of the people we help through Community Bridge stay in their homes. We can’t thank organizations like ENMAX enough for their support — without our generous funders, we wouldn’t be able to offer the crucial help that’s needed throughout our city.
The role family plays in many Indigenous cultures can’t be understated. Blood familial ties and chosen families can hold the most sacredness and honour for Peoples in Indigenous Nations. The Community at Bissell Centre is no different.
Those strong family ties are especially prevalent at our National Indigenous Peoples’ Day (NIPD) event outside our Community Space (10530 96 Street) every June 21. This is a day of celebration where we block off part of the street, invite performers and artists to share their crafts, and serve some of the best Indigenous cuisine you can find in the city.
The Reverence held for Elders
Honouring Elders is one of the most important customs of NIPD. The knowledge and teachings these individuals hold in the communities not only preserves the traditional ceremonies and rituals that bring so much vibrancy and life to Indigenous Nations – they can also help guide individuals through challenges and onto the most life-affirming paths.
“One of the most important services we can offer with Bissell’s Indigenous Engagement Program is connecting individuals to Elders,” explains Sarah Higgins, Director of Indigenous Engagement and Integrated Family Services – and a Red River Métis woman. “The teachings and guidance Elders can provide and the connection they foster to Indigenous Nations can help a person decide it’s time to reach out for further supports in their unique journey out of poverty.”
At the NIPD event, you’ll see a tent specifically for Elders to sit in. They’re often accompanied by children from Indigenous Nations, as well, symbolizing how their knowledge will be passed down through generations to ensure the culture and traditions remain a vital part to one’s Indigenous identity.
The Crucial Chosen Families Built in the Community
For people accessing the services at Bissell Centre, families by blood aren’t always a part of their lives, yet the importance of family never really goes away for a lot of folks. Creating new chosen families then becomes a part of life in the community.
“It’s not uncommon to see folks in the community calling each other uncle, aunty, or cousin because this is the family they’ve built for themselves,” says Higgins. “Just like a family, these are support systems for each other and we see these connections as real family – just the same as any blood tie.”
Families and communities coming together to celebrate the resiliency of Indigenous Peoples shows how important NIPD is for the folks in downtown Edmonton. And no matter what that family looks like and who makes up that unique family unit, NIPD will have space for all who attend to celebrate the strength, culture, and customs from Indigenous Nations.
