Driven by Your Partnership

Caring and collaborating toward a poverty-free community

As a compassionate friend of Bissell Centre, you share our vision of a city without poverty.

The work we do every day of the year is grounded in one fundamental goal: encouraging people to build on their strengths and supports to move out of poverty and thrive.

Poverty is a complex issue, and evolving community needs require evidence-based solutions. Your steadfast support allows us to respond to a changing landscape, adapting our programs as needed to better serve Edmontonians.

The work you make possible is driven by our commitment to data-driven decision-making. We continuously evaluate and adjust programs based on concrete evidence and measurable outcomes, ensuring your generous contribution can make a meaningful impact in the lives of community members.

Our Early Childhood Development Program is one of Bissell’s evidence-based, solutions-oriented programs that meets the multifaceted needs of low-income families in our community. Through this program, Bissell offers free drop-in spaces so parents can attend job interviews or housing appointments, and supports parents once they’ve secured employment by providing respite child care.

That’s how your support empowers Edmonton’s families as they begin their journey out of poverty.

Another one of our highest priorities is to respond to Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and honour Treaty 6 by integrating Indigenous engagement into all our programming. Right now, that commitment is coming to life in our Childhood Development Program.

This past year, our childcare program team has partnered with our Indigenous engagement team to find meaningful ways to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing and being within the daycare. Seeing small kids join Round Dances, take part in ceremonies and listen to Indigenous authors tell stories is as heartwarming as it is important.

When we look for better ways to meet people where they are, we ensure the voices of people with lived experiences are heard.

Your kindness drives our mission to serve our community members with high quality, culturally appropriate programs and services. Thank you!

By the Numbers: Your Support in Action

Here’s how your generosity rallied our incredible teams this past year:

Community Care

Our Community Space welcomed 336 individuals experiencing poverty each day. Your support is someone’s safe place to rest.

Indigenous Engagement

We hosted 6,050 attendees across 243 special events, ceremonies and activities. Your support is creating spaces to celebrate and foster Indigenous cultural identities.

Supportive Housing

Teams made 4,384 home visits to 34 Hope Terrace residents and supported 9 residents in their successful transition to independent living. Your support is skill-building so community members can thrive.

Early Learning and Child Care

We cared for 189 babies and children in our bright, vibrant child care space and provided free respite child care to 92 families. Your support is a nurturing place to play and learn.

Health and Recovery

Bissell teams made 7,388 health interventions, 1,370 mental health interventions and 966 healthcare referrals last year. Your support is a step closer to healing for a neighbour struggling in body or in mind.

Employment

98 Edmontonians found jobs through our Workforce Development Program. Your support is removing barriers for people as they move out of poverty.

Join Us for the Coldest Night of the Year 2025!

Your short walk can support someone else’s journey

When you bundle up and head downtown to walk with Edmontonians on February 22, you’ll be doing more than just braving the cold for some fresh air and exercise.

You’ll be helping bring us closer to eliminating poverty. The Coldest Night of the Year is our biggest fundraising event.

Funds raised will support our critical programs and services that help individuals and families within our community find their unique pathways out of poverty.

Visit cnoy.org today to register and be part of a nationwide event that unites Canadians and creates change.

Start a team, spread the word and bring your friends and family downtown on February 22, 2025. It’s a walk that could change someone’s life.

Honouring Our Indigenous Elders

Your support gives back to our Indigenous community’s wise leaders

Roughly half of the community members who access Bissell programs proudly identify as Indigenous. Still, many are working to reconnect with their Indigenous roots and traditions.

Guided by the Seven Sacred Teachings — love, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility, and truth — our Indigenous Engagement Program helps foster these renewed cultural connections by ensuring that Elders are available to provide guidance during challenging times.

Indigenous Elders are the keepers of knowledge and the holders of sacred traditions and values that form the essence of Indigenous culture.

Thanks to our donor community, we were able to honour our local wisdom keepers. Last fall, 15 Elders gathered on Wabamun Lake for a well-deserved restorative retreat at Bissell’s Moonlight Bay Camp.

It was a weekend of fishing and boating, smudge ceremonies, singing circles and stories shared by the fire. Elders played hand games, reconnected with old friends, and enjoyed the peacefulness and quiet beauty of the land.

They returned re-energized and full of praise for the retreat experience. Many shared how grateful they were for the opportunity to spend time on the land and water, for the enthusiastic camp volunteers and for generous donors like you.

When you support Bissell’s Indigenous Engagement Programs, you strengthen our commitment to reconciliation and honoring Treaty 6. You recognize how crucial it is to preserve and celebrate Indigenous identity for future generations.

THANK YOU for your compassionate giving. Your continued support ensures more opportunities to celebrate and honour Indigenous traditions for generations to come.

Bissell Centre’s commitment to advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action inspires us to listen, learn, and act in partnership with our Indigenous community members. Your support strengthens the bonds that foster understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

A Chance to Reach their Full Potential

Your support of Hope Terrace provides safe housing, a community and a pathway to employment

When Barry first came to Bissell, his goal was to find a stable place to live. But as a person with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), he faced major barriers to finding stable housing.

For people with FASD, managing everyday tasks like cleaning, grocery shopping, and cooking can be overwhelming, making it harder to sustain a home.

Through ongoing donor generosity, Bissell operates Hope Terrace, Canada’s first 24-hour supportive housing specifically designed to address the unique needs of adults with FASD.

Hope Terrace provides residents with a stable home environment, opportunities to integrate into the community and wrap-around supports tailored to their unique needs.

Barry moved into his apartment at Hope Terrace in January of 2022. Eager to contribute to his new community, he began cleaning and caretaking. He soon took the lead in creating community gardens, growing both vegetables and flowers.

Last year, Hope Terrace began looking for a building maintenance technician. Barry applied, along with other candidates. In the interview, he spoke proudly about his work and shared his goals for the building and community gardens.

Barry not only landed the job, but he also discovered a passion for making his community more beautiful. His work was recognized with a nomination for Edmonton’s Front Yards in Bloom award!

Support from donors like you has empowered a vibrant community of individuals with FASD to live with dignity, and achieve their goals. Your support changes lives every day.

Give a Meaningful Gift Today

By selecting a gift below, you can personalize your impact! You can provide nourishment, warmth, and so much more for Edmontonians experiencing poverty. Please give today to transform someone’s life this during the cold winter months.