One Door. Many Paths.

Service Hub Helps People Find Stability

This past year marked a significant milestone for Bissell with the launch of our Service Hub – a streamlined approach to supporting our community members in their journey out of poverty.

Located on the main floor of our East Building, the Service Hub provides a welcoming, accessible space where people can connect with multiple services in one visit. Instead of navigating complicated systems alone, community members find a coordinated, compassionate space designed to meet them where they are.

What makes our approach truly unique is our collective case management model, grounded in dignity, accountability, and connection. As Co-CEO Johanna explains, “It’s about making life less complicated – services in one spot, easier access and quicker support when people need it most.”

The impact has been immediate. With less time spent traveling between agencies, community members can focus on getting the help they need. Our staff can work more efficiently, helping more people with the same resources.

Take Nadia*, for example. After moving from Ontario with her five children, Nadia arrived at our Service Hub carrying little but hope. Her cramped apartment strained the family’s resources and spirits. In just one visit, our Case Manager connected Nadia to multiple essential services: diapers and wipes from Family Services, food bank registration, bus passes for school transportation, and recreation access for her children. What might have taken months of navigating separate systems happened in days through our coordinated approach.

As an added bonus, in late August, the Navigation Centre relocated to a space in one of our downtown buildings. This initiative by the Gov’t of Alberta brings together a variety of services in one central area. Working together, we’ve created a powerful ecosystem of support to make government services like ID processing and income support applications – essential stepping stones out of poverty – accessible just across the street from our Service Hub.

Your kindness makes this kind of innovation possible. The funding streams that support individual programs don’t cover the crucial work of weaving these services together – you fill that gap.

As we look to 2026, we’re expanding the Hub to include more partners and services, strengthening our community’s safety net. With your continued partnership, we can ensure that everyone who walks through our doors finds not just help for today, but hope and support for lasting change.




* This narrative is a composite, woven from the real experiences of several participants in our programs. It is shared with care to protect privacy, uphold dignity, and reflect the strengths and successes at the heart of our community.

Your Generosity Creates Real Change

Thanks to your support, Bissell Centre created life-changing impact for thousands of Edmontonians last year. Each statistic is an incredible story of change.

Together, we helped 571 individuals secure housing – with 40% finding homes in less than 21 days. Even more impressive, 85% of those housed remained stably housed after one year.

Your generosity prevented homelessness for 566 households, with 96% of Community Bridge participants still in their homes six months later. You helped 2,004 individuals file over 4,300 tax returns, returning $7.6 million to our community.

Families thrived through your support, with 529 families receiving crucial assistance and 187 children participating in our child care programs. In it’s last year of operation, our Community Space welcomed over 6,300 unique individuals with 98,005 total check-ins.

Your compassion fueled 75,805 nutritious meals while helping divert $1.8 million worth of food from landfills. And with 345 volunteers contributing 11,604 hours, you’ve shown that when we work together, transformation happens.

Thank you for being part of a community that doesn’t just envision change – but makes it happen, one life at a time.

Coldest Night of the Year 2026

Walk Together, Transform Lives

Step into the winter night with us on February 28, 2026, to join us for the Coldest Night of the Year fundraising event – and turn a simple walk into powerful change.

Your bundled-up footsteps through downtown Edmonton will echo with purpose. Each stride helps someone access the supports they need. The money you raise opens doors to Bissell’s critical services that help people find and keep stable housing, rebuild their lives and move beyond poverty.

But this isn’t just a fundraiser – it’s a night where our community stands together against the cold that too many face alone.

We are deeply grateful to the partners who help make this night possible. Capital Power, has once again stepped forward with a sponsorship of $25,000, continuing their multi‑year commitment to ensuring Coldest Night of the Year begins with strength and momentum.

Join thousands across Canada who believe in community care. Gather your friends, family, or coworkers. Create a team. Raise funds. Then walk with us on a February night that might be
cold, but will warm someone’s future.

Register today at cnoy.org/location/edmontondowntown and be the difference someone is hoping for.

Courageous Voices – A Deeper Path to Understanding Impact

Our voices are a gift. In hearing each other we learn, heal, and make change.

Over the past 18 months, Bissell’s groundbreaking Courageous Voices project, undertaken in partnership with Boyle Street Community Services, has transformed how community engagement happens in Edmonton. This unprecedented initiative went beyond surface-level conversations to uncover the root causes of the many challenges faced by vulnerable community members.

The project brought together over 856 participants who engaged through more than 100 traditional circles, surveys, and one-on-one conversations. By intentionally centering community members, staff, and diverse Indigenous voices, Courageous Voices created space for authentic sharing and deeper understanding. The project also invited members of the general public to share their thoughts on poverty and homelessness through a survey.

Collectively, all the components of this listening journey offered vital insight into what brings us together as humans on this earth and where we struggle to truly see each other.

You helped make this transformative work possible. While most organizations must focus on immediate needs, your support provided Bissell the time, space, and resources to engage at a profound level that helped us understand what makes lasting change possible.

The wisdom and teachings gathered through Courageous Voices are now guiding how Bissell and partner organizations approach their work, helping to create more effective and impactful solutions for Edmonton’s most vulnerable residents.

When you support Bissell, you’re not just funding services – you’re fueling systematic change that addresses root causes rather than symptoms, creating lasting impact that transforms lives and
strengthens our entire community.

Bissell Harvest Catering

Delicious Food with Purpose

Bissell Harvest Catering, our newest social enterprise, was created to help support our charitable work in a practical, sustainable way. When people choose it for meetings or gatherings, the proceeds help fund Bissell’s programs and services, strengthening our ability to support people as they move out of poverty. It’s one of the ways we make everyday choices work harder for our mission, without losing sight of why the work exists in the first place.

Harvest Catering also supports other nonprofit organizations in our community. Some partners don’t have kitchens or food services teams of their own but still need to provide regular meals to the people they serve. Bissell’s food services team prepares meals on their behalf, helping organizations focus on their core work while ensuring community members have access to nourishing food. Through this work, we’re able to collaborate, share resources, and strengthen the wider network of care that supports people across our community.

Check it out bissellharvest.ca

Festive Giving Lookback

Thanks to the generosity of our community, this year’s Toy Drive and Hope Terrace holiday initiatives were a meaningful success. Together, we supported 50 caregivers and more than 150 children, helping families share gifts during the holiday season. We also provided holiday support to 36 residents at Hope Terrace, helping make the season feel a little warmer and more hopeful.

This work was made possible with the help of 45 volunteers, including volunteers from organizations such as Dialog and GEF Seniors Housing, who gave their time and care to support families and residents during a busy time of year.

These initiatives are a reminder of what’s possible when people come together to offer practical support, dignity, and care.

Be A Part of the Work

Your gift supports practical needs and flexible services that help people facing poverty find stability. The examples below show how donations are used, based on current needs.