Right now, Edmonton's homeless need our help more than ever before. While life as we know it has changed drastically, the fight continues for our community’s most vulnerable and the frontline workers that serve them.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, our partner beneficiaries in Edmonton have faced a number of increasing costs including additional staffing to help support the shelters high volume of guests, sanitation costs due to the increased scope and frequency of cleaning, personal protective equipment (PPE) to help keep their front-line staff protected and vulnerable residents safe and higher food supply costs as a result of more and more Canadians utilizing the system.
The Jasper Place Wellness Centre (JPWC) is a non-for-profit (NFP) charity that has been serving Edmonton since 2006. Murray Soroka created the Jasper Place Drop in Society realizing his vision for a reinvigorated Jasper Place community. They work from an Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) perspective, meaning they believe that all communities already have the tools, strengths, and abilities to become resilient, healthy collectives of people, while also creating systemic change. "It is our job as a community leader to shift quickly to reflect community needs, to organize and, to empower people to accomplish these changes and/or goals."
The Mustard Seed is a non-profit organization that has been caring for men and women experiencing poverty and homelessness since 1984. The Mustard Seed delivers basic services, housing, and support programs to those in need and works to build hope and well being for our most vulnerable citizens. They offer an expansive range of programs and services to our most vulnerable community by providing basic needs (food, clothing, and hygiene items), education, employment programs, health and wellness services, spiritual care, housing, and emergency shelter. At The Mustard Seed, they care about the whole person physical, mental and spiritual. They recognize that the root cause of poverty and homelessness are complex and diverse, and so we continue to grow with the needs of those we serve.
Kids Kottage is one of the three crisis emergency shelter for infants and children in Canada. Kids Kottage provides emergency care in an environment that is safe and nurturing for children and infants exposed to trauma, homelessness, poverty, abuse and crisis. Kids Kottage Foundation is committed to supporting children and their caregivers and creating a safe, welcoming, inclusive space to provide support for infants and children who are in need.