The end of a long search for a "one-stop shop" to house the movement's social services in Prince George was celebrated Friday when a grand opening was held for the Salvation Army's Curt Garland Community Support Centre.
Located at the corner of 18th Avenue and Nicholson Street - across from the College of New Caledonia - the 17,000-square-foot facility is now home to the Salvation Army's food bank, thrift store and donation depot.
"Donors have one place to go, people who are seeking of the Salvation Army have one place to go and that just means the world for the support that we provide in the community," Prince George Salvation Army Captain Neil Wilkinson said.
"In the past, people would have to visit multiple locations to get the service that they need. Now they can get it all in one stop."
Wilkinson said he had been looking for such a facility for some time when the building, previously occupied by Canadian Cylinder and Gases Inc., was put on the market.
Not only the right size, but within walking distance of two bus loops and a major thoroughfare while also well away from any residential neighbourhood, it was everything he was looking for.
"It's just in the right location and we couldn't have designed a better facility if we built it ourselves," Wilkinson said. "It's almost as if the good Lord had in mind all of this at this particular season."
If that wasn't enough, a major benefactor came forward to cover the purchase cost. That would be local businessman Curt Garland.
Garland declined to comment but granddaughter Mackenzie Kerr delivered a speech on his behalf during the celebration that featured a ribbon cutting, tours and plenty of hamburgers and pop as more than 100 dignitaries, clients and supporters gathered for the event.
"My grandfather has always been a loyal supporter of the Salvation Army, an organization with respected, responsible and long-standing history of serving all people and being a transformative influence in communities locally and around the world," Kerr said.
"The Salvation Army is the largest, non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country and because of this we know the people of Prince George who may be finding that they need a little extra help and support are in very good hands."
The centre has been operating since September when the food bank was relocated from the basement of the Salvation Army church on Ospika Boulevard near Fifth Avenue. The thrift store, previously located in Aspen Plaza on Westwood Drive, moved in at the end of April.
The new home is about 500 square feet larger than the combined floor space of the three old locations.
"Now we've got a proper area for the food bank, where we can clean and separate the food and store the food," Prince George Salvation Army business manager Bill Glasgow said. "It's a little bit more manageable and a little bit more professional."
And with the Salvation Army now owning the building, he said it's saving money on rent, allowing more money to be put back into the community.
"It makes operations so much smoother," Glasgow said.
The number of families served has climbed to 1,200 per month from 800 because of the extra space and better access, Glasgow said, but added the Salvation Army is still not able to keep up with the rising demand.
