In an effort to expand services for people experiencing poverty in Victoria, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul has announced its Social Concern office will shift operations to their Yates Street location in summer 2018.
The front line service centre will include an additional 2,000 square feet of space, include a food distribution centre and turn the existing thrift shop into a B次元官网网址渇reeB次元官网网址� store.
Angela Hudson, executive director of SVDP, recognizes the change will be hard for a community that has utilized the downtown thrift store for over 20 years. But things are changing in the neighbourhood and the need for expanded services continues to rise, she notes.
B次元官网网址淥bviously itB次元官网网址檚 difficult, we understand that, but weB次元官网网址檙e really excited about the expansion of the Social Concern office,B次元官网网址� Hudson says. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 an enormous support for the people of downtown.B次元官网网址�
The society is excited to be able to expand their current food bank model, she adds, and take a new approach with the B次元官网网址淔ood with DignityB次元官网网址� program. Previously, the community accessed food bags with a set number of items; the new model will operate like a regular grocery store.
B次元官网网址淚f people have dietary needs or an allergy we try to accommodate them, but itB次元官网网址檚 very challenging to do that,B次元官网网址� Hudson explains. B次元官网网址淭his way, the food donated can go directly onto the shelves. ItB次元官网网址檚 a much more dignified way of providing food.B次元官网网址�
Grants from the United Way and Victoria Foundation will add to the expanded services, implementing a B次元官网网址淔ood Security toward SustainabilityB次元官网网址� program, which provides the societyB次元官网网址檚 housing residents a step toward independence through nutrition and food preparation education, as well as gardening training.
It also broadens the reclamation program, a partnership with Fairway Markets who, for five years have donated produce on a daily basis.
B次元官网网址淕ardening and cooking has been lost a little bit, food has become quite processed,B次元官网网址� Hudson says. B次元官网网址淭his is the next step to help people.B次元官网网址�
In Sidney, the SVDP thrift store location will also close at the end of March after the lease expires. That store will be amalgamated into the two-year-old location at Keating Cross Road in a building SVDP purchased, to ensure security for years to come, Hudson says. The thrift store at 833 Yates St. will also close under its current format on March 31.
For more than 100 years, Saint Vincent de Paul has provided supportive affordable housing for seniors, single moms and those exiting homelessness across the region. As well, the society operates a community inclusion program for adults with different developmental abilities.
