The Salvation Army Community Services (Calgary) is thrilled to announce that its Community Resource Centre in Forest Lawn is open. Designed to support families with learning and literacy programs, food security and a safe space to play, the 50,000 square feet of renovated space includes classrooms, an emergency food pantry and lots of places to engage and connect including a big recreational space with a mobile skatepark. From here it will continue its Outreach to the most vulnerable in the area and serve all its other work across the city with the large onsite warehouse. The space is especially important to two of its largest family supports – the annual Backpack and Christmas Toy Programs. Lastly, this is the new home of The Salvation Army Emergency and Disaster Services team for the area.
To celebrate, The Salvation Army Community Services (Calgary) had representatives from all three levels of government, its generous donors, leaders from The Salvation Army in Canada and from the Siksika Nation, and many other special guests join them for a dedication ceremony on January 27. Skateboarders, food and tours were all part of the fun.
The excitement continued over the next week as community members and fellow agencies were welcomed. Visitors joined to connect and explore, and share their dreams and visions of how the new space can serve the diverse local communities of greater Forest Lawn and beyond. The Salvation Army Community Services (Calgary) has been working with local businesses to engage, support and serve, and it looks forward to nurturing more relationships to work together in the neighbourhood and build a stronger community.
The new Community Resource Centre is located at 100, 5115 17th Avenue SE. It is open on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and welcomes everyone to see what great things are – and will be! – happening there.
