The legacy of the Salvation Army’s Plates of Hope is alive on the walls of the Salvation Army building on Central Avenue.
The original event featured the work of local photographer Shannon Parenteau who captured portraits of about 50 individuals who use the bagged lunch program provided by the Prince Albert Salvation Army six days a week. Now, those photos will be on the wall in the Salvation Army dining area as part of the Wall of Hope.
“Even when we did the event, I don’t think we intended to hang them all up in the actual space,” Parenteau said. “It was just a genius idea on Major Ed (Dean)’s part. It’s so nice to see it come to life.
“All the people that are in the pictures are the ones who use this service, so it’s so nice for them to see these amazing photos and be willing to let me take their photo.”
Parenteau said that she first saw the Wall of Hope in October. She was in the downtown area with her mother, and wanted to bring her to see it.
“It made me so teary,” Parenteau said. “I saw it before when we had our big fundraiser but seeing it up where everyone actually comes to enjoy a hot meal and gather makes it that much more special.”
Major Ed Dean of the Salvation Army said that once Parenteau told him the pictures were his to keep, he was inspired to do a tribute wall.
“(It’s) recognizing the people that come to have a meal here, that it was a safe place for them to come. It’s a meeting place for them to come to,” Dean said.
“I think it’s a very natural transition from Plates of Hope to Wall of Hope, because this is a hope. The sayings that are on the wall, they came from them. They didn’t come from us. They put these sayings together.”
Dean said the people who put the wall up were grateful to be able to do it and give back to the community.
Parenteau said another nice part of the wall is that it includes plaques of those who purchased photos at the event.
“All these photos at the event were each sponsored by different members of the community who came, (and) who bought tickets to the gala,” Parenteau said. “The whole reason we were able to print these photos and get them mounted is the people in our community who sponsored each photo to be hung in a prominent place.”
Dean said some people have suggested the photos belong in an art gallery. He said that’s unlikely.
“The question was, ‘well, what will you do with them when these people aren’t here anymore?’ We will return as many of these photos to the people,” Dean said. “These are their photos. It’s not about being on display. It’s about recognizing our community.”
During the photo project, Parenteau came to the space once a week during mealtime to get to know the people. She didn’t start taking photos until her third visit.
“I came just to get to know people and … just kind of earn their trust and have them understand that I’m not taking photos to have you on display,” Parenteau explained. “I’m trying to tell a story and show our community how important this service is, that it’s not just for young kids, not just for the unhoused. It’s for the elderly, for everybody.”
“By taking those photos and having people see it with their eyes, maybe they’ll have a better understanding of how much we need it,” she added.
Plates of Hope raised $65,0000, which Dean said did not come in one large sum but came in a number of smaller disbursements. Parenteau said that she was hoping to raise $20,000.
“So $65,000 was a wonderful contribution,” Dean said. “There’s a lot of hard work went into it.”
Dean said one person passed away before the Wall was completed.
“When I spoke with his family about what that looks like, about whether or not his picture would remain, she said, ‘absolutely, because this is my place to come and connect with him, that he’s still with me,” Dean said.
“There’s other ones that will come in and take pictures and say,’ this is my relative, this is my brother,’ so it’s excitement,” he added. “When you see some of the other outside organizations that work with these people they too are excited.”
The space itself has changed too since the original Plates of Hope. The area that once made up the Thrift Store is now the dining area.
“We were in transition,” Dean explained. “We were working on flooring. We were working on getting the dining room up and going so that it was a regular thing. It’s now a dining room where they sit down at tables, (and) have a meal on a plate. It’s not a takeout 30 second or 15 second run and go anymore. It’s stop, connect, see, sometimes it’s seeing the families come together here and being able to go again.”
Dean said the Salvation Army has added showers, an accessible washroom, and an accessible entrance all through different funding and different initiatives.
“The Plates of Hope were definitely the piece that put food on the plate because that’s important too,” Dean said. “We take that for granted sometimes, that a new space is created.”
The actual operation has also improved with the installing of appliances and a laundry service. The office space has been improved to help with operations.
Plates of Hope 2.0 has begun planning and is scheduled for February 27, 2026 the same day as the original Plates of Hope in 2025.
“The difference this year is it will be in our own space rather than Plaza 88,” Dean said. “It will have a different look to it completely because now we want people to see the work that’s been done.”
“I like to think I’ve helped start it and now Major Ed gets to carry it on, how he chooses,” Parenteau said.
“People are familiar with it. I think that’s very important and then, having it in here, they can see,” she added.
Dean said that at the second Plates of Hope they will give a tour of the Salvation Army building to show all that has been accomplished in a year and a half.
“It’s thanks to many volunteers that have been able to come alongside us. Whether it’s laying flooring or painting a wall,” Dean said.
Overall Parenteau is proud of what has happened.
“I come in here and I feel pretty proud about a lot of things. Pretty proud to see the photos, pretty proud that we have this in our community, pretty proud of how much it’s used.”
Dean and Parenteau are both proud of the committee that came together and had the vision for Plates of Hope.
“I am very proud of what was accomplished, and it is going to live on,” Dean said. “Whether it be any of the faces that we see on this wall or a different face that’s coming, we’re here for the purpose in what was created: 40,000 meals or close to it this year.”
Dean said the January fundraiser will provide a much-needed boost. He said grocery costs have skyrocketed and that adds up in the long run.
Thankfully, he said, there are other organizations raising awareness and helping other people are learning about what the unhoused have to go through.
“They did the Sanctum Challenge here a few weeks ago and one person was saying they did 45,000 steps in a day just to get all to all the different services,” Dean said.
Parenteau pointed out one person on the wall who walked from the far West Flat to the Salvation Army without water until he arrived.
“He was able to grab two bottles of water, a meal, a meal for later, and that’s a perfect example,” she said. “He walked across the city to get (help), and he knew exactly where to go. No questions asked.”
Dean said that the Salvation Army building is a place that offers hope.
“A lot of the opinion is, well, they can just get a job. It’s a full-time job, if you’re unhoused, just trying to navigate the system, because you may not have the money for the bus, you may not have the money for the extra meal or groceries, so this space is here with purpose. It’s a place of hope because they know that when they come, there’s going to be community, they’re going to be accepted, and there’s going to be something to eat.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
