Daily Herald
The Salvation Army building may be gone, but their annual Plates of Hope fundraiser isn’t going away.
The organization announced on Wednesday that the annual event will return to Plaza 88 on Saturday, March 14. Major Ed Dean, the Corps Officer for The Salvation Army in Prince Albert, said the is about providing food and giving people dignity.
“There is hope for tomorrow when you have a meal,” Dean said. “When you have hope you have energy to go on and so that’s where the name came from.
“At the Plate of Hope event you will be able to buy a meal for a guest at $5 per meal. You can purchase as many as you like.”
The Plates of Hope fundraiser will ensure that The Salvation Army can continue to support local meal programs and essential services for Prince Albert’s most vulnerable residents. This includes continuing hot meal service, which requires buying food, and covering costs associated with renting a temporary space following the Christmas Day fire which destroyed the community ministries building.
With the support of wonderful volunteers, the Salvation Army Prince Albert Community Ministries feeds roughly 100 people six days a week.
“This is a wonderful event,” Dean said. “We are providing meals for neighbours in our community. These meals make a difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable peoples of our city.
“It’s going to be a wonderful gathering – bring a friend or two, bring the office, get a table! You will not be disappointed with the meal, the program and the entertainment for the evening.”
Dean said The Salvation Army traditionally receives a lot of donations for clothes, toques, mitts, gloves, and other winter-related gear. This time, however, they’re looking to raise funds instead of clothing donations.
Dean said the funds will help the organization keep running the numerous programs they have lined up in the community for the entire year.
The funds will help cover rental costs at The Salvation Army’s new Union Centre location. It will also help them purchase groceries, which is a major expense.
“Groceries are not cheap these days,” he said. “We serve 37,000 meals a year and with this number of meals, you can imagine that the grocery bill is a little bit higher than what it is at home.”
Dean said the goal is to raise $250,000 from this year’s Plates of Hope. Tickets are available on PlatesofHope.Eventbrite.ca and include a buffet style dinner provided by Randy Whitter and My Place Catering, with live entertainment from Lauren Lohneis, Liza Brown and Kevin Joseph.
“There is a sponsor comport, the Malcom Jenkins Family Foundation has put up a $50,000 that if people match that amount, they will donate $50,000 to the Plates of Hope,”
Last year the Plates of Hope fundraiser raised $65,000 for its programs. There was an art exhibition alongside the fundraising.
Guests can further contribute by participating in a silent auction and/or donating $5 towards the purchase of a meal for a neighbour in need.
“It will be a wonderful night” Dean said. “I would like to see everybody there, you are all invited to come, bet on the auction items, and I already know that there is an item in the auction that is rare. I will say no more, you will have to come to see what it is.”
The tickets are on sale for $125 which will also allow you to attend the Plates of Hope dinner on March 14 at the Plaza 88.
Dean said there have been some adjustments since the Christmas Day fire. Their former location had 13,000 square feet of space, while the Union Centre has around 2,500. The biggest loss was the shower and laundry facilities. Dean said the Union Centre doesn’t have them, and they are “missed greatly by our guests.”
In some cases, Dean said, people have had a hard time just finding the new location.
He said demand hasn’t change since the fire.
“They come every day for food. They come at night to the warming center (from 10pm to 8am). They come for the day warming center from 12:30pm to 4:30pm,’ Dean said. “They can get hygiene and clothing.”
Dean said they’ve worked with community partners, like the Prince Albert Grand Council, to improve services. The PAGC has their own warming van up and running around the community.
“We are working together as partners to look after our community,” Dean said.
For those who cannot attend Plates of Hope, donations are accepted online at salvationarmy.ca/platesofhope.
Some volunteers who assist in the Salvation Army meal programs were helping out on Wednesday. One of them, Stephen Hug, and one of them Stephen Hug said The Salvation Army offers and important service.
“We do this because we need to help the homeless,” Hug said. “We can give them a good meal and make sure that they are well fed and hopefully have a better life in the future.”
Several generous donors will be matching donations to help every dollar go further. More than an event, Plates of Hope reflects the community’s shared belief that no one should face hardship alone.
Ian Etrman, one of the beneficiaries of the Salvation Army’s meal program, was available to appreciate the Salvation Army for the provision.
“I come here everyday for the meals and I come around at night too,” he said. “This place helps. I didn’t use to go to the old building we used to sleep in the back alleys. We go through tough times but still we manage.”
The Salvation Army, Prince Albert Community Ministries is run by Corps officers Major Ed Dean and his Wife Major Charlotte Dean.
The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882. Today, it is the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country, offering hope and support to vulnerable people in 400 communities across Canada and in more than 130 countries around the world.
