Following a two-year renovation, the Salvation Army will open its community support centre on Saturday at 1460 Cedar Ave.
Capt. Eric Olsen said the project has allowed them to consolidate their social services in a single 2,114-square-foot location.
Previously the thrift store was at the Cedar Avenue location (it moved to Waneta Plaza during the renos), while Kate’s Kitchen and the food bank operated from 730 Rossland Ave. in the Gulch, the former Lauriente’s store. Meanwhile, the administrative offices were at the Salvation Army church in East Trail.
“We were bouncing between three locations,” Olsen said. “So now we’ll have all the social programs and administrative offices in one location.”
The church will remain in East Trail, but the Gulch location will close and the name Kate’s Kitchen will retire along with it. The new soup kitchen will be known as Sally’s Place.
Olsen said the reno was undertaken to make their services more accessible and to “be a more effective partner in the community.”
At the Cedar Avenue location, the main floor will be home to the thrift store and a dining space while the upper floor will have a sorting space and admin offices. The food bank will be in the basement. Olsen said they now have a walk-in fridge and freezer, allowing them to offer more fresh products in the food bank.
“There is a little less space for the thrift store, but in general without having to spend money on external rents, we’re able to focus on providing services,” Olsen said.
The ribbon cutting will be at 12:30 p.m.
“It has been a big project,” Olsen said. “A lot of people are happy to see us coming back to the downtown core.”