Every year there an event hosted by the Salvation Army where people have a chance to share how they were saved from lives of addiction and poverty.
The annual Dignity Breakfast, which has been hosted by the Ridge Meadows Ministries since 2012, was held at the South Bonson Community Centre on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
The keynote speaker was Vancouver chef Mark Brand, who opened numerous restaurants, created a multinational charity, and is now described as a "global activist using food for good."
Brand leads the United Nations Catalyst team focusing on food waste, poverty, and the impacts of systemic structures. He is also the co-founder of A Better Life Foundation – an organization dedicated to raising funds for food security to those in need.
He is a longtime advocate for those struggling on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and since 2012 has overseen more than five million meals served to hungry people in Vancouver.
His global work includes executive chef for the American Refugee Committee and Pope Francis' Climate Challenge
Brand talked about apathy, and people "turning away from the issue," while poverty is getting worse. He said the Salvation Army is doing critically important work, and stressed its importance as a trusted charity.
"We know the Salvation Army has been doing this for 150-plus years, so we trust in them to do this work, and the supporting of them is so critical, because they have trust of the community," he said.
He thanked those assembled for their generosity.
"Your donations, your egging on of your friends for donations, is critical right now," he said. "People have never been in a worse space.
"Please, if you can, dig deep, and also continue to ask your folks to dig deep."
He asked the audience members to make a pledge to one another.
"I promise to leave the world a better place than I found it," he pledged to emcee Lisa Craik, and they hugged to seal the contract, and the people in the audience each did the same, with a hug or handshake.
Blair Middleton offered his story of hope, telling how his lifestyle of recreational drug use eventually led to life on the street, jail time for being caught in a stolen car, and living with five people who were smoking crack.
He got sick, unable to move his neck or swallow, and was hospitalized. His brother came in to visit, looked right at him, and went to leave.
"I was 110 pounds, and you couldn't even recognize me," he told the audience.
Middleton was in hospital for 10 weeks, and determined to change his life. When he got out, he attended Maple Ridge Treatment Centre for another 10 weeks. With nowhere to go when he got out, Middleton found housing with the Salvation Army. He talked about how they helped him, how he made connections, volunteering in kitchens, and eventually went to work there. He now does casual maintenance and security work for the Salvation Army.
Middleton offered thanks to God for the changes in his life, and got a standing ovation from the crowd.
Kim Findlay is the Salvation Army divisional director of development, overseeing fundraising for the province, and worries that the postal workers job action could impact fundraising this year.
Findlay said the Salvation Army receives about 60 per cent of its donations during November and December, making it the key time of year. There are people who still rely on the mail, and prefer not to use credit cards and digital banking, he said.
"Many of our elderly donors still like to send their donations by mail – they like to write cheques and send them to us," he said.
With the postal strike, those cheques may not get sent this year, he said, so generous donations are needed more than ever.
As Brand put it: "Your help today is really, really, really critical."
Divisional commander Lt. Col. Jamie Braund, who oversees Salvation Army branches across the province, offered a benediction. He also assured donors local donations are used in programs for the Ridge Meadows Community.
"Anything that you donate today, or in the Christmas kettles, stays in this community," he said. "We don't take any of that."
In 2024, the Salvation Army Ridge Meadows has provided:
• 3,344 school lunches monthly
• 53,398 community meals
• 160 emergency hampers each month
• 42 clients with housing
• 23 clients in treatment
• 1,700 shelter beds monthly
• 500 back-to-school supply kids
• 400 Christmas gifts
