As a volunteer at the Bissell Centre’s Community Space, I know firsthand the extraordinary impact Bissell continues to have on the lives of people experiencing homelessness.

The Community Space wasn’t just a place for showers, coffee or clean clothes. It was a model of what dignified and trauma-informed care actually looks like. Staff and volunteers knew people by name, understood their stories, and showed up consistently through some of life’s hardest moments.

I watched staff help someone get to a critical heart specialist appointment. I saw a man leave freshly showered, in clean clothes, heading to a job interview with renewed confidence. I saw people connect with housing supports, health care, and stability often in a single visit.

What Bissell provides is safety, dignity, and a sense of belonging. I’ll never forget a woman who arrived carrying everything she owned in a shoebox. Within an hour, she had housing support, medical care, and a way to carry her belongings safely through the rain. That is what Bissell does: meeting people where they are and helping them take the next step forward.

Bissell continues this critical work across Edmonton. When you donate, you are directly supporting trained staff, life-saving services, and programs that restore dignity and hope. Please consider donating to this amazing cause.