Streets Alive started in 1989 in the hearts of three women: a saleswoman, a summer city employee, and a pastor's wife, who felt a strong stirring in their hearts to help all the people they saw in the parks. It didn't take them long to find them sleeping in dumpsters, under trailers, and on park benches. Although many saw them as a nuisance and a detriment to the downtown core, these women saw them as desperate for real love and hope, and also saw them as God's creation.

At first they took many of them to church, but it became evident that they were not as comfortable there as they were in their own environment. Within several months a location was rented in the downtown, where a group of dedicated volunteers came to minister to them spiritually with God's Word and physically with lunch and many hugs. After a few address changes, Streets Alive came to rest on 1st Avenue.

We have seen many stages of growth as we have endeavored to fill needs whenever they became evident. We started by opening in the daytime, to give street people a safe place to gather; where they could have coffee, use the bathroom, have access to a phone and someone to talk to. Relationships started to form which enabled us to seriously help many people up off the streets.

By 1994 it became increasingly difficult to put people out for the night, so we started the shelter with no funds, some volunteer staff and a lot of lessons to learn. It was through the generosity of local churches and businesses that we succeeded, until the Province of Alberta stepped up to the plate and partially funded the shelter until 2001, when they started to fully fund the shelter.

In 1999 we were given a gift of $250,000 which we used to purchase Parkside Home. Parkside is a secure, 16-room men's home which offers a two-year "step-up" program. With resident caregivers on site, our program helps men to "step-up" their lives out of addictions, or to keep them in a safe environment while they take opportunities to work on their own life issues. Of the more than 300 men who have passed through Parkside Home, over two-thirds have either gone to treatment, got a job, gone to school, or returned home. We have learned that intervention and accountability can bring success through housing which offers security, supervision, and accountability.

Sadly, we were forced to close our 1st Avenue location in 2002, and were homeless ourselves for a while. We refused to give up on these people, and soon found a temporary home on 8th Street. In January 2003 we moved into our current location on 4th Street, and we've been running ever since. May 2003 saw the start of our mobile unit, which goes out every night, onto the street and into the hotels to hand out sandwiches and hope. L.A. Kidz Alive started in June 2003. It has since become Kidz Alive and currently ministers to approximately 300 kids a week. We have what we call our P.I.N. (People In Need) bank, which distributes food, clothing and furniture. Wonkets has also been born, as a fundraiser for our ministry to the women in prison. (W.O.W.)

Future projects include the women's transitional housing unit, similar to the one we have in Parkside Home. We also need a resource centre to run our children's program in, we need room to grow. Jesus told us the poor would always be with us . He was talking about the distressed of society. We feel very strongly that those of us who have must help those who have not, with every available tool that we can offer with a heart of compassion for every hurting soul.

Back to Home Page