THE Salvation Army in Langley will be having a fund-raising event early this month, to raise money for its Gateway of Hope project. Langley City council voted in favour of building the homeless shelter and kitchen on a one-acre lot at 5787 Langley Bypass.

The ruling was one of two recent major municipal decisions in favour of faith-based homelessness initiatives in the Lower Mainland. The other occurred late last year in Coquitlam, granting churches permission to offer shelter. (See editorial, page 16).

At a public hearing, Army envoy Gary Johnson presented Langley council with a 1,379-signature petition in favour of the project.

The three-story building will offer a 30-bed emergency shelter and 25 beds of transitional housing for men and women.

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Langley City has a considerable number of homeless people. Some of them are drug addicts; others have mental illness; and some are simply unable to afford accommodation.

The Salvation Army has worked closely with the city, the business community and many others to come up with a plan for a shelter.

The end goal is to help homeless people to get past that lifestyle, deal with their problems, and become productive members of society.

The Salvation Army hopes to have the facility  constructed this year; it will be open by 2009.  B.C. Housing has agreed to pay for most of the construction costs.

A dinner and silent auction to raise funds for Gateway of Hope will be held February 1 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church.     – The Salvationist

February 2008