The Port Alberni Shelter would like to express our sincere appreciation for the generosity and support from the Port Alberni community and local businesses over Thanksgiving. We received much more than we expected and the generous donations from the community have allowed us to serve a munificent Thanksgiving Dinner and the extra turkeys and hams will allow us to continue to feed our patrons. Your assistance means so much to our clients but even more to the Port Alberni Shelter Society as it helps us care for our clients. Your commitment to fighting homelessness in our community is sincerely appreciated.

Each year The Port Alberni Shelter Society continues to advance its mission to house the homeless. Through our Emergency Shelter, Supportive Housing, and Community Support Programs we have seen many lives changed for the better. And by working with organizations such as BC Housing, Mental Health and Addictions, VIHA, and the Canadian Mental Health Associations we can work to provide the support needed by individuals to lead a more productive life. People are a powerful force in their communities and when they have opportunities to improve their lives, the whole community benefits.

The goal of the Port Alberni Shelter Society is to continue to make a difference in the lives of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. With the help of donations from community businesses and individuals, we will continue to see improvements in our community.Thank you from all of us.


Some of our donors include:
Abbeyfield
Bill Randle and Family
Bill Billington
CitiFinancial
CUPE 272
Daniel Rowe
Gillian Trumper
House of Service
Joan Jacobson
Patty Edwards & Scott Fraser

As well as many others who did not leave a name but left generous donations.
A special thanks to McDermotts Insurance & Butch Taylor, his family and Staff at Coleman Road Shingle for their donation of six turkeys each for our Thanksgiving offering. Butch stated "We feel fortunate this year to have maintained operations and provide steady work for our ten employees. Thanks to companies like Probyn Log and Western Forest Products who see the value in providing local logs so local mills are able to provide quality products to our customers. This is a small contribution to help those less fortunate this Thanksgiving.


 
 

_Shelter Needs for Donations Christmas

_The Port Alberni Shelter Society is a non-profit organization established in 1972 to meet the needs of people in the Port Alberni area who require immediate shelter. We operate 24 hours per day and are open 365 days per year and our current 42 bed facility usually remains at full capacity. We provide emergency shelter, supportive housing, and over 34,340 meals annually for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. We are contracted by the provincial government to provide emergency shelter for 12 people per night; however, the number of clients that use this service is often much higher, up to 20 beds per night. We receive no additional funding for these extra beds but still need to provide three meals daily plus snacks, laundry facilities, showers, toiletries, toothbrushes and toothpaste for our clients and we depend greatly on the kindness of Port Alberni businesses and residents for your support.

With the temperature dropping and the weather windy and wet, we see a greater demand for shelter. We have limited resources but try to accommodate everyone. With the increased demand for our services and Christmas just around the corner, we are in great need of more support of food and clothing items such as Turkeys and hams, canned goods, (sorry we cannot accept home canned goods) coffee, tea, and cleaning supplies are always needed. Not only is there a need for food but also winter clothing, especially jackets, gloves, toques, boots and shoes for both men and women. We are always in need of sock, underwear, deodorant, shampoo, soap, or any other personal care items. We are appealing to the people of Port Alberni, businesses, clubs and other organizations for their assistance this season. Any donations may be dropped off at the Port Alberni Shelter, 3978-8th Avenue.

We would also like to thank the Port Alberni businesses that donate all year round, such as Buy-Low Foods, Fairway Market, Quality Foods and Tim Horton’s, Coastal Community Credit Union, Rotary Club of Port Alberni, the United Church, as wells as all the community groups and people from our community that continue to support us. Your gifts and donations are greatly appreciated and we thank you all for your continued support.

Our Christmas Wish List

Listed below are items we always need, but we welcome donations of any kind

Clothing (all sizes and used are welcome)
Much Needed:

Men's Shoes/boots - sizes 10-13 or larger
Men's jeans
Men’s & Women’s underwear (new)
Men’s & Women’s T-shirts (M, L, XL)
Men’s & Women’s Hoodies (M, L, XL)
Other Clothing (all sizes and used are welcome)
Construction boots (steel toe size 10 and up)
Men’s & Women’s running shoes
Sweatshirts
Rain jackets/ponchos/rain pants
Umbrellas


Food
Much Needed:
Turkeys and hams for Christmas dinner (these can also be frozen for later on, a turkey or ham goes a long way for dinners and soups for lunch)

Canned meat or fish
Milk

Cereal
Cookies/Crackers
Pasta (especially macaroni)
Rice
Pasta sauces
Tomatoes (canned)
Veggies (canned‚ mushrooms, carrots, peas, potato)
Ice tea mix
Juice (mix/canned/tetra)

Tea
Coffee
Other Non-perishable food items such as:
Hot chocolate
Beans in sauce, pork & beans
Beans, tinned or dried
Canned meals (i.e. Chef Boyardee/stew/ravioli)
Fruit (canned)
Hamburger Helper
Jams/Peanut butter
Ketchup
Kraft dinner
Oatmeal

Hygiene Supplies
Much needed:
Men’s & Women’s – Shave cream & razors
Men’s & Women’s – Deodorant
Lip balm, blistex
Toothbrushes & paste
Shampoo  conditioner
Tampons w/ applicators


Household Items
Much Needed:

Bath size towels
Clean pillows, blankets, & comforters
Other household items:
Laundry baskets
Pots, pans (not bake ware)
Alarm clocks
Large Backpacks