Toronto, ON – Online Giving to Supplement National Appeal to Help Address Homelessness in Canada
The Salvation Army today announced the national launch of the 2006 Christmas fundraising campaign to help raise money for the homeless and others who often remain invisible during the holidays and throughout the year. As part of a concerted effort to respond to changes in how people donate, the campaign will introduce several programs this year, including the new Online Christmas Kettle Program.

This program will supplement, but not replace, the Army’s traditional fundraising methods, which include direct mail and phone appeals as well as the time-honoured Christmas kettles on street corners and at retail outlets throughout Canada. In addition, the campaign will be supported by a national advertising campaign and the Army’s participation in multiple public events around the country throughout the season.

“Our new online program is all part of an effort to make it easier for the growing number of people who already shop and pay their bills online to donate to our Christmas campaign,” said Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan, Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army for Canada and Bermuda. “Funds donated will help light up Christmas by providing toys, food and clothing at Christmas for society’s most vulnerable.”

For the first time, organizations in Canada will be able to host their own “virtual” Christmas kettles on their company website while individuals are invited to participate in an online fundraising contest. The top 3 fundraisers will be awarded iPod music players. Information on these online programs is available on The Salvation Army’s national website at www.SalvationArmy.ca.

“When you give to The Salvation Army, you are giving hope today by investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community,” added Commissioner MacMillan. “We are extremely grateful for the generous support that the Canadian public provides and it is our hope that when added to the heart-stirring image of the kettles on the street, these new programs will allow that support to continue.”

As part of the Christmas campaign, The Salvation Army will also launch a national advertising campaign to highlight homelessness under the headline, “We See What Most Don’t.” The advertising will emphasize The Salvation Army’s work on one of the most pressing social service issues in Canada today – the country’s growing homeless population.

In addition to providing regular meals and shelter to over 5,000 homeless individuals each night, the Army is working in communities across Canada to launch innovative programs to try to combat homelessness at its source. For example, at the state-of-the-art Belkin House homeless shelter in Vancouver, Salvation Army officers and employees are collaborating with Kwantlen University College officials to develop a comprehensive “Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness” program. The program is part of an overall effort to end the “revolving door” of homelessness by providing much needed life skills to those who live on the margins of society. Continued public support is critically important to maintaining these and other potentially life-saving programs.

Additionally, The Salvation Army will participate in the nationally televised 2006 Santa Claus Parade on November 19th in Toronto and on Saturday, December 2nd, The Army invites families and individuals to participate in the 16th Annual Santa Shuffle 5 km Fun Run and 1 km Elf Walk held in 34 cities throughout Canada to help raise money for the campaign.

The annual Christmas campaign, which raised over $20 million in 2005, helps The Salvation Army to provide direct, compassionate, hands-on service to over 1.5 million people in Canada each year, restoring hope and dignity to the most vulnerable in society. The Salvation Army’s annual Christmas fundraising campaign has grown into one of Canada’s most significant and recognizable annual charitable events.

6 Things You Need to Know About Homelessness

1. Homelessness becomes a life-or-death issue in Winter

· Humans cannot survive outdoors overnight in temperatures below -15 degrees.
· Temporary shelters across Canada sometimes find it necessary to turn people away.

2. Homelessness is a growing problem in Canada

· In Toronto, the City’s first official homeless census counted over 5,000 homeless in the city in 2006.
· In Calgary, 3,436 homeless individuals were counted in 2006, nearly twice the 1,737 from 2002, and dramatically higher than the 447 people identified in the first such study in 1992.
· In Vancouver, a 2005 study showed that the homeless population had nearly doubled since 2002, to over 2,100 people.
· In Edmonton, a 2004 study found that 2,192 homeless were living in the city, up from 836 when the first survey was conducted in 1999.

3. More and more families across Canada are without a permanent place to live

· While traditionally the realm of single men, increasingly women and families are joining the ranks of Canada’s homeless.
· In Calgary, The Salvation Army has seen the problem of homeless families explode – from 17 homeless families two years ago to over 100 families receiving assistance today.
· In Edmonton, the number of homeless in families has more than doubled since 1999, according to a study by the Joint Planning Committee on Housing.

4. A key cause of homelessness is the shrinking market of affordable housing

· Prosperity has indirectly caused housing prices to soar, leaving many working individuals and families unable to afford adequate housing.
· According to a 2002 report by the Calgary Homeless Foundation, half of that city’s homeless population have jobs but cannot afford housing.
· The Pivot Legal Society reported recently that the lack of affordable housing would lead to a tripling of the homelessness population in Vancouver by 2010.

5. Most homeless people are dealing with more than one life issue and do not “choose” be homeless

· While the lack of affordable housing is a critical component of the problem, most homeless are dealing with a combination of factors that may include, job stability, domestic issues, physical or mental illness, substance abuse or other problems.
· As a result, a comprehensive, holistic approach to treatment is the only way to provide a long-term solution for those experiencing homelessness.
· A common misconception is that most people “choose” to be homeless. In our experience, this is not the case.
· Services such as The Salvation Army’s Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness program at the Belkin House in Vancouver are working to end the “revolving door” of homelessness.

6. Private charitable support is critical to sufficiently combat the problem

· The federal government provides significant financial support to address homelessness, particularly by funding emergency shelter service programs.
· But, in order to adequately fund comprehensive programs, like Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness, that work to combat homelessness at its source, private charitable support is needed.

The statistics above are merely a snapshot and even they do not adequately reflect the scope of the homelessness problem in Canada. While exact national numbers are difficult to come by, even fairly conservative estimates indicate that the homeless population in Canada numbers around 100,000 people. As Canada’s largest nongovernmental provider of social service, The Salvation Army operates 50 shelter and hostel programs throughout the country, providing over one-third of all shelter beds in Canada each night for those without an alternative place to sleep.

Each year in Canada, The Salvation Army…

· Provides direct, compassionate, hands-on service to over 1.5 million people
· Furnishes 5,000 shelter beds for the homeless each night
· Assists over 10,000 people with chronic addictions
· Serves 2.5 million meals

Andrew Burditt
Territorial Public Relations Director
The Salvation Army
416-845-8231
andrew_burditt@can.salvationarmy.org

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