Captain Jim Coggles

Executive Director
The Salvation Army Belkin House

Areas of Expertise
Homelessness
Transitional Housing
Substance Abuse
Addictions

Bio and Experience
Captain Jim Coggles is the Executive Director of The Salvation Army Belkin House, a 225 bed Residential Program Facility run by The Salvation Army in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown. He has been serving as an Officer in The Salvation Army for the past nine years.

Prior to taking up his appointment at Belkin House, Captain Coggles had oversight of The Salvation Army Harbour Light Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility and Emergency Shelter in Prince Rupert. He was also stationed in Fort St. John where he was responsible for the Care and Share Centre Ministry, Regional Emergency Shelter and Addictions Outreach Program. Before becoming an Officer, Captain Coggles worked with The Salvation Army in lay ministry serving at the medium security Correctional Facility in Yellowknife, NWT.

Belkin House provides Emergency Shelter and Supported Transitional Housing for men and women, including a 30 bed high risk Federal Offender Unit (Enhanced CRF) including a multitude of personal development and employment readiness programs. “We help people from a variety of backgrounds,” said Captain Coggles. “Including men and women completing addiction treatment programs, newly released from prison, arriving to Canada as refuges, and those coming directly off of the street. Some people are with us for a very short time while most have experienced a lifetime cycle of destruction – requiring a greater level of care and assistance to move forward. We want people here to feel safe, find hope and achieve the program goals they set with our assistance.”

Homelessness today
“Homelessness is still a growing problem nationally despite increased awareness. The reasons people are without a home go well beyond finances. They may be suffering with addiction or mental health issues, and they may also be dealing with very debilitating social issues. In almost every case, you can trace back a considerable amount of the pain and disenfranchisement to their youth.”

The Salvation Army’s role
“We are here to assist the suffering, the homeless and those at risk of homelessness. It is our aim to help them become self-sufficient and independent through the reduction of physical, emotional, social and spiritual barriers. Traditionally we (The Salvation Army) have been known for the primary and basic level of care we provide for people; food, clothing and lodging. Over the years, we have become increasingly more involved in drug and alcohol treatment programs as well as second stage supported housing.”

Long-term rehabilitation
“Feeding, housing and clothing a person is important, but we know we have to deal with the whole of the issue causing homelessness and despair, and look at addressing the needs of the whole person. We are attempting to redeem and reshape broken lives.”

Breaking the cycle of homelessness
“There are two key approaches to breaking the cycle of homelessness. The first is to create a strong sense of healthy, authentic community within which people feel safe, connected and valued. They need to know that they can come into our place and experience compassion and respect – and that they are safe. The homeless are received here as people whom we appreciate and love as our neighbors. The second approach is to offer holistic support – which includes life & living skills, pre-employment and personal development workshops, positive social opportunities, personal support, and spiritual formation programs. From the moment we meet our Residents, we let them know that we want to come alongside them and that they can reach their goals. It isn’t just about nourishing the body; it’s about nourishing the mind and spirit and constantly encouraging people to dream and grow. We want people to get well - be whole, healed and transformed.”

The public perception
“Even just a decade ago there was a real misconception of what homelessness is and what is keeping people in that cycle. Now, I believe that is changing. There is growing awareness and much more media coverage on the issue. The public is now much more aware of what it means to be homeless, and are increasingly engaged in attempting to find solutions. We should continue this education.”

The vital role of volunteers
“Volunteers play a critical role in helping The Salvation Army to serve the homeless. We have seen a rise in the number of volunteers who want to get involved. More and more people are coming through our doors, and they don’t just want to feed people and hand out clothing. Our volunteers want to give of their expertise and talents to enable us to help more people.”

Captain Coggles is available for media interviews, speaking engagements and other appearances. To contact Captain Coggles, please call or email Andrew Burditt with The Salvation Army at (416) 422-6208 or Andrew_Burditt@can.salvationarmy.org.