More than just a meal at Kelowna’s Gospel Mission

From the outside, it can be deceiving to know exactly what is housed at Kelowna Gospel Mission’s (KGM) Leon Avenue building.

But once you step inside, the wide range of services becomes clear.

“We not only provide basic services, because we have to be more than just a bed and a sandwich,” executive director Carmen Rempel said.

And that means offering everything from case management to working with people on their housing goals and facilitating workshops. This can range from helping clients set life goals to carving pumpkins and other recreational activities to help people work their way towards housing.

Upstairs is a lesser-known service, the KGM’s low-cost dental clinic. The space is dedicated to making oral hygiene accessible to everybody.

“The clients who we have coming in here are those who are maybe accessing the food bank, low- income families, refugee families, single parents, people who don’t have benefits and have a hard time accessing this really necessary health service,” Rempel said.

Clients come not only from Kelowna, but all over the Okanagan.

Back downstairs, is the facility’s Outreach Office, a critical service for KGM.

The outreach team is the eyes and ears on the streets of Kelowna. Members play a key role in preparing daily meals for the teams to serve in the community 365-days a year, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Beyond food, outreach workers provide other basic needs like socks, warm clothing, and blankets.

But more importantly, Rempel said, they provide connection and relationships, and assist people sleeping rough in figuring out what their next step is in their journey off the streets.

Help Kelowna's Gospel Mission build a community of people being made whole. Donate today at kelownagospelmission.ca.