$71,000 2024 Grant
When COVID suddenly closed many of the supports vulnerable Surrey residents relied on, the need didn’t go away. The Storehouse Community Hub Society, then called Cloverdale Community Kitchen, stepped in to help fill the void.
“We grew so fast,” said Storehouse’s executive director Marty Jones. “It was an extraordinary time and the City was really supportive of our expansion because they knew how much people needed the help.”
Storehouse grew its Temporary Winter Shelter to 25 beds. Its food bank saw registration increase to 1,000 families. More than 200 seniors relied on the organization for meals, which are delivered fresh each weekday. Its original service, the community kitchen, continued to welcome anyone seeking a hot meal for a no-cost dinner every evening, just as it had since launching in 2011.
“Across all our services, we started having 165,000 client interactions a year,” said Marty. “Our client base increased so quickly, our building wasn’t able to keep up. Both the City and the Fire Department did everything they could to give us time and support to get the renovations done, but we really weren’t sure how we’d be able to cover the cost.”
The grant from Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society helped fund the needed safety upgrades, including the addition of fireproof drywall in the warehouse, which shares a wall with the shelter, and installation of a sprinkler system.
“The grant quite literally helped us keep the doors open,” said Marty. “It made it possible for us to keep our focus on the people who need our help.”