Looking Ahead

Our New Church Property

Over the last several years much prayer and discussion has taken place with regards to our future at our current location. Through focus groups and congregational meetings a decision was made to search for a new space. In 2006 we purchased five acres of property near Wellington Road and Leslie Street in Aurora. We're about to start building there, click to learn more, plus view our building plans and comment on them.

Vision 2020

The Salvation Army Army of York Region along with community individuals and some collective partners has developed a long term, 10 year plan to address specific areas of need within our York Region communities. Our three fold goal is to foster community relationships in support of ongoing programs & services, to inspire the capacity of The Salvation Army and our partners to make a difference in our growing communities, and to enable participants to make informed decisions on presenting planned responses to meeting needs in York Region as identified in its document Creating Strong, Caring, Safe Communities: Vision 2026.

The four key areas of need identified in which The Salvation Army can have the greatest impact in serving people are:

• Housing and Poverty Reduction
• Youth Support
• Affordable Counselling
• Addictions and Recovery

To obtain a copy of The Salvation Army 2020 plan, please call The Salvation Army, York Region Taskforce – c/o Ray Varkki, Central York Community Services, 905-895-6276

Community Response Mobile Village

"It takes a village to raise a child" bears within it a foundational truth in child development; the necessity of positive influences and opportunities to develop character in a safe environment.

The Salvation Army of Central York Region hopes to develop this new initiative so as to provide support to youth at risk in a ‘village’ type setting throughout the communities of Newmarket, Aurora and East Gwillimbury.

Using our 37’ Community Response Vehicle, Salvation Army volunteers and staff will provide mentorship to youth through the following programs:

• Mercy Street Sports @ play program
• Red Cap anti-bullying program
• Mobile interactive media-enhanced education and character skills program
• Drug proofing youth & parent initiative
• Sharing Shelf for Teens, a mobile teen community kitchen inititative

Each of these potential programs provides an element or enhancement to existing Salvation Army programs for the purposes of reaching youth at risk. Our initial goal is to provide direct emotional, physical and developmental support, instruction, and direct mentoring to as many as 5000 at risk youth and families in its first year alone.

For more information on this initiative including the opportunity to either sponsor or partner with us, please call us directly.