As social-service ministries change, the need is greater than ever for Salvationists to get involved. Salvationist spoke with members of the territorial social services department to discern how these issues are impacting front-line services, and what Salvationists can do about them.

Cultural Diversity and Ministry
With the huge influx of immigrants in recent years, Salvation Army centres are becoming more culturally sensitive. “At Kate Booth House,” notes Joanne Tilley, “staff discovered that food preparation wasn’t meeting the cultural needs of clients of Chinese and East Indian descent and they adjusted their meal plans accordingly.”

Still, when it comes to meeting needs of diverse cultures, more community education is needed. “It’s no good for a food bank to receive peanut butter and pork and beans in an area that needs Basmati rice,” insists Tilley. “People need assistance that is culturally relevant.”

Many immigrants and refugees, despite having higher average levels of education than Canadian-born residents, are 3.5 times as likely to have low incomes because they lack Canadian credentials. Typically, foreign-born doctors and engineers end up working as taxi drivers or domestic servants.

“There needs to be a system whereby foreign credentials can be acknowledged,” says Tilley. Through its immigrant and refugee ministries, the Army provides ESL courses and training to smooth the transition for newcomers to Canada. It’s an area of potential growth for the Army, but there are challenges. “Immigrants are not always sure what The Salvation Army is all about,” says Tilley. “We need to continue to reach out to them in ways they understand.”

by Geoff Moulton
Managing Editor, Salvationist & Faith & Friends

Excerpt taken from Salvationist April 2007