Archway Stories
Every year, thousands of people walk through our doors seeking support and resources. Here are a few stories of how we’ve played a role in assisting members of our community as they forge a path forward.
Homeless Prevention Program and Community Legal Advocacy – A Place to Call Home
HPP and Community Legal Advocacy are working together to provide assistance to those dealing with housing concerns.
Food Bank: An Outpouring of Support During the Flooding
The Food Bank received an outpouring of support and donations from the community during the 2021 Flooding.
Supporting Temporary Foreign Workers Displaced by Flooding
The Legal Advocacy for Agricultural Workers program assisted hundreds of temporary workers during the floods.
Community Collaborations Help Protect Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
Collaboration and support provided by Archway’s SVAP helps bring awareness and protects victims of IPV.
A Community of Support After Flooding
The impact of Archway’s Best for Babies program on a mother struggling during the 2021 Abbotsford flooding.
Foundry – Holistic Health for Youth
An overview of the different youth wellness groups offered at Foundry and the impact they have on the youth.
Meals on Wheels – Serving Nutrition and Connections
The Meals on Wheels program at Archway is celebrating 50 years of serving members in our community.
Foundry Abbotsford Health Centre Marks 4th Year of Helping Youth
Foundry Abbotsford marked it’s fourth anniversary this year since first opening its doors to youth in 2018.
Volunteer Opportunities at Archway
At Archway Community Services we offer multiple volunteer opportunities for all individuals.
A Proactive and Collaborative Approach to Homelessness
Archway provides homeless individuals with multiple resources such as the Cabin and the Lodge.
Life Coaching: Abbotsford Mission Recycling Program Offers a Supportive Workplace
In addition to employment support programs, Archway employs over 400 people in part-time and full-time positions. More than 50 of these employees work at the Abbotsford Mission Recycling Program. Recycling director Laura Midan spends her days working alongside her...
How Senior Services are Going the Extra Mile to Connect with Vulnerable Older Adults
Social Prescribing Program When Helen was denied entry across the border from Seattle to Abbotsford due to COVID-19 restrictions, she couldn’t imagine how she could continue to assist her 92-year-old mother Vera with a variety of essential tasks as she advanced in...
How the Opioid Agonist Treatment Centre is Tackling the Opioid Crisis in Abbotsford
“Like gasoline on an open fire,” is how the team at the Archway Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) Centre describes the effects of COVID on the opiate crisis. “We have become much busier since COVID began. Our referrals, self-referrals, and intakes have increased in both...
It Takes a Village – Parenting Through a Pandemic, PSTD and Cancer
When Jenelle was seven months pregnant with her first child, her husband, Dave, went on medical leave due to post-traumatic stress disorder. He withdrew as he worked through the trauma he had experienced working as a 911 dispatcher. “It was really, really hard on...
Food as the Ultimate Community Builder
Addressing access to food is the driving vision at the Archway Food Bank. Along with food hampers, the Food Bank also provides access to baby supplies, menstruation products, dental care, Christmas gifts, and food delivery services for adults 60+ and who have mobility...
Employment Programs Help Job Seekers Navigate the Changing Economy
2020 was a tough year in the job market as many people across the globe lost their jobs for various COVID-related reasons. The lack of events and foreign tourism decimated some industries while entirely new careers were created. To continue equipping job...
Syrian Refugees Families Thriving and Giving Back
When Syrian refugee Mohammad Ali and his family arrived in Canada they needed help with housing, settling into the community, and starting school in a new country. Now less than four years later, the family is thriving in their new community and Ali (as his family...
The Diversity Education Program sees a Spike in Incident Reports
Paulette* has four especially vivid memories of experiencing racism and has flashbacks anytime there’s a traumatic event being reported. There was no escaping news of racism as the Black Lives Matter movement started gaining traction in May 2020 and the flashbacks...
Providing Youth Mental Health Services in Challenging Times – Youth Resource Centre (YRC)
When the pandemic first began, Sam was laid off and her schooling went virtual. Living on her own became a whole lot lonelier than before. Without a routine and limited social interaction, Sam struggled more and more to even make it out of bed. Check-in calls and...
Providing Youth Mental Health Services in Challenging Times – Foundry
The afternoon hours were always full of motion at the Foundry Abbotsford Centre – youth, their caregivers and staff all coming and going to access a variety of services. But when COVID-19 began, the clinic grew strangely quiet as services moved online. Foundry began...
Providing Youth Mental Health Services in Challenging Times – Basic Life Skills Training (BLT)
The first time youth enter the colourful space that houses the Basic Life Skills Training (BLT) program, they can immediately sense that it’s going to be different from other mental health services they’ve experienced. From the graffiti-style artwork...
How Community Partnerships are Helping Local Youth Thrive
Youth facing issues such as mental health, sexual exploitation, lack of educational support, or aging out of foster care can find wraparound services at the Archway Youth Resource Centre (YRC). In addition to their core services, YRC staff is able to offer extra...
Social Prescribing Program Links Vulnerable Seniors to Health Supports
The Archway Social Prescribing Program for Seniors helps seniors in Abbotsford delay frailty, practice self-care management, and reduce their loss of independence. The program offers a pathway from a doctor or nurse practitioner’s office to local, non-clinical...
Stories from Male Survivors of Sexual Assault
Content Warning: This post and videos contains details of sexual assault that may be disturbing to viewers. April is Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Awareness Month which recognizes that boyhood sexual abuse is often overlooked, neglected, and poorly understood. A lack...
How Archway Continues to Pivot to Meet Community Needs
Article by Jody Paterson, Executive Director of Board VoiceWalter Paetkau was a young Mennonite on a mission when he first arrived in Abbotsford in the 1960s with a passion for community development. More than half a century later, those seeds that Paetkau nurtured...
A Year in a Pandemic: Reflecting on COVID-19’s Impact
It has been just over a year since COVID-19 began seriously impacting day-to-day life in Canada. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Archway has been adapting services to keep clients and staff safe and comply with changing safety recommendations. As we mark the...
ITS: Translating the Essentials During a Global Pandemic
Like many programs, Archway Interpretation and Translation Services (ITS) experienced considerable upheaval at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, their team was able to adjust quickly so they could continue ensuring community members would have access to...
Behind the Scenes at Archway
As the COVID-19 situation grew more serious, Archway teams knew they had to act. Precautions needed to be taken to keep clients, volunteers and staff safe while our doors remained open for essential services to continue. While Archway program staff were busy assisting...
Abbotsford Youth Health Centre: Partners in Wellness
Youth workers in Abbotsford used to spend hours each week trying to help their clients access medical care. When they did find care, it was sometimes judgmental or ill-suited to the needs of vulnerable youth. In 2009 the City of Abbotsford approved a Child and Youth...
Right Now It’s Like This: Counselling Services During a Global Pandemic
Archway is proud to provide specialized counselling services for individuals seeking to address matters including substance misuse, sexual abuse, victims of crime, parents seeking to improve mental wellness and newcomers acculturating to life in Canada. Like many...
Family Connections & Family Education: Support and Education During Unprecedented Times
The Family Connections and Family Education programs are vital services offered by Archway during what are already challenging times for parents and their children. Family Connections helps to strengthen and preserve healthy relationships between parents and children,...
Legal Advocacy: No Adjournment of Services During COVID-19
Over the last five decades Archway has provided a significant number of legal aid and legal advocacy services, and these community supports didn’t stop during COVID-19. When lockdown guidelines were implemented by the Province of BC, many legal services were put on...
Archway Food Bank: Open in Tough Times
How the Archway Food Bank keeps helping local people during a global pandemic. It should come as no surprise that this spring and summer have been especially busy for the Archway Food Bank, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. New Challenges and Increased Demand Not only has...
Fraser Valley Human Dignity Coalition: 20 Years of Responding to Hate and Honouring Diversity
Back in 1999, people in the Fraser Valley were starting to talk. They were concerned about incidents of racism and discrimination, and keen to do something about it. In response, a number of local organizations collaborated to benefit the community by responding to...
Rod Santiago Marks 10 Years as Archway Executive Director
Our Executive Director, Rod Santiago, recently marked 10 years at the helm of Archway Community Services. This past decade has been filled with tremendous growth and change for us as an organization, with much for him to reflect on. Some changes were public,...
Abby Dads: 10 Years of Supporting Fathers in Active Parenting
Reg Unrau has been with Abby Dads for nearly 10 years; joining in the ‘early days’ of the program which supports local fathers as they endeavour towards healthier relationships with their families. The program was initially a part of the New Beginnings Young Parent...
STRIDE: Stepping into a New Program During a Global Pandemic
Skills Training Results in Directed Education / Employment (STRIDE) is one of Archway’s newest programs and it’s had an excellent and eventful first year thanks to the dedication of supervisor, Frank Amadasun, and his team. Starting a new initiative is never simple,...
LINC: A Celebration of Learning Online and Overcoming Obstacles
Spring break; a chance to relax, have fun, spend time with friends and family. But this year, while many were beginning to enjoy spring break, the COVID-19 pandemic was evolving rapidly. This left employers, families and organizations scrambling. Our Archway Language...
Career Paths Helps Mansi Fulfill Graphic Design Dream
Recently, Career Paths participant Mansi shared great news with Program Coordinator, Mary Finch - she got a great job at a local design company, Circle Graphics! Mansi shared: "I came to Canada in January and felt lonely and isolated. I left a great career as a...
Discovery Staff ‘Parade’ for Participants
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, activities for our Discovery program have been temporarily suspended. Discovery staff were missing the program participants, so they organized a socially-distant 'parade' through their neighbourhoods to say hello. Click the photo below to...
Supporting Victims of Abuse
In 1987, Debbie Davidson recognized a need in our community. She was working with the Red Cross Child Abuse Prevention program, visiting local schools to educate students and teachers about childhood sexual abuse – a tough yet very important topic. Part of her...
Meet Runjan: Archway Recruitment & Engagement Specialist
Recently, Runjan in our Human Resources Department shared her experiences of being a newcomer looking to further her career in Canada, and working at Archway. Curious to know more about employment at Archway? Join us and meet Runjan at our Recruitment Fair on Monday,...
Banking on a New Life in Canada: Gurdas’ Story
Moving is challenging. Whether you’re packing up and transitioning across town or across the province, it’s exhausting, stressful and takes time to settle in. Those stresses are magnified when you move to a new country, but people like Gurdas do so well they make it...
Darlene’s Story: Love and Boundaries
From Recovery to Role Model Darlene has overcome her fair share of challenges. In 1989 she successfully completed a five-month addictions treatment program at Peardonville House; with her own life progressing positively, she was ready to help others. While in...
Program Helps Skilled Immigrants Find Related Employment
The Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants program at Archway helps newcomers find jobs related to their former careers. It’s designed to break the stereotype of doctors driving taxis and provides services for immigrants through one-to-one support, financial assistance,...
A Journey Through the History of Recycling
This year, Archway Community Services celebrates 50 years of ‘people helping people.’ Did you know our Recycling Program has been around almost as long? The Abbotsford Mission Recycling Program started 49 years ago, and what was initially a grassroots initiative has...
Overcoming Addiction and Homelessness
Kal’s Journey from Food Bank Client to Volunteer “I abused drugs for years,” Kal starts, getting right to some of the toughest parts of his story. Back in the 90s, what started as serious partying turned darker, to the abuse of marijuana, LSD and more. One night...
Keeping Busy and Being Helpful at Discovery: Betty Lou’s Story
Betty Lou has been coming to Discovery for over 33 years. Her cheerful smile is contagious, especially as she shares what she likes most about attending; arts and crafts, knitting, outings with friends and physical activities like bowling and hiking. Two years ago,...
Fun and Friendship at Discovery: Donna’s Story
Donna has been attending the Discovery program for so long she’s lost track; staff estimate around 15 to 20 years. The activities and friendship that Discovery provides round out Donna’s week. She also enjoys time with family who live in Vancouver, particularly her...
Creative Pursuits at Discovery: Martin’s Story
"People get lots of help, do things together and help other people." Martin is a long-time participant in our Discovery program, attending for more than 10 years. Sharing his experiences with the program makes him feel “like Hollywood now” which suits him well. He’d...
Share Your Thanks
Have you ever faced challenges in your life that left you feeling alone and disconnected? Did you need people around you to rally? As a supporter of Archway and a champion of Abbotsford’s community, we invite you to share a place at the table with us. Meet Megan. At...