Streets Alive Mission has been showing up for Lethbridge's most vulnerable residents since 1989. On March 26, they're celebrating the next chapter with a grand opening of their new services building and it's been a long time coming.
The event runs Thursday, March 26 from 3 to 5 p.m. at 711 2A Avenue North. There will be a ribbon cutting, building tours, and refreshments. The public is welcome.
What the New Building Is
The new facility is the result of Streets Alive's $9.5M "Coming Home" comprehensive campaign a fundraising effort to give the organization permanent, purpose-built homes for its programs rather than paying lease costs year after year. The Mission Services building alone represented $4M of that campaign.
The new location consolidates services that were previously split across multiple sites including the restoration centre, the P.I.N. (People In Need) Bank, and the repurpose donation centre all under one roof. The building is wheelchair accessible and is projected to save the organization more than $316,200 per year in lease payments, money that gets reinvested directly into programming.
Streets Alive officially moved into the building in November 2025. The March 26 event is the formal grand opening.
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More Than Three Decades of Work
Streets Alive didn't start as an organization it started as three women in 1989 who noticed people sleeping in parks, under trailers, and on benches in Lethbridge and decided to do something about it. From those early days handing out food and conversation in a rented downtown space, it grew into one of southern Alberta's most established poverty relief organizations.
Over the years it has operated a shelter, a men's transitional home, a women's transitional housing unit, a mobile outreach unit that goes out nightly, a clothing and food bank, and a learning centre for people not comfortable in mainstream education settings. The new building is the first time the organization has had a permanent, custom-designed home for its mission services.
The Grand Opening
If you've ever donated, volunteered, or are just curious about the work Streets Alive does, March 26 is a chance to see the new facility up close. The event is free and open to the public at 711 2A Avenue North in Lethbridge.
Sources:
Streets Alive Mission — Coming Home Comprehensive Campaign: https://streetsalive.ca/capital-campaign/
Streets Alive Mission — History: https://streetsalive.ca/history-of-streets-alive-mission/
