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.
Fostering Friendships and Cultural Exchange Through Volunteerism
Friendship and cultural exchange between volunteer and newcomer in our One-on-One Match program.
Foundry Volunteer Feature: Nathan
Nathan is one of the amazing Foundry Abbotsford Ambassadors who help promote mental health and well-being.
Dr. Elizabeth Watt Retiring after Helping Transform Youth Healthcare in Abbotsford
Dr. Elizabeth Watt is retiring from her position as the Medical Director for Foundry Abbotsford.
Autumn House: Setting Youth up for Success
Learn how Autumn House supports youth to ensure they are set up for success as they transition out of care.
Better at Home: Celebrating a Decade of Empowering Abbotsford Seniors
Ten years of providing home-support services to seniors in Abbotsford.
From Client to Youth Peer Support Worker: Alex’s Story
Learn how Alex was able to navigate difficult times during her youth and find a place of belonging at Foundry Abbotsford.
Archway Food Bank: Increasing Access to Food Amongst Record-high Food Insecurity
The Archway Food Bank is seeing more and more households accessing its services every month.
Donor Spotlight: Generations of Generosity
Learn how Ravi used the Starfish Pack Program to teach his children the importance of giving back.
Eagle’s Nest Early Learning Centre Enters Second Year
Eagle’s Nest addresses childcare demand with new rooms and affordable options.
Community Van – Providing Reliable and Affordable Transportation
How the Community Van provides affordable and reliable transportation to residents in Abbotsford.
From Afghanistan to Canada: Khesraw’s Journey of Resilience and Hope
Meet Khesraw: A resilient Afghan refugee who found his new home in Abbotsford.
Finding Purpose and Changing Lives: Helping People With Diverse Abilities Find Meaningful Work
Our EPIC program is changing the lives of individuals with diverse abilities through meaningful work.
Celebrating Louise’s Legacy
Learn how Director of Operations, Louise helped bring various ideas and visions to life over the span of her 15 years at Archway.
Abhitha’s Story: My Life-Changing Year
Learn how Archway’s LINC program helped Abhitha gain the confidence to pursue higher education.
Abby Dads: Learning the Importance of Communication
How learning the importance of communication helped repair *Gurdeep’s relationships.
From War-Torn Ukraine to a New Life: Oksana’s Journey of Hope in Canada
Learn how Archway was able to help Oksana and her family build a new life in Canada after fleeing from Ukraine.
STRIDE Successes: Brad’s Story
Discover how our STRIDE program provides employment support to older workers in their job search and career transition.
Helping Families Settle Safely: Farhad’s Story
Learn how a donated car seat has helped a refugee family safely settle into our community.
Affordable Childcare Revolution: The Impact of $10 a Day Childcare on Working Families
Read about the impact of $10 a day daycare on Abbotsford families.
STRIDE Program – Tammi’s story
Tammi spent hours job searching but wasn’t having any luck until she connected with our STRIDE program that helps older adults find work.
Volunteer Feature: Louise
Louise began her volunteer journey by bringing her dog Chloe to the hospital to meet patients. Louise now volunteers in the community of Abbotsford seven days a week, making over 100 sandwiches daily for the marginalized populations in Abbotsford.
Volunteer Feature: Sieglinde
Sieglinde has been volunteering with Archway for over seven years. Sieglinde loves teaching and “seeing people succeed”. She designed a confidence-building course for Community Connections where more than 20 women attended. She loves volunteering because it’s rewarding to see how her actions positively affect the people she’s working with.
Volunteer Feature: Ghadeer
When Ghadeer joined the volunteer team in the summer of 2019, she was a newcomer to Canada. Since then, she has been making a significant impact as a volunteer at the Food Bank.
Helping record influx of new Canadians enter the workforce
Find out how Archway is helping new Canadians integrate into the workforce and their community.
South Asian Day Program: Friendship, Fitness, and Fun
This program means more to us than our pensions,” said Jaswant, one of the participants of the South Asian Day program. Jaswant had been insisting that her family send her back to India as she did not want to stay in Canada any longer. After becoming a regular at the...
Cannoli: Providing Calm and Cuddles
Learn about how accredited facility dog Cannoli helps participants and staff in the Family Connections and Education programs.
Breaking Bread with Food Justice
Food Justice staff identify barriers to food access and work together to limit them. They also provide the monthly bulk buy collective.
The Cabin: A Proactive and Collaborative Approach to Homelessness
The Cabin was a transformative experience, impacting approaches to homelessness in Abbotsford.
The Flood that Was
An overview of how the community in Abbotsford was able to overcome the devastation of the floods.
Homeless Prevention Program and Community Legal Advocacy – A Place to Call Home
HPP & Community Legal Advocacy are working together to assist 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 floods.
Foundry – Holistic Health for Youth
An overview of the different youth wellness groups offered at Foundry and their impact on 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
The Abbotsford Mission Recycling program provides both a flexible and supportive environment for its staff.
How Senior Services are Going the Extra Mile to Connect with Vulnerable Older Adults
The Senior Services team provides a variety of services such as delivering meals, income tax help, and more.
How the Opioid Agonist Treatment Centre is Tackling the Opioid Crisis in Abbotsford
The OAT Centre works hard to tackle the increase of intakes due to the effects of COVID on the opioid crisis.
It Takes a Village – Parenting Through a Pandemic, PSTD and Cancer
The Best for Babies team helped support a mother while her husband faced various health concerns.
Food as the Ultimate Community Builder
Archway’s Food Bank supports the community with various partnerships to ensure everyone has access to food.
Employment Programs Help Job Seekers Navigate the Changing Economy
How different employment programs at Archway have helped job seekers during the pandemic.
Syrian Refugees Families Thriving and Giving Back
Syrian refugee families are giving back to the community in ways they were supported when they first arrived.
The Diversity Education Program sees a Spike in Incident Reports
A look into the increase of incident reports of both racism and discrimination towards minorities.
Providing Youth Mental Health Services in Challenging Times – Youth Resource Centre (YRC)
The Youth Resource Centre provides youth with a variety of mental health services during difficult times.
Providing Youth Mental Health Services in Challenging Times – Foundry
Youth mental health services during the pandemic were provided through virtual sessions at Foundry.
Providing Youth Mental Health Services in Challenging Times – Basic Life Skills Training (BLT)
BLT mental health services were provided during the pandemic through various outdoor visits.
How Community Partnerships are Helping Local Youth Thrive
Partnerships through the community allow youth to thrive by assuring them that the community cares.