For some folks, a hot shower and clean clothes are part of daily life – a simple convenience barely given a second thought. But for Langford’s unhoused community, access to these basic facilities can be a lifeline, offering dignity at pivotal moments in their lives.
“It makes it a lot easier to find work and stuff like that,” said Andrew Belfitt, who was one of the first to use the new shower and laundry facilities at the Salvation Army’s Connection Point Church and Resource Centre on Goldstream Avenue.
Named ‘The Dignity Project’, the new free initiative was officially opened June 16, but has been up and running since mid-April, already helping up to 80 individuals.
It’s a welcome relief for Belfitt, who says he would rather live on the streets than be a burden on his friends.
“Everybody should be entitled to have like a place to shower and do laundry,” he says. “It’s just ridiculous how expensive it is … to do your laundry, even if you live in an apartment.”
The Langford local of 27 years says the The Dignity Project does exactly what it says – it gives him a feeling of dignity and space to “breathe.”
“It felt pretty good,” he says about the first time he used the shower. “It’s good to feel clean when you've been dirty for a couple of days.”
Others who have passed through the drop-in centre have expressed a similar sentiment, says community ministry director Pat Humble.
He remembers the first person to visit The Dignity Project, who told him that she stood in the shower and cried.
Unlike at other public facilities, such as recreation centres, where she felt judged for her appearance, the woman had found somewhere she was welcomed and included.
“She told me, ‘I feel human again,’ and that's incredible to hear,” said Humble.
“A lot of our clients that have come in – this is where the dignity part comes from – they feel like they can walk out with their head higher, after having a shower.
“Sometimes it's the barrier between seeing their kids or not, because they don't want to see them in that state. Or they could be going to apply for housing … so it's opened up a lot of doors.”
The new facilities have been made possible thanks to the collaboration of several local businesses, steered by Viking Properties president Ben Gulbrandsen.
Speaking to unhoused folks in Danbrook Park with Humble, Gulbrandsen heard firsthand the need for accessible shower and laundry facilities in the community.
So when the Salvation Army approached him for help to renovate an unused area of their Goldstream Avenue building, he immediately leapt into action.
“It's difficult to get a job when you haven't had a shower in a week,” he said. “So I wanted to get this done as soon as we could – no year of fundraising, just get it done.”
The team of people started work in 2024, handing over the new, ready-to-use facility in 2025, at no cost to the Salvation Army.
Gulbrandsen plays down the generosity, describing it as “not that big of a deal.”
“I know it's going to impact a lot of people, but really we're only doing the one shower for some people,” he says.
“Like this is a no-brainer – the building is the easy part, it's the Salvation Army who are meeting, helping people, so kudos to them, they're the ones taking it forward.”
The community effort and support has proved overwhelming for Humble.
"So today, we don't just celebrate a grand opening, we celebrate a community that dares to love loudly," he said in front of an audience of colleagues, residents and local dignitaries.
The people already helped by The Dignity Project illustrate the diversity of Langford’s unhoused community – from those sleeping rough or in their vehicles, to individuals couch surfing.
Dozens have enjoyed a hot shower and clean clothes for the first time in weeks – numbers that may surprise many who only see the folks living on the streets.
“It's hard to hear, but I think it speaks to the reality of the situation of homelessness across the region,” said Coun. Colby Harder, speaking to Goldstream Gazette at the project’s grand opening.
“There's a really visible unhoused population in Langford, but there's a lot of people that are working a job, living in their car and need access to shower and laundry services … I think this initiative is helping to fight the stigma against the unhoused population, because affordability is probably the number one issue for all of us.
“I know the project is going to have a really significant life impact for many."
The Dignity Project is one of many services available at the Salvation Army’s Connection Point Church and Resource Centre.
First opened in 2021, the centre has an emergency food pantry, programming for families and children, and offers a casework service for people struggling to move forward in life.
For more information about the services available, visit the website: saconnectionpoint.ca.
