Kelowna's Gospel Mission has its origins in the caring hearts of a handful of students from Okanagan Bible School who, in 1977, wanted to reach out to the transient population in Kelowna City Park. Along with their Christian Service director Marshall Calverley, they visited the park on Saturday afternoons to talk to people and provide Gospel tracts and cups of warm coffee. Their dedication continued into the fall and as the weather became colder, the need for an indoor facility was obvious. The group rented space above the old Capital News building on Bernard Avenue. A drop-in centre was opened where people could find warmth, receive a cup of coffee, and find a listening ear. The ministry was filling a void and growth continued. In February 1978, Kelowna 's Gospel Mission Society was formed, offering a complete soup kitchen and its first full-time employee: director, Frank Koop.
Increasing demand rendered the Capital News space inadequate, so in 1979 the Society purchased an old Chinese laundry building on Leon Avenue , the current site of today's Mission . As the ministry continued to grow and temporary overnight shelter for the homeless was needed, the old Chinese laundry was razed, and on May 29, 1983 a new hostel was built. In the mid 1990's, the property next to the hostel was purchased, and another building housing our Helping Hands Thrift Store and administrative offices was erected. That is where we are today, ever-expanding and making true efforts to see needs and meet them.
