Vacant Gas Station Becomes Community Hub

When Sharon Bandstra looks across the concrete floors of a former gas station in Terrace, B.C., she sees a simple, practical response to a city in need.

Known as The Garage Community Space, the nonprofit facility provides space for food distribution, medical support, addiction recovery groups, and social services. The project, said Bandstra, grew out of a shared desire to take an active, hands-on role in the local neighborhood.

The idea for The Garage developed during a challenging time in Terrace, a city facing high per-capita overdose rates, economic strain, and increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness.

In 2019 and 2021, local government leaders held town-hall meetings to address public frustration.

"Things were getting worse, not better," Bandstra said. "The mayor at the time kept saying, ‘We’re looking for solutions.’ I could see the hurt and frustration in our community, and it really weighed on my heart. As a Christian and a community member, I felt called to step in and do my part.”

Around the same time, Bandstra said, she was part of a 25-week Celebrate Recovery program at her church, Terrace CRC. During the final session, participants were asked what project they would tackle if they knew they couldn't fail. Many expressed a desire to reach out directly to people struggling on the margins.

Shortly afterward, Bandstra remembered a vacant gas station on the other side of town. She arranged a walkthrough with the owners and brought her husband, Sid, along.

"I didn’t have a set agenda for using the place, but I saw a lot of potential," Bandstra said.

The purchasing process involved several twists. An initial deal fell through, but when a buyer backed out of a follow-up proposal, Bandstra and her husband submitted another offer. Following their purchase of the property in late 2021, they began building a collaborative relationship with the City of Terrace through the city’s newly appointed social development coordinator.

"I often say I just followed the Spirit because things kept opening up," Bandstra explained. "Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I just say: ‘God, this was your idea, so I’m giving it back to you.’ And then things find a way of working out."

While The Garage is legally an independent nonprofit, its ties to Terrace CRC run deep.

Before the purchase of the building, church members were already making meals for unhoused neighbors and had updated their church kitchen to meet food safety standards. Around the same time that the gas-station project emerged, the church leadership backed the initiative and hired Bandstra part-time as community relations facilitator to link church members with local outreach opportunities.

"One of the first people I talked with was my pastor, Joel Ringma," Bandstra noted. "He was supportive from day one and now is on The Garage Board.” And when Bandstra called for volunteers, some church members agreed to be part of the initial team to discern next steps. The group also contacted Diaconal Ministries Canada, which linked them to a person who could help them determine their mission, vision, and values statements. 

Today, six of the seven board members at The Garage attend Terrace CRC. Members of the church also regularly volunteer, bake food for weekly events, and donate winter clothing.

This ministry "has connected our church directly into the daily life of the community," Bandstra said. "Whenever we need volunteers, people from the church step up."

Rather than running every service itself, The Garage hosts programming from external organizations throughout the week:

• Mondays (Terrace Churches Food Bank): The food bank serves over 200 families every Monday morning—a significant increase from the 125 families per month served at its previous location. 
• Thursdays (Multi-Agency Outreach and Health Care): On Thursday mornings, over a dozen social-service agencies are present in the building to assist community members. The Nisga'a Valley Health Authority brings a mobile medical unit to provide basic health care; the local Salvation Army chapter provides hot soup; and volunteers hand out coffee, baked goods, and hygiene kits. In cold weather, visitors are provided access to a room with winter coats and winter outerwear.
• Other days and evenings: The facility hosts a weekly Men’s Shed program for peer support, a cleanup crew in collaboration with the city that employs community members to pick up litter downtown, multiple recovery groups (AA, NA, etc.), a grief support group, and occasional community workshops.

Terrace is located on traditional Indigenous territory, and local social challenges disproportionately affect Indigenous residents. Bandstra estimates that over 80 percent of the people who use the facility on Thursdays are Indigenous. Seeking to address these realities effectively, The Garage partners directly with Indigenous-led agencies and organizations.

Bandstra noted that a sermon Pastor Joel Ringma delivered recently on Exodus helped to put the ministry's purpose into perspective for her:

"He preached on Moses, and how the people cried out to God and God heard them," Bandstra shared. "I realized that’s a big part of why The Garage exists. So many Indigenous families have faced deep trauma, loss, and hardship. God hears those cries, and this space represents just one small way to respond with practical care and support."

The Garage operates entirely on volunteer power, with Bandstra serving as the volunteer executive director alongside an unpaid board. The organization is currently awaiting final CRA approval for charitable status.

Five years after the beginning of this ministry, Bandstra plans to mark the milestone while celebrating her birthday during a regular Thursday outreach morning alongside the volunteers, agency workers, and community members who use the space.

"When people walk through the door, the goal is simple: we want them to know that they are cared for and respected and that they matter," Bandstra said. "We preach the gospel strongly through our faith in action, without words. Many people—both Indigenous and non-Indigenous—have been hurt by the church and their words. We want to show that we love and care without an agenda.”