Yellowknife (May 06/05) - Two longstanding pillars of strength and service in the community are bidding adieu to Yellowknife.

After 15 years, Al and Karen Hoeft, both majors with the Salvation Army, are moving on to new roles within the Army in Winnipeg.

Their transfer is official for July 1.

"It's been an incredible growing experience," Al said of his time in Yellowknife.

Karen recalls her first impression of the capital: "It was beautiful. It was small and intimate, yet broad and diverse. We thought it was the best of both worlds."

They worked from the current Polar Parka building, and the congregation of about 20 worshiped at the Seventh Day Adventist church.

The Giant Mine disaster was an opportunity to be among the first to respond at the hospital and to work with families involved.

"It was a defining moment in our stay here," Al said.

"It wasn't about taking sides, it was being involved and walking through it with people who had various perspectives about what was going on," he added.

Saying goodbye to Yellowknife is bittersweet for the Hoefts. Participating in births, weddings and deaths has strengthened their bond with Yellowknife.

"You get to laugh with people and you get to cry with them," Karen said.

Working in what she defines as a very spiritual ministry, Karen said they both depended on prayer and "a very big God" to get them through challenges.

The best thing

"The best things we've ever done were during the times when they were out of our control," she said of their strong belief of God.

The Hoefts moved to the current Salvation Army location on Franklin Ave. in 1991.

Within its walls are the church, a drug and alcohol counselling program and a homeless shelter and soup kitchen. They provide emergency food, Christmas food hampers and conduct the Red Shield appeal campaign and the Christmas kettle fundraising program.

The Hoefts said the Salvation Army helps with advocacy, preparing income tax forms or looking for work through other resources.

One of the greatest challenges in the position, however, is walking with people through the events and challenges of their lives.

"That can be a very big struggle because people can have various and significant needs," Al said.

"A big challenge is to continue to give hope when people feel hopeless," Karen said.

Al said that "one of the things we have experienced here in Yellowknife is an overwhelming acceptance and support of the work that we, as the Salvation Army, have done.

"It's exciting to be able to leave that for those that will follow. It's an incredible environment to work in from the Salvation Army's perspective.

"We are known here in Yellowknife in ways that the Salvation Army ministry is not known in many, many other communities."