Why e4c?
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Our History
In the mid 60s, the reverends from McDougall United Church, First Baptist Church, Augustana Lutheran Church and All Saints’ Anglican Cathedral began meeting to discuss various issues, including their shared concern about Edmonton’s inner city poor. Those discussions eventually evolved into a plan of action that saw the Edmonton City Centre Church Corporation incorporated in 1970.
This groundbreaking partnership received both national and international news coverage. They were brought together and inspired by their shared compassion and concern for those living in poverty, and by a tenacious, courageous belief that they could make a difference. The founding partners were later joined by two other churches – St. Joseph’s Catholic Basilica and the Anglican Parish of Christ Church – who both share e4c’s commitment to helping Edmonton’s most vulnerable people.
Over the years, e4c evolved from a patchwork of services to a large non-profit organization that operates more than 20 distinct programs to meet the changing needs of the community. Today, e4c employs over 400 staff and touches the lives of over 19,100 Edmontonians each year.
We are still guided by the same compassionate, non-judgmental belief in the dignity of all people that brought our founders together. Our logo pays tribute to that past, with the three external leaves representing the Holy Trinity and our faith-based beginnings. The four internal leaves represent our core values of Courage, Compassion, Connection and Commitment, which drive us and influence the work we do within the city. Together, these images show how our past and present combine to inspire our work and enable us to walk alongside the people we serve.