A bridge to hope since 1995.
Our Story
Our History
For more than two decades, the people of Whalley have known where to turn when they had nowhere else to go. What is today SUMS Place Society began not as an organization, but as an act of faith — a church community choosing to meet its neighbours in their hardest moments and to love them as Christ loves us.
OUR JOURNEY
A History of Faith in Action
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Our story begins with the Lutheran Urban Mission (LUMS) in 1995, the early ministry through which the Lutheran Church first reached out to people experiencing homelessness and poverty in North Surrey.
Before there were registrations, buildings, or formal programs, there were volunteers answering a simple call: to bring care and hope to those in need.
That call took shape in 2000, when the British Columbia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) formed the mission as an ecumenical ministry to serve the North Surrey community.
The work began out of the former Christ the King Lutheran Church at 104th Avenue and University Boulevard, and grew steadily on the strength of dedicated volunteers, committed staff, and generous donors.
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As the need in our community deepened, so did the organization behind the work. Formalized under the BC Societies Act, the ministry that began as the Lutheran Urban Mission carries its founding spirit into an enduring structure.
A turning point came in 2012, when the Christ the King Lutheran Church property was sold for development. Through the BC Synod, the proceeds were directed toward securing a permanent home for the mission.
In September 2013, SUMS became a registered charity and relocated to its own facility at 10776 King George Boulevard — a place to put down roots and serve the community for the long term.
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From a community kitchen and a place of welcome, SUMS grew into a 24-hour shelter operator serving the Whalley neighbourhood across multiple sites. Alongside hot meals, shelter, clean clothing, and a warm shower, the mission built a staff team to walk with people as they moved forward — through outreach and case management, support to obtain housing and identification, financial assistance, and referrals to recovery and mental health resources.
Partnership has been central to that growth. With the support of our partners, donors, committed staff, and amazing volunteers, we are able to provide a hand-up to guests through Faith, Shelter, Meals and Casework. Today, the mission functions as a hub — connecting our most vulnerable neighbours with the services that help them stabilize and thrive.
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The mission has carried two names with one overarching goal — Surrey Urban Mission Society, now SUMS Place Society — we remain a faith-based social safety net rooted in Whalley, actively serving and supporting the most vulnerable people in our community as they face real need.
What began as a small act of faith continues, every day, as a presence of care and hope. We are grateful to the volunteers, staff, donors, and partners who have carried this work forward — and to the community that has made SUMS Place its own.
It started with a simple call to love our neighbours.
What began through the Lutheran Urban Mission was never just about programs or buildings. It was about people responding to a call to serve their neighbours with compassion and dignity.
Long before formal organizations existed, volunteers, churches, and community members came together to offer practical support and hope to those facing hardship in North Surrey.
SUMS Place Society acknowledges with deep respect and gratitude that our work takes place on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional territories of the q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Semyome (Semiahmoo), and Sc̓əwaθən (Tsawwassen) First Nations, including the broader Coast Salish homelands, Métis, and Inuit people. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to these Nations for allowing us to live, work, and serve on their lands, and we commit to ensuring that our programs, services, and strategic priorities are informed by a spirit of respect, inclusion, and collaboration.
Land Acknowledgement
At SUMS Place Society, equity and belonging are at the core of everything we do. We are committed to ensuring all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or social condition, are free from discrimination, and are treated with dignity and respect.
Through inclusive leadership, low barrier programs, and inclusive policies, we work to respond to the diverse needs of our community. Our approach is grounded in lived experience, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and meaningful partnerships.
We are dedicated to creating safe, welcoming spaces where every person is valued and supported.
We are a bridge to hope for all.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
What began as a small act of faith continues every day as a place of belonging, hope, and community.
