Get to Know the Broom Tree Foundation
It’s been an incredible year for our friends at the Broom Tree Foundation. After years of dedicated work supporting women across in Lacombe and surrounding area, Broom Tree received their charitable status in July 2025. In November, they moved into a beautiful new space donated by the Lacombe Pentecostal Church, transforming their capacity to fulfill their mission of providing refuge, restoration and rebuilding to women and their families.
Who is the Broom Tree Foundation, and what do they do?
Here’s what you need to know about this vital community organization.
Their Mission
The Broom Tree Foundation provides safe, supportive housing and comprehensive programming for women in crisis. Their approach goes beyond shelter to create pathways to independence through transitional housing, life skills training, direct personal connections, and wraparound support services.
The Broom Tree Foundation also operates the Broom Tree Café, a social enterprise that empowers people who have been excluded from work opportunities.
Their Impact
The numbers tell a powerful story:
- 60 women and children have been housed in Broom Tree’s three transitional units and community housing
- 27 women and children have been provided emergency stays in local hotels
- over 500 women have been supported, not including their children, by providing food security, ongoing groups that build community, opportunities to form connections through the Broom Tree Sister Program, resource navigation, therapy support, and assistance with immediate needs related to addiction or domestic violence
- 50 volunteers have been trained to walk alongside others in need of support, encouragement, and friendship in the Broom Tree sisters Program
Recent Growth
The incredible gift of a building and land by the Lacombe Pentecostal Church will allow the Broom Tree to both maintain and increase their capacity. This new space will house the foundation’s offices, expand their programming space, and add two additional transitional suites. This expansion comes at a critical time, as housing insecurity and women’s safety remain pressing concerns across Alberta.
The Broom Tree Foundation also recently received a $100,000 donation of securities, facilitated by the Community Foundation, which will further help to provide financial stability for their expanded operations.
“Donations of securities allow donors to make substantial impact while receiving tax advantages. This is a win-win that enables organizations like Broom Tree to plan for sustainable, long-term programming and operations.” – Erin Peden, CFCAB Executive Director
Why It Matters
Behind every statistic are individual stories of transformation. Women who needed Broom Tree for safety, housing, and support are now building healthy relationships, returning to school, securing employment, attaining stable housing, and breaking cycles of trauma.
The Broom Tree Foundation’s success is really Lacombe’s success story. The work they are doing is a testament to what’s possible when a community comes together to support its most vulnerable members. As they settle into their new home, they’re expanding both their physical footprint, as well as their ability to serve each woman who needs a helping hand in seeking a new beginning.
“The Broom Tree’s work is rooted in understanding and resilience. They know that when a woman has compassionate support and a stable place to call home, everything else becomes possible. Every day, the Broom Tree is fostering healing, growth, independence.” – Erin Peden, CFCAB Executive Director
With their work, the Broom Tree Foundation is planting seeds of transformation in Central Alberta. The harvest they’re cultivating is measured in rebuilt lives, restored dignity, and renewed hope. These stories of hope will continue to nourish the community for generations to come.
