New name, same mission for poverty-fighting SUMS Place in Whalley
Published 11:30 am Friday, June 19, 2026
After 30 years of work to address homelessness and poverty in Whalley, Surrey Urban Mission Society is now known as SUMS Place.
The new name was introduced during a SUMS Place annual general meeting Thursday, June 18 at Civic Hotel, along with a five-year strategic plan for the faith-based, nonprofit charitable organization, founded in 1995.
“This is the next natural step in who we’ve become,” said William Myers, CEO of SUMS Place Society.
“We started with the help of the local church, people who wanted to help their neighbours,” he added. “Thirty years later, we operate more than 140 shelter beds annually and serve hundreds of meals a day. The name SUMS Place captures what people already know us as: a place to belong for everyone in need. Our new strategic plan sets out how we’ll honour that promise for the next five years and beyond.”
Myers, a lifelong Surrey resident, was hired as CEO in May 2024, replacing Jack O’Halloran. With a background in public health and non-profit management, Myers had previously worked for Fraser Health, Canadian Red Cross and governments.
SUMS Place, headquartered at 10776 King George Blvd., provides emergency shelter, food security, case management and care to adults.