Get ready to be surprised! CHF Pop Up Party is coming!

 

It’ll be a dinner extravaganza with meaning and a touch of intrigue. We want to take you back to the rise of jazz and swing, sinuous dress and art deco in our brand new fundraiser: Calgary Homeless Foundation Pop Up Party.

The fun launches this October 15th.

We’ll have some live entertainment, a dinner that nods to 1940’s supper clubs, handcrafted cocktails and fashion that charms. However, our lips are sealed on the location until the night before!

We want you to be there in support of bringing Calgarians home before the snow hits. Since the launch of Calgary’s Plan to End Homelessness in 2008, almost 8,000 people in Calgary have been housed with supports. They are thriving in our communities and Calgarians have played a role in making that happen. Be a part of the mission of housing more people by putting yourself on the guest list.

So brush up on your swing moves, lower your hemlines and rummage up some elbow-length gloves; dream about ending homelessness in Calgary, and imagine a new place to eat dinner.

Click HERE for tickets and info.

And remember. It’s a secret where you’ll be dining!  We promise. You will be surprised!

The mighty difference of Colborne’s Forces

This past June, Colborne’s Forces, a community program launched by Calgary Flames forward Joe Colborne in November 2014, produced its first Benefit Concert to support Alberta veterans. Portions of the money raised went to benefit the unique needs of past members of Canada’s Armed Forces and to support military museums around the province. This is not the first time Colborne has shown support for our troops, and is known to purchase season tickets for members to attend every Flames’ home game, and ensures they get a chance to meet the team afterwards.

“I have always had a deep respect for the work that the Canadian Armed Forces do to protect our country and I am humbled to be able to give back to them through this program, Colborne’s Forces. They sacrifice so much for our freedom and I can’t thank them enough for their honour and commitment to our country” – Joe Colborne

A portion of the funds raised went to support The Madison, a 15 unit apartment building in the Beltline District of Calgary. Owned by the Calgary Community Land Trust, the Madison is operated by Alpha House Society Calgary through program funding from the Calgary Homeless Foundation. The Madison provides formerly homeless veterans receive housing and support 24/7 and an opportunity to reclaim their lives, dignity and respect after homelessness.

On August 23, the Calgary Homeless Foundation gratefully received a cheque for $2,500 from Joe Colborne on behalf of Colborne’s Forces for the benefit of The Madison and its residents.

Thank you to Joe Colborne and Colborne’s Forces, volunteers, planners and supporters who came together to make this event possible, and for ultimately helping Calgary veterans find a life beyond homelessness.

 

If you had the power to end homelessness, would you?

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This year’s Giving Tuesday has kicked off an exciting new development towards ending homelessness in Calgary. Sponsor Energy, an energy retailer that sells electricity and natural gas to socially conscious consumers in Alberta, has the means to turn an ordinary, everyday purchase of electricity and gas into a tool to change the world and they’re doing so one non for profit, one business, one Calgarian at a time.

The Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) is now Sponsor Energy’s newest Community Partner; this partnership allows a consumer with Sponsor Energy, someone like you, to choose CHF as its recipient charity of choice when they power their home.

“The concept of harnessing a commodity that everyone needs to use daily in order to empower our communities is brilliant,” says Diana Krecsy, President & CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation. “We are incredibly grateful to Sponsor Energy for their partnership with us and we are looking forward to what this partnership can bring to those experiencing homelessness in our city.”

Over the next three months, CHF and Sponsor Energy are hoping to inspire 250 homes and five businesses in Calgary to make the switch, while selecting CHF as their charity of choice. For the length of the three month campaign, 100% of the profits from the energy consumption from those who have switched over, is donated to CHF. 50% of the profits post-campaign are donated each month after that for the entire duration of the consumers contract.

“It’s never too late to incorporate what matters,” says Carolyn Martin, CEO of Sponsor Energy. “You can always integrate having an impact on your world and on your community, into your life. Our newest partnerships gives our consumers the power to house those experiencing homelessness.”

You can make the switch. Turning on your lights can transform into a home for someone else. It’s as simple as reaching out and asking how. Be a part of ending homelessness in Calgary.

Click here to sign up today!

For more information, and those who are interested in donating to CHF through the Sponsor Energy partnership are encouraged to contact Ben Crews, Manager, Development at the Calgary Homeless Foundation for more information.

Ben Crews
Manager, Development
Calgary Homeless Foundation
ben@calgaryhomeless.com

Christmas with greengate Garden Centres always means just a little bit more…

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“It came without ribbons, it came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags.” And he puzzled and puzzled ‘till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more…”

Christmas with greengate Garden Centres always means just a little bit more. While each year greengate outdoes themselves with magazine worthy pre-decorated Christmas Trees, fresh cider daily for their guests and Christmas gift options for every age, they have never forgotten what Christmas is truly about: caring for our fellow Calgarians.

Each year for the past fourteen years, greengate Garden Centres and its owners, the Telford family, have helped Calgarians experiencing homelessness with their “Help the Homeless this Holiday” Campaign. In addition to collecting monetary donations, greengate also serves as a drop-off location for items such as gently used winter wear, recreational activity passes, Calgary Transit bus passes, gifts cards to grocery stores, Tim Hortons gift cards and toiletries.

“As a family, we have been very fortunate and it has always been important to us to give to the less fortunate families and kids in our community,” says Harrington Telford, one of the owners of greengate Garden Centres.  “We also believe it’s important for us to encourage others to give as well which is why we collect donations every year. We love doing it because it makes us feel good.”

The impact of their time and donations is incredible. More than 3 truckloads of clothing, winter jackets and blankets were delivered to agencies, through the Calgary Homeless Foundation, before Christmas last year. Another large load of toiletries, transit passes, gift cards and children’s activity passes were shared amongst the agencies who serve Calgary’s most vulnerable. This year, they hope to be able to give even more.

“We know times are really tough in our community, especially for people who have no place to call home and no shelter during our cold Calgary winters. This is why we have always held our biggest charity campaign over the Christmas season,” shares Harrington. “We are aware of how much the Calgary Homeless Foundation has helped citizens in Calgary through their support of charities that help the homeless and we are very proud to be associated with an organization that does such a great job.”

To learn more about greengate Garden Centres visit www.greengate.ca.

Thank you to our December Donors

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The Calgary Homeless Foundation would like to thank two donors who have made a big impact this holiday season: greengate Garden Centres Ltd and Sponsor Energy.

For 14 years, greengate Garden Centres Ltd and the Telford family have helped Calgarians end homelessness through their “Help the Homeless this Holiday” Campaign, hosted every December. This year they have already donated over two truckloads of clothing, winter jackets and blankets that CHF is then able to deliver to frontline agencies in Calgary and the campaign still has to weeks left. This act of kindness led by the Telford Family is a great example of how Calgarians can help end homelessness in Calgary.

This year’s Giving Tuesday has kicked off an exciting new development towards ending homelessness in Calgary. Sponsor Energy, an energy retailer that sells electricity and natural gas to socially conscious consumers in Alberta, has the means to turn an ordinary, everyday purchase of electricity and gas into a tool to change the world and they’re doing so one non for profit, one business, one Calgarian at a time. The Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) is now Sponsor Energy’s newest Community Partner; this partnership allows a consumer with Sponsor Energy to choose CHF as its recipient charity of choice when they power their home. Over the next three months, CHF and Sponsor Energy are hoping to inspire 250 homes and five businesses in Calgary to make the switch, while selecting CHF as their charity of choice. For the length of the three month campaign, 100% of the profits from the energy consumption from those who have switched over, is donated to CHF. 50% of the profits post-campaign are donated each month after that for the entire duration of the consumers contract.

Thank you to both greengate Garden Centres and Sponsor for making the choice to be a part of ending homelessness in Calgary! We couldn’t do it without partners like you.

Thank you Foothills Camera Club!

We would like to say a special thank you to Foothills Camera Club! Their donation of 150 pieces of art has inspired the Art Cart program that gives beautiful art pieces to Calgarians who have formerly experienced homelessness. The Art Cart program has given many individuals the ability to transform a living space into a home. Ida from Aurora on the Park explains, “For a lot of our clients, this is the first time they’re able to call somewhere ‘home’. We are very appreciative of the space that’s been given to us and through generous donations, we are able to make this space feel very much like a home for our residents. Not only have they acquired shelter, they are proud of where they reside. I’ve heard clients speaking to loved ones on the phone, and exclaiming how beautiful their new home is, and it’s really heartwarming to hear!”

This program is special because it can be very hard to get essential items when you are first trying to set up a house, and these photographs provide that personal finishing touch that every home needs. One YW case worker at Providence House says, “Thanks so much for the gifts that allow people to personalize and add individual touches to their homes. It really helps to make it their own.”

The art pieces from the Foothills Camera Club have been distributed across the sector and are now being enjoyed by youth, individuals and families. In addition, three new buildings that opened in 2016 are all benefitting from the art work, providing a great warm welcome to the tenants who will call these buildings home.

“Thank you. I never thought I would have a home and now I have a home and a piece of art.” – Youth recipient.

Foothills Camera Club Blog Post photo

On December 20th, Ben Crews and Sharon deBoer-Fyie joined the camera club to say thank you and to accept a few special pieces, pictured above.

Support youth with Shaw Birdies for Kids!

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Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) is pleased to be named one of the 200+ youth supporting organizations in Alberta that will be a recipient of this year’s Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink.

CHF currently funds eight youth programs in Calgary’s Homeless-Serving System of Care. Your donation to CHF, through Shaw Charity Classic, will be matched up to 50% increasing support to youth in-need, in our community.