THE CHRISTMAS FUND
Here are the 14 agencies for which the Herald is raising funds
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, a simple statistic speaks volumes, too. We’ve rounded up some of the most telling numbers gleaned from the 14 social agencies for which we are raising money this year.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has already given so generously to our 25th annual campaign. The Calgary Herald Christmas Fund is accepting donations until midnight Dec. 31.
$50,000
Treating youth addiction
Average cost of treatment to help an adolescent and his or her family recover from the devastating disease of addiction. The Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre will not turn clients away because they’re unable to pay, so every year AARC must raise funds to meet the shortfall between this cost and what families can afford to pay.
96%
Nurturing resilience
Percentage of women in the Alcove Addiction Recovery for Women program who report a history of abuse, be it physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual and/or financial. As part of its mandate, Alcove provides residential recovery services, counselling and life-skills training for women and their children.
90% +
Keeping women and children safe, strong
Percentage of the women and children who stay at The Brenda Strafford Centre who do not return to their abusers. The second-stage shelter and progressive housing program run by The Brenda Strafford Society for the Prevention of Domestic Violence helps women and their children who have been subjected to violence achieve long-term stability.
$1
Feeding hungry schoolkids
Cost per lunch from Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids. The charity feeds 2,500 schoolchildren free, nutritious, ready-to-eat lunches every week day and estimates it will distribute more than 300,000 lunches to hungry kids throughout the city this school year.
80%
Protecting elders
Estimated percentage of elder abuse — physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or financial — that goes unreported in Canada. Carya’s Elder Abuse Response Team pairs social workers with police officers to remove abusers, often family members, from the home, freeze bank accounts and otherwise empower seniors.
7,000
Housing the homeless
Number of families and individuals who have been housed since 2008 when Calgary started on a bold path to end homelessness in 10 years. With the supports and the case management required to help them maintain their housing, the Calgary Homeless Foundation says over 90 per cent remain housed.
$500
Reducing stress for the sexually assaulted
Cost of a “third option kit” offered by the Calgary Sexual Assault Response Team. Medical staff use the kit to collect and store evidence after a sexual assault, allowing the victim up to a year to think about whether or not to press criminal charges. It reduces the stress that can come from reporting to police immediately, although police urge action as soon as possible.
70-90%
Helping preschoolers catch up
Lag in development of the threeto five-year-olds helped by the EvenStart For Children Foundation. Its one-of-a-kind program brings children who come from backgrounds of poverty, physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence and neglect to an “even start” by the time they begin grade school.
2,297
Sheltering families
Number of individuals Inn from the Cold served in 2014, including 1,244 children and youth under age 17 — an increase of 130 per cent over the previous year. The Inn shelters children and their families — now the fastest growing demographic affected by homelessness.
32,000
Putting kids in the game
Number of Calgary and area kids who’ve had the opportunity to play organized sports since 1995, thanks to financial assistance from KidSport Calgary. The charity works to remove financial barriers for parents and has distributed over $ 6.4 million in sport registration fees in 20 years.
26,379
Dishing up family support
Servings of healthy homemade meals and baked goods provided to families in need last year. Made By Momma provides immediate relief to families in need by fulfilling life’s essential demands such as hunger and clothing. It also provides social support for families faced with adversity, illness or crises.
2,300
Getting troubled youth on track
Annual number of children and youth faced with challenges such as physical and sexual abuse, family conflict, illness, addictions, poverty and trauma who are helped by the McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association. Christmas Fund monies will go directly to a program that helps an additional 30 to 40 youth released from the justice system get the support they need.
30-40%
Preventing further violence
Estimated percentage of Canadian women experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime, according to Statistics Canada. Peer Support Services for Women serves those who have experienced or are at risk of abuse and want to achieve violencefree lives for themselves and their children.
9,163
Tapping a wellspring
Volunteer hours donated by 169 volunteers to Wellspring Calgary in 2014. The charitable organization helps people living with cancer as they face non-medical challenges — often related to work, relationships and financial matters — in their battle with the disease. Its many programs are free.
AMOUNT RAISED TO DATE: $1,085,368.44 from 2,555 donors