20

Years the Calgary chapter of KidSport has been working to remove financial barriers for parents wanting to enrol their children in organized sports.

92

Number of kids funded for enrolment in organized sports in 1995, KidSport Calgary’s first year.

4,100

Number of registrations KidSport Calgary expects to fund this year, up from 3,400 in 2014.

$1.2 million

Total estimated amount of registration fees KidSport expects to pay in 2015, breaking last year’s record of $919,000.

270

Number of kids outfitted with sports equipment in the first six months of 2014 from Comrie’s Sports Equipment Bank, a partner agency with KidSport Calgary.

45

Number of different sport programs funded by KidSport Calgary this year.

32,000

Number of Calgary and area kids who have had the opportunity to play organized sports since 1995, thanks to financial assistance from KidSport Calgary.

On her daily walks to work from Bankview to the Beltline district, Caroline North Peigan frequently encounters members of Calgary’s homeless population.

When she does, North Peigan makes sure to cross the street — and head straight towards them with outstretched arms.

“They’re my street family,” explains the 53-year-old. “I’m closer to many of them than to my biological family. I am still one of them.”

These days, though, North Peigan is a full-fledged member of the working world. “It used to be my dream to work at CUPS,” she says of the organization dedicated to helping individuals and families in Calgary overcome poverty.

“But when I was living on the street, it seemed an impossible dream.”

This year marks 25 years that the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund has been helping local charities come to the aid of people such as North Peigan, often transforming lives in the process.

According to Carlene Donnelly, executive director of CUPS, the Herald Christmas Fund has done much more than simply provide needed funding for its many programs. “It has quite simply brought community together, which in and of itself has a huge, positive impact.”

It has also, she says, ignited giving across the city each holiday season. “Those funds go a huge way toward helping charities help families, above and beyond the stressors of just presents.”

North Peigan counts herself among the thousands of Calgarians whose lives were transformed after walking through the doors of CUPS.

Caroline North Peigan overcame years of abuse and addictions and now works full-time as a receptionist at CUPS.

As the funny, straight-talking CUPS receptionist will readily admit, in her case it wasn’t exactly an overnight transformation. “I’d be drinking outside the front doors, getting high in the bathroom,” she says of her former self.

“One time I got into a fight in the lobby,” she adds with a hearty laugh. “I was barred from CUPS for two weeks.”

After decades of such self-destructive behaviours, North Peigan now has a good handle on what led her down a path of alcohol and drug abuse.

“No security, no stability, no love,” she says of her formative years as a young girl growing up in the Crowsnest Pass.

As one of 13 children born to alcoholic parents on the Piikani Nation near Brocket — “I was in the middle of the pack,” she says — North Peigan entered the child welfare system at age 7.

Thus began years of being shunted from one foster home to the next. “There were good ones and bad ones,” says North Peigan, who has a hazy experience of being sexually abused at age 12. “But nothing ever lasted for long.”

Her last foster placement, she says, was with a woman who was verbally and psychologically abusive. “She was a screamer and I was her slave,” she says of the home she fled on her 18^th birthday. “It was when I was living there that I really started shutting down.”

Once liberated, she moved to Calgary and got a job at a 7-Eleven store. “That’s when I became an acid freak,” she says. At one point, she says, she took five tabs of LSD while playing a card game. “We were playing for hits.”

At age 20, North Peigan found out she was pregnant. The news scared her straight, for at least a few years. “Not once was I involved with child welfare when he was living with me,” she says of her son Michael, now 33 and living on the Piikani Nation. “But it was hard, because I didn’t know how to be a parent.”

In time, though, North Peigan’s earlier demons came back to haunt her. Although she’d periodically clean up long enough to take school courses or hold a job for a few months, by the mid-2000s she was one of Calgary’s 3,000-plus homeless.

“I was sleeping outside in -40 below weather, drinking Listerine, drinking rubby,” she says, referring to the street name for rubbing alcohol. She found her way to CUPS in 2005, although it took her five more years to decide to make a change.

“I asked my case worker if she could find me a Bible-study buddy.” She and her new study partner would meet in local coffee shops, reading verses aloud, talking about their lives. “With that support, I started healing.”

After finding an affordable apartment with the help of a CUPS housing program, in 2011 North Peigan took her last drink, her last hit of drugs.

In 2014, after volunteering as a CUPS receptionist over the summer months, she was hired as a full-time staff member.

It’s a job where she’s daily reminded of her past struggles, but also her success. “When clients who I know from before come in, they’re really impressed to see me behind a desk,” she says proudly. “And if I can, I take the time to spend time with them, letting them know I’m praying for them.”

If she sees them when she’s not at work, they’ll be greeted with her trademark hug. “The people at CUPS believed in me more than I believed in myself,” she says. “Now, they’ve given me the chance to do that for my street family. I love them all dearly.”

vfortney@calgaryherald.com

twitter.com/valfortney

He’s a 63-year-old bear of a man who readily admits to his share of fist fights over the decades.

She’s a fresh-faced 19-year-old with aspirations to teach the next generation of youngsters.

Somehow, though, the two have become thick as thieves.

“I have a friendship that’s not with another 19-year-old girl,” says Erica Bayley, who every week meets up with Alex Hupe at the Blackfoot Truck Stop for breakfast and a game of Scrabble. “With Alex, I get other views about the world.”

For Hupe, a father of four and grandfather of five, it’s an unlikely friendship that has literally saved his life. “I really don’t think I could have learned from anyone else,” he says of the gal who taught him the game of Scrabble. “She’s pretty incredible.”

A hopeful combination on the board during a game of Scrabble between volunteer Erica Bayley and client Alex Hupe at The Alex Community Health Centre.

That’s because Bayley taught her older pal more than just how to play Scrabble; over the past two years, the University of Calgary education major has been teaching him how to read and write.

“I can read at a Grade 5 level now, although my spelling needs a bit of work,” says Hupe with a laugh as he and Bayley meet up at The Alex, the local organization where they met back in early 2013. “Erica is one of my guardian angels.”

This year marks 25 years that the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund has been helping local charities that come to the aid of people like Alex Hupe, often transforming lives in the process.

“The Calgary Herald Christmas Fund has been instrumental in keeping our mobile bus fleet rolling,” says Shelley Heartwell, executive director of the organization that provides primary medical care, housing support and other services for the city’s most vulnerable. “As a result of (that) generosity, The Alex has been able to make a profound impact in our community.”

People like Hupe, she says, are shining examples of the miracles that can come out of the generosity of Calgarians each December.

When he first walked in the doors of The Alex, Hupe was recovering from a heart attack, no longer able to handle the physical demands of his job as a heavy-equipment operator.

“I had gone to the Talisman Centre for heart conditioning and they realized I was depressed and suicidal,” he says. “They recommended The Alex to me.”

What Hupe didn’t realize at the time was that the root of his problems could be found in a secret he’d kept for nearly six decades: he was functionally illiterate, his reading and writing skills at barely a Grade 2 level.

Originally from Winnipeg, he started playing hooky from school in Grade 3. Within a few years, he had dropped out completely, getting himself into all kinds of trouble in his hardscrabble neighbourhood in the city’s notorious north end.

“I spent time in reform school and then jail,” Hupe says, noting his crimes in those days included car thefts and break- and-enters. “I was always getting into fights — people would laugh at me when they found out I couldn’t read or write.”

By the early 1990s, his life was back on track, thanks to his new job as a heavy-equipment operator. “You just dig and backfill,” he says. “No reading or writing required.”

Hupe, who had moved with his wife and kids to Calgary in the late 1970s — the couple split up after eight years of marriage — says that even they didn’t know his secret. “If my kids had questions about their homework, I’d just tell them to ask their mother,” he says. If he needed to fill out forms, he’d take them to his brother, about the only person on the planet who knew.

All that fell apart after his heart attack. When he walked into The Alex, Hupe got his first hug in years when social worker Julie Imbach greeted her new client. “After talking to Julie for about two hours, I didn’t feel suicidal anymore,” he says with a smile.

Imbach helped Hupe fill out forms for such things as disability support; then, she introduced him to her daughter, Erica Bayley, who had offered to volunteer her services as a tutor. “Julie first suggested Bow Valley College, but I was scared to be in a big class,” he says.

Today, Hupe can read street signs, restaurant menus and the newspaper. His new-found literacy also re-connected him with his son and two daughters — his youngest son passed away in 2012 — along with their kids. “Before, I felt it was too late to start anything new,” he says. “Coming to The Alex changed my life.”

For his young teacher, a truly magic moment came at a recent event when Hupe spoke before a large crowd. “He was talking about what it was like not knowing how to read,” she says, “reading from a speech that he wrote.”

Still, he lets his younger friend win most Scrabble games. “He’s good for my confidence,” says Bayley with a laugh, as Hupe chimes in: “And she’s good for mine.”

vfortney@calgaryherald.com

twitter.com/valfortney

It started with a glass of milk, a determined newspaper staff and a publisher who believed when one goes home at the end of a day, the community should be a better place.

Former Herald columnist Catherine Ford wrote one of the first Christmas Fund columns in 1991.

That was 1991. A Herald columnist had written earlier that year about the Boys and Girls Clubs’ school nutrition program and the Children’s Milk Fund which provided milk for needy and hungry children, another staff member said “something should be done,” and Kevin Peterson, an enlightened publisher, put this all in motion. The initial $5,000 donated on behalf of the newspaper and a further donation in his and his wife Sheila O’Brien’s names launched the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund.

In announcing the Christmas Fund, Peterson wrote: “Although Christmas is the reason for this effort, we are allowing the groups to spend their proceeds throughout the year, bringing smiles and the yuletide spirit to children after Santa has returned home. Trips to the zoo, warm clothes, toys for children who leave battered homes with nothing, and food for Calgary children who arrive at school hungry every day are some of the projects your donations will support.”

The headline on that first column said it all: “Help us bring joy to a needy child’s life.”

One of the recipients of that first campaign was the Children’s Milk Fund. For that first year of the Herald Christmas Fund, it was my privilege to write about the milk program, something that was dear to my heart. (To this day, more than 25 years later, I still cherish the aprons the group supplied for their previous fundraising efforts.)

I wrote, and still believe: “I might wax philosophical about children and milk, but that philosophy is born out of a deep and abiding realization that of all the food a child needs and wants, nothing replaces milk. And for a child to go without milk is unconscionable. To give milk to a child is to give life. Of course it’s more than symbolic. Of all the programs for needy children that fill tummies and warm toes, milk has a special place.”

The first year involved the Herald newsroom, whose columnists wrote about each of the charities while others donated their time, efforts and, indeed, their own money to the campaign. In later years, prominent Calgarians were invited to write.

It was an amazing, staff-led program, inspired by the spirit of the season and the realization that through our efforts, something actually could be done. I was proud to be part of that first campaign and all the subsequent ones until I retired. At first, inspired by Peterson’s passion for the project, we thought we’d raise a few bucks to help children in need and were amazed — gobsmacked — at the generosity of our readers.

Then, as now, the Herald covers administrative costs with all of the money raised going directly to the charities involved. Throughout the past 25 years those charities have changed and the scope of the Herald Christmas Fund has widened, but its heart has stayed the same — a local company and its employees giving back to friends and neighbours, trying to make our community a better place.

These are challenging times for Alberta and particularly for Calgary. It would be comforting to think that needy children and families are a thing of the past. They are not, and on this 25^th anniversary of the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund, need remains.

Catherine Ford is a former Calgary Herald columnist.

The event had a Harry Potter theme, and it certainly was a magical night for kids and adults alike at the 2015 Candy Cane Gala, held Dec. 3 at the Telus Convention Centre, where organizers conjured up a night of fine food and fun for over 1,700 guests.

The gala raised more than $840,000 (net), during the evening ably hosted by Global Calgary’s Gord Gilles, to support of life-saving care initiatives at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Fitting then that over half the gala’s guests were children.

The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation works to inspire the Calgary community to invest in excellence in child health, research and family centred care.

As the official fundraising body for the Alberta Children’s Hospital, all money raised by the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation is re-invested in the hospital and child health needs in this region.

The foundation’s programs include specialized life-saving equipment and advanced pediatric research and education at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

From the wit and wisdom of Dumbledore, to the enchanting owls and Candy Cane Alley, guests at the gala enjoyed all the evening had to offer and left knowing they have made a significant difference to children and families in our community.

Among the honoured guests were:
Chris Potter, Chair of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation Board and Saifa Koonar, the foundation’s President and C.E.O.; Dr. Brent Scott, Dr. Naweed Syed, Alberta Childrens Hospital Research Institute; Dr. Jim Kellner, Margaret Fullerton, Dr. Mark Anselmo, Alberta Children’s Hospital; Dr. Angelo Mikrogianakis, Chief of ER, Alberta Children’s Hospital, with his wife Agnes who is on the Candy Cane committee; Randy Findlay, past Board Chair of ACHF and his wife Claudia; Claudio Milazzo, Manager, Transportation and Distribution at Petrogas Energy Corp. (the gala’s premium sponsor) and Maryn Milazzo with children Sophia and Thomas; Penny Sirr, Controller at Petrogas, and Ian Farquharson and son Quinton Farquharson; David Storoshenko, Chief Operating Officer at Petrogas, Kelli Storoshenko and children Braydon, MacKenzie and Beau; and Ann McCaig, Patron of Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, with Jane McCaig, Rich Waller and Anthony Waller.

A special honour went to Payton Langenau, this year’s Champion Child, who received life-saving treatment at the Alberta Chidren’s Hospital.

Claudio Milazzo, manager, transportation and distribution at Petrogas Energy Corp, and his wife Maryn Milazzo, arrive at the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, on Dec. 3, 2015.

Triston Lachance strikes a pose as Harry Potter at the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. The evening had a Harry Potter theme.

Kelli Storoshenko, left, David Storoshenko, chief operating officer at Petrogas Energy Corp., with their children Kenzie, Braydon and Beau Storoshenko attend the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, on Dec. 3, 2015.

Ian Farquharson, left, Quinton Farquharson and Penny Sirr, controller at Petrogas Energy Corp., attend the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.

John Langenau, left, Easton Langenau, Payton Langenau and Betina Fillion attend the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. Payton is the foundation’s Champion Child and was saved by the care she received at the hospital.

Neesha Walter, left, Angeliki Kaketsis, Efstathia Kaketsis and Nikolas Kaketsis are all dressed up for the party at the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Dr. Angelo Mikrogianakis, section chief of emergency at Alberta Children’s Hospital and his wife Agnes Mikrogianakis, Candy Cane Gala committee member, at the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015.

Dr. Mark Anselmo, facility medical director for the Alberta Children’s Hospital; Margaret Fullerton, senior operating officer at the Alberta Children’s Hospital; and Dr. Jim Kellner, head of pediatrics at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, attend the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, on Dec. 3, 2015.

Host Gord Gilles of Global Calgary, and Dumbledore (played by Gery Schubert, get ready to host the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, on Dec. 3, 2015.

Randy Findlay, past board chair of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and his wife Claudia Findlay attend the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, on Dec. 3, 2015.

Dr. Brent Scott and Dr. Naweed Syed of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute attend the Candy Cane Gala, a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, on Dec. 3, 2015.

When editor Lorne Motley invited me to contribute to the special 25th edition of the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund, one line in his letter stuck out to me: “Let’s be honest: it’s been a tough year economically in Alberta, and the dark clouds remain.”

During this holiday season, it made me pause and think long and hard about the real-life impact this economic downturn is having on families.

Undoubtedly, this year’s drop in oil prices has cast a pall on the province’s economy. It has also cast a pall on families’ spirits. It’s hard to celebrate when you are feeling the pinch and concerned for the future.

Despite our challenges, I’m certain Albertans have what it takes to get through this turbulent time and build a stronger economy where prosperity reigns. I’m optimistic about our future, because we have been here before, and we have the community bonds and human capital to see us through. I know this because Alberta’s most potent renewable resource is Albertans.

It’s hard to imagine that just three generations ago, pioneers worked together to clear the land and build this province from the ground up. Not only did they lay foundations for a province that would later attract settlers from across the world (including my family who moved here from South Africa), they established an expectation of social responsibility to one’s neighbours and the community at large. Today, that pioneering spirit of giving, of social responsibility, of entrepreneurship, hard work and tenacity is what defines us as Albertans.

That pioneering spirit is alive and well among our province’s entrepreneurs. Despite the challenges faced by the energy industry, Calgary is still a hub buzzing with entrepreneurial activity, boasting the highest concentration of small businesses in all of Canada. Overall, Alberta is the national leader in small-business growth. Alberta is home to two of the nation’s top 15 research-intensive post-secondary institutions, the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta, as well as innovative colleges such as Olds College.

This province has a robust startup, accelerator and incubator community. From Innovate Calgary to TEC Edmonton, and my own accelerator, District Ventures, Alberta has a range of supports for entrepreneurs. This ecosystem can help turn ideas into businesses, and businesses into global competitors, creating jobs and prosperity.

The task now is to take these ingredients and build a stronger, more diverse, more resilient economy. We need to tap into the values that built this province: volunteerism, hard work and a responsibility to helping one’s neighbour. And with the festive season upon us, it is incumbent on all Albertans to reach out to help those who may be struggling, reminding them that the dark clouds won’t be around forever.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone across Alberta. May you find your pioneering spirit this season and feel the love and support of those around you. Know that you are not alone. And know that you are part of a community and a country that cares deeply about its citizens. I wish you all peace, joy, health and love.

Arlene Dickinson, the CEO of Venture Communications and YouInc.com, is also a philanthropist, the author of two books and a venture capitalist best known for her time on the CBC TV series Dragons’ Den.

The 6th Annual TINEPUBLIC Christmas party had Zen 8 at the Cowboys Casino hopping Dec. 9, at an event that drew hundreds of well-wishers to celebrate the continued success of the company best known for bringing big-name speakers to our city. 

Past TINEPUBLIC speaking events have included movers and shakers such as former U.S. president George W. Bush, former British prime minister Tony Blair, former Republican vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and television mogul Oprah Winfrey. The company has also worked with former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush, His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Alan Greenspan, Paul Volcker, Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Colin Powell, Lance Armstrong, Elton John, Tony Bennett and Diana Ross.

The party raised money for the RESOLVE campaign to end homelessness in Calgary, a collaboration of nine partner agencies raising $120 million to build affordable and supported rental housing for 3,000 vulnerable and homeless Calgarians.

Among the 400 guests were TINEPUBLIC partner Chrisitan Darbyshire and his wife Melanie Darbyshire; partner Andy McCreath and his wife Camille McCreath; Matt Grieve, president of Maggnum Ventures and his wife Lesley Grieve; Paul Vickers of Penny Lane Entertainment and his wife Danelle Vickers; Jayman’s Jay Westman and his wife Karen; and others pictured at right.

Paul Vickers, left, of Penny Lane Entertainment Group, his wife Danelle Vickers, Karen Westman, and Jay Westman of Jayman attend the TINEPUBLIC Christmas party Dec. 9 at Zen 8.

Mike Dixon, left, of Blakes Law Firm, Kim Locke of Lake Louise Ski resort, Elizabeth Shaw, and Kip Shaw of Cidel attend the TINEPUBLIC Christmas party at Zen 8 on Dec. 9.

Joel, left, and Kristy Bond, and Scott and Suzanne Henuset attend the TINEPUBLIC Christmas party at Zen 8 on Dec. 9.

Jenny Shouldice, TV personality, Jesse Shouldice of J.P. Morgan, Ryan O’Connor of Western Securities and Claire O’Connor attend the TINEPUBLIC Christmas party at Zen 8 on Dec. 9.

Dr. Josh Wilson, Karli Matthison, Andree Wilson and Dr. Neil White attend the TINEPUBLIC Christmas Party at Zen 8 on Dec. 9.

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 25^th annual campaign. The Calgary Herald Christmas Fund is accepting donations until midnight, December 31^st.

$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 and 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 three-to-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 violence-free 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.

vberenyi@calgaryherald.com

At this time of year, it’s natural to reflect back and think on the future. Certainly, 2015 has been a tough year for many of us and the job losses cannot be denied.

Yet Calgary is weathering the downturn better than many expected — we actually created more jobs than we lost from November 2014 to November 2015 and people continue to come here for opportunity.

Nonetheless, many of us are hurting, and it’s important for all of us to think about how we can help. I would argue there are two things that we need to do, now and throughout 2016.

First, let’s find our inner angels and remember to be decent to one another. The last six months or so, I’ve noticed a certain mean-spiritedness sneak into the edges of our discourse. Most of it comes online — people are particularly awful when staring at a screen rather than at a face — but I have noticed it in real life as well. Conversations at coffee shops and in line at the grocery store, are starting to be tinged with an “us-and-them” tone, whether the target is a politician or someone of a different faith or a newcomer to this country.

While there’s nothing wrong with disagreeing or letting off some steam, and while we all agree that violence and death threats are unacceptable in any context, we should remember that the way we treat others has real consequences on their ability to live happily and well in our community.

We are facing a mental health crisis — some sources show that suicide rates are up an unimaginable 30 per cent — and part of the solution is simply being kind and looking after one another.

Second, looking after one another also means giving. In this time of need, those of us who are able to give should consider giving just a little bit more — not only because demand is up for all charities and non-profits, but because so many of our neighbours want to give and just can’t this year.

And the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund is a great way to give. For 25 years, the fund has been carefully curating an annual list of non-profit organizations where your dollars can have the most impact, and this year is no different. Some of the 14 organizations are well-known; others less so. But each of them is doing important work in the community every day: helping our neighbours battling cancer, those escaping from violence and abuse or arriving hungry to school, those who need a safe and stable home, those who need a helping hand and a friendly smile.

Every one of these organizations performs miracles every single day. Every one of them deserves our help. Thank you for giving. And thank you to the Calgary Herald for helping make these miracles happen for 25 years.

From my family to yours: Merry Christmas and all the best for 2016!

David Bissett, an investment manager-turned philanthropist in Calgary, is blunt when he reflects on the relative generosity of investors and business executives who made millions in Alberta’s boom times.

“An awful lot of people made an awful lot of money in this town, and you don’t see their names in the paper very often,” says Bissett, who was named Wednesday a member of the Order of Canada. 

“I managed money for a lot of wealthy people in town, and some of them showed up regularly as significant philanthropists, and some others you never saw.”

Bissett joins the Order of Canada in recognition of his success in the private sector and his willingness to spread his wealth. He has given away more than $70 million to community associations, wildlife groups and universities across the country.

“You start running out of money after a while,” he says with a laugh.

Born on Prince Edward Island, Bissett moved to Calgary in the late 1970s to run the western operations of a Montreal investment manager. Five years later, in 1982, he founded Bissett and Associates, which invested more than $5 billion on behalf of its clients before the firm was acquired by a California company in 2000.

Since the company sold, he spread his wealth widely. He and his wife gave the Calgary Foundation $8.2 million in 2001. A year later, he donated $5 million to what was then Mount Royal College, which named its business school after him. He later followed up with a $7-million gift to the Bissett School of Business, then the largest donation to a college in Canada.

A member of the Calgary Business Hall of Fame, Bissett has been recognized for his philanthropy, including his support for the conservation group Western Sky Land Trust, Dalhousie University in Halifax and Ducks Unlimited.

Given the downturn in the local economy, Bissett said charity is “even more needed now than it was before.”

“I’m getting probably a larger flow of requests than I ever have before because, obviously, everybody is very much stressed,” he said, noting he will continue supporting several local organizations. “Psychologically, it’s very difficult to give when your investment portfolio is not doing particularly well.”

Three other Calgarians are recipients of the Order of Canada:

Philanthropist Don Taylor.

Donald John Taylor, a successful businessman and investor who has spread his wealth across Calgary, was promoted from member status to become officer of the Order of Canada.

The promotion recognizes Taylor’s “influential and innovative donations as a benefactor of civic, educational and health care initiatives in Canada and abroad.”

Taylor was president of the HVAC equipment manufacturer Engineered Air when it grew from a struggling Calgary company to an expanding leader in its sector. He used earnings from the top post to invest in many successful business ventures, including Resman Oil and Gas, which was eventually sold to Morrison Petroleum.

Now an acclaimed philanthropist, Taylor’s family name is emblazoned on many important buildings throughout the city. In August, the Taylor Centre for the Performing Arts, a teaching space and concert hall at Mount Royal University, opened its doors. The $90-million facility was made possible in part by the Taylor family’s $21-million donation, the largest in Mount Royal’s history.

Kim Sturgess along the Elbow River.

P. Kim Sturgess, founder and chief executive of a non-profit water conservation group, was named a member of the Order of Canada due to her “contributions to water stewardship and the advancement of women in engineering.”

A one-time gas pipelines engineer at the National Energy Board, Sturgess helmed Calgary-based bearing producer Revolve Magnetic Bearings until the company was sold to a Swedish company in 2001. She has served on a host of boards, including the Association of Professional Engineers, the Alberta Water Council, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the National Research Council.

Sturgess is now CEO of Alberta WaterSmart, a non-profit focused on improving the management of Alberta’s water resources.

Former Alberta auditor general Peter Valentine.

Peter Valentine, a former auditor general in Alberta, was named a member of the Order of Canada “for his contributions to strengthening financial administration in Alberta and for his sustained commitment to community organizations.”

For 37 years, Valentine served in the auditing firm KMPG, where he built expertise in the oil and gas industry and Canadian securities, according to Bloomberg Business. After leaving the company, he served as auditor general of Alberta from 1995 to 2002.

Valentine was once president and chief executive of the Calgary Health Region and was a senior advisor to the University of Calgary’s Dean of Medicine. He has served a long list of directorships, including as governor and director of the Canada School of Public Service, a federal Crown corporation.

rsouthwick@calgaryherald.com

We live in a big-hearted city.

At a time when Alberta’s economy is on one and a half knees, Calgarians dug deeply in their pockets and contributed very generously to the 2015 Calgary Herald Christmas Fund campaign.

At press time, the tally had soared to $1,194,953.44.

Incredibly, given the tough times and mounting job losses in our city, we’ve already surpassed the 2014 Herald Christmas Fund campaign total of $1.12 million, up a respectable six per cent.

But we’re not done yet. Credit-card donations can still be made until midnight tonight, and cheques — dated 2015 — are welcome until Jan. 8, 2016. 

Thank you to each and every one of the 2,863 donors who have contributed so far. Many of you have given to the Herald Christmas Fund in past years, but your ranks are growing as 28 per cent of our donors this year are first-time contributors.

Whether it was $10 (the smallest donation) or $100,000 (the biggest donation), you gave what you could. Know that every penny of your donation goes to the 14 social agencies we are supporting this year as the Herald absorbs all of the fund’s administrative costs.

We are also grateful to the community leaders who wrote guest columns for this year’s campaign and to the reporters and photographers who told the compelling stories of remarkable people helped by the agencies, past and present. Thanks, too, to all the folks behind the scenes at this newspaper working to make the fund’s 25th anniversary such a success.

What began modestly in 1991 by a small group of Herald journalists who were shocked by the hunger, poverty and deprivation they saw in our city and wanted to help, we’ve come a long way: now 84 social agencies from Calgary and our surrounding area have received much-needed funding through the $24 million — and counting — raised in the past 25 years. 

We’ll bring you the final total in mid-January. Until then, here’s a toast to a happy, healthy and prosperous new year for all!

Valerie Berenyi is guest editor of the 2015 Calgary Herald Christmas Fund campaign.

The recipients of the 2015 Calgary Herald Christmas Fund:

Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre

Alcove Addiction Recovery For Women

The Brenda Strafford Centre

Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids

Calgary Homeless Foundation

Calgary Sexual Assault Response Team

Carya

EvenStart For Children Foundation of Calgary

Inn From the Cold

KidSport Society of Calgary

Made By Momma

McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association

Peer Support Services

Wellspring Calgary

Amount raised to date: $1,194,953.44

Looking back over this past year, I’ve been blessed to spend time with some wonderful Calgarians who have the heart, energy and confidence to get things done.

Most impressive to me is the effort many business people put into trying to solve the problem of homelessness in our city.

One solution, according to Brookfield Residential president Alan Norris, was the formation of the RESOLVE Campaign that sought to raise $120 million to provide affordable and supported housing for 3,000 vulnerable and homeless Calgarians.

Twelve of his home builder and development colleagues immediately responded with a donation of $16 million between them. His cabinet of prominent leaders in this city’s business community is working hard to raise the rest.

One of those donors was Centron Group, and like many others, RESOLVE wasn’t its only charitable cause. Through Centron Cares, CEO Bob Harris launched a new venture with Hull Services to build a new secure services building at its southwest campus.

Later in the year, Harris persuaded three of his friends — Bill Kujat of Safeway Holdings; Charlie Guille from Cougar Construction and Ross Glen, of RGO Office Products, to join him in offering $5.6 million toward the cost of a new Accessible Housing project near Confederation Park to house 45 residents with mobility challenges.

Those kinds of stories are not difficult to find in Calgary.

Wayne Chiu and Eleanor, his wife and business partner, have given so much, including a $3-million donation to Bow Valley College and the formation of the Trico Charitable Foundation to support social entrepreneurship.

Earlier this year, Trico purchased a former gas station lot the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter owned but was challenged to redevelop. Once rezoned, the site will allow Trico to expand its social responsibility by building a five-storey retail/residential building where two units in each of the top four floors will be for clients of Accessible Housing.

I’ve enjoyed announcing some exciting new projects during the past year, including the Italian Centre Shop that has been so well received on the corner of Fairmount Drive and Southland Drive S.E.

I had the pleasure of being introduced to Teresa Spinelli, who owns three similar stores in Edmonton, and was as keen as Calgary store manager Gino Marghella to see it open here. We had to bite our fingers until July but it was well worth the wait.

I was also very impressed with the opening of Maria Tomas outdoor living showroom and its near neighbour Lipnicki Fine Pianos, as well as the downtown showroom by Haworth.

Among the new people I got to meet were Tom Palaia, the new U.S. Consul General, and Ken Keelor, the new CEO of Calgary Co-op.

A number of memorable anniversaries were celebrated in 2015, including downtown jeweller J. Vair Anderson’s 90^th birthday. Calgary Jewellery turned 60, while architectural firm GEC and developer PBA Land have both been in business for 50 years. Target Realty turned 30 and two of my favourite ladies, Sharon Martens of Martens Group and Pat Evans of Sizeland Evans, celebrated 25 years of providing some of downtown’s finest interior design work.

Last January, I said I hoped former Alberta tourism minister Cindy Ady would decide to stay with Tourism Calgary where she had done such a good job as interim CEO. I’m happy to see she became permanent and has been able to lead the organization through a delicate and important year.

Also in the hospitality field we welcomed Arjun Channa as the new general manager of The Westin Calgary in September. Our longest serving downtown hotel general manager, Joseph Clohessy, completed the renovation of the ground floor of the Calgary Marriott Downtown — a much better welcome for guests and a return to a nice bar along Centre Street.

A number of hotels have opened around the Calgary International Airport but there’s no further word on the Residence Club Sport on Macleod Trail and 12^th Avenue S.E.

Marriott did add two more hotels to its Calgary portfolio with the opening — just in time for Christmas — of the Courtyard Marriott and adjacent Residence Inn by Superior MasterBUILT Hotels, conveniently located close to the South Health Campus hospital.

Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year

David Parker appears Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Read his columns online at calgaryherald.com/business. He can be reached at 403-830-4622 or by e-mail at info@davidparker.ca

Compelling Calgarians: The Herald unveils its annual list of 20 individuals making their mark on our city, and who are worth keeping an eye on in the year to come and beyond.

Read more about each Calgarian in the links below.

Debbie Newman: Drop-in centre director

Kim Neutens: Director, U of C business centre

Sue Riddell Rose: CEO and philanthropist

Dr. Ian Lewis: Biochemist

Darshan Kang, Liberal MP

Hugh Dempsey: Author and historian

Margaret Churcher: Family doctor

Kevin Chen: Piano prodigy

Kurt Pedersen: Fundraiser, philanthropist

Sparla McCann: Anti-drug advocate

Judith Umbach: Library supporter

Mike Soroka: Baseball pitcher

Joe Ceci: NDP finance minister

Vanessa Stiffarm: Stampede Indian Princess

Ariam Wolde-Giorgis: Immigrant services

Andrew Mosker: CEO, National Music Centre

Stefan Daniel: Paratriathlete

Jim Gray: Philanthropist

Billie Rae Busby: SAIT communications co-ordinator, artist

Sevcik family: Philanthropists

A new survey, released Tuesday by BMO Wealth Management, says 61 per cent of Albertans plan to make charitable giving a priority in 2016 compared with 60 per cent of Canadians.

The survey found that 66 per cent of Albertans, and 54 per cent of Canadians, will donate to health/medical causes while 48 per cent in the province, and 42 per cent nationally, will give to anti-poverty charities.

The study examined New Year’s resolutions for 2016.

Other areas of donation include: animal welfare, 27 per cent of both Albertans and Canadians will give there and foundations with 20 per cent of both Albertans and Canadians.

mtoneguzzi@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/MTone123

It’s a night of wild costumes, dancing and tables overflowing with gourmet food and drink, all in aid of a great cause.

For many Calgarians, the annual Bill Brooks Prostate Cancer Benefit (calgaryhealthtrust.ca) has been a mainstay on the January calendar for nearly two decades. To date, the glamorous, “see and be seen” fundraiser has raised more than $7 million in aid of research, education and treatment for the estimated 25,000 Canadian men diagnosed each year with the disease.

Yet when organizers sent out a news release this week touting the 18th annual event founded by Brooks, the Calgary Herald’s society columnist, it came with a headline much different than previous years.

“Prostate Cancer Doesn’t Stop During Economic Downturns, Nor Does Bill Brooks,” it read defiantly, immediately addressing that proverbial elephant in the middle of Calgary’s room.

“It is what it is,” says Brooks of the current downturn, one that many of us are already weary of hearing about but isn’t going away anytime soon. “We’re not approaching this year’s event with a pessimistic attitude, but we are being realistic.”

To hedge his bets, Brooks added an incentive to those not attending his $300-a-ticket party at Hotel Arts on Jan. 29.

“We’ve put together our biggest raffle ever,” he says of the raffle (to purchase, go to billbrooksraffle.ca) that includes prizes like a Camaro, a 2016 Harley-Davidson and two tickets anywhere WestJet flies. In such belt-tightening times, he’s fully aware that being a bit more inventive and entrepreneurial can make the difference between success from failure in the world of the high-end fundraiser.

“I know of some events in the past few months that didn’t do very well and others that were just cancelled,” says Brooks of the big parties-for-a-cause that attract a well-heeled clientele. “In fact, most are down in dollars raised, sponsorships and ticket sales. It’s not pretty out there right now.”

With just about every sector feeling the pain of plunging oil prices and the tens of thousands of jobs lost in the city over the past year, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a growing number of Calgarians are thinking twice before paying for those big ticket events our city has become known for across the country.

“It doesn’t even matter if you have a lot of money, people just aren’t up to spending right now,” says Cynthia Moore, a longtime local philanthropist who helped stage last year’s Holt Renfrew Bella fundraiser that raised more than $500,000 for the neonatal intensive care unit at Foothills Hospital. “It’s a psychological malaise that doesn’t have anything to do with your own circumstances.”

Moore sees events like Brooks’s prostate cancer benefit, with its high profile and loyal following, being able to persevere despite the downturn.

But she adds that newer, less established fundraising initiatives have much to worry about.

“Starting something new and big right now would be extremely hard.”

Still, she remains optimistic.

“We still have a very solid philanthropic underpinning in our community,” she says of Calgary, regarded as one of the most charitable cities in Canada. “There’s an understanding we need to keep these events alive.”

Yet even some of those bigger fundraisers are taking a hard look at the current anxiety-inducing state across the city.

“We’ve down about 30 per cent,” says Carlene Donnelly of CUPS’ fundraising events. “No one knows how long this one is going to last. I’m seeing a solemness around I didn’t see last January.”

Because of the unease, Donnelly, executive director of the longtime charitable organization, and her team decided to delay their annual spring fundraising event, Moonlight Lounge Gala, to later this year.

Over the years, the event has seen everyone from Boz Scaggs and Jewel to Jann Arden and Jim Cuddy perform at its party, its ultimate aim to raise funds to help the thousands of poverty-stricken individuals and families who turn to CUPS each year.

“We want to see if the economy inches up a bit,” says Donnelly, who describes delaying the gala as a tough but necessary bullet to bite. “We don’t want to lose the momentum, but we need to be careful.”

For the man behind this year’s “Billy of Oz” prostate cancer benefit, the silver lining this year has been that more than 90 per cent of his corporate sponsors — which help to raise more than $450,000 before the party even begins — have stayed on.

“Look, prostate cancer doesn’t know what a recession is,” says Brooks, whose fundraising efforts also contributed to the birth in 2010 of the Southern Alberta Institute of Urology at Rockyview Hospital.

“It’s part of the Calgary character to enjoy a good party, especially when it benefits the entire community.”

vfortney@calgaryherald.com

twitter.com/valfortney

Four Calgarians are among this year’s recipients for the Order of Canada, which will be presented by Gov. Gen. David Johnston on Friday. 

The Order of Canada, created in 1967 during Canada’s centennial year, is a way to recognize Canadians for outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Since the first ceremony, more than 6,000 people from all sectors of society have been invested. 

Of the 47 people being appointed on Friday, one companion and seven officers are receiving promotions, including Calgary’s Don Taylor who is currently an officer of the Order of Canada. 

Don Taylor, already an Officer of the Order of Canada, is being promoted. 

Taylor is considered to be among Canada’s most generous and principled philanthropists. He began his career with Canadian Western Natural Gas Company, which he eventually left to join the struggling HVAC manufacturing business Engineered Air as president, where he remains.

Taylor is known for his passion for improving the arts, education and health care, which has resulted in world-class facilities being built at the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University and the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede.

On an international level, he and his wife Ruth are listed as principle supporters of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine in California, and have also helped fund an eye hospital in Ghana.

His determination to use philanthropy to change people’s lives has been a model and an inspiration for other benefactors to follow. 

Jim Dinning.

James F. Dinning is among the 39 members being appointed to the Order. Dinning spent 11 years serving Alberta’s Legislative Assembly, from 1986 to 1997, most notably as the provincial treasurer where he was credited with bringing the province’s finances in line, and eliminating its deficit. 

Known and respected for his civic-mindedness, Dinning has chaired the board for the Calgary Health Region, the Canada West Foundation and Export Development Canada, among many others. Most recently he served at the 12th chancellor of the University of Calgary. 

When it comes to the arts scene in Calgary and western Canada, Mary Rozsa de Coquet is known for being a passionate advocate. She is the head of the Rozsa Foundation, which was started by her parents, Dr. Theodore Rozsa and Dr. Lola May Rozsa, in 1990 to provide support and advocacy for the arts in Alberta. 

As head of the Rozsa Foundation, Rozsa de Coquet is helping build the capacity of cultural leaders by creating programs, grants and awards that train arts managers on how to lead successful and sustainable cultural institutions.

Mary Rozsa de Coquet.

Her creative spirit, philanthropy and voluntarism have also benefited such organizations as the National Music Centre, Calgary Arts Development and Philanthropic Foundations Canada. In addition to her works with the Rozsa Foundation, she is an active volunteer, especially within the arts community. 

Kim Sturgess is being recognized and appointed to the Order for being a driver of innovation and sustainability. After a successful career as an engineer and entrepreneur, she combined her industry experience with her passion for the environment, and founded Alberta WaterSMART.

Prior to her work with WaterSMART, she was president, CEO and founder of Revolve Technologies Inc., which later became Revolve Magnetic Bearings before being sold to SFK of Sweden. 

Kim Sturgess.

WaterSMART is a not-for-profit organization, which works to develop and improve Alberta’s water resources. As CEO, she is helping industry and government better manage water by developing new and collaborative approaches to sustainable use and distribution of water.

In addition, she has helped pave the way for women in engineering as a trailblazer and mentor, and has lent her expertise to numerous scientific, non-profit and professional organizations.

Calgary Flames players, alumni and  management joined forces with local celebrities at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino recently to take part in the annual Flames Ambassadors Celebrity Poker Tournament. What made the night particularly memorable-other than the $410,000 raised for the Calgary Flames Foundation-was Sam Bennett’s historic 4 goal performance the night before. The must attend tournament has raised nearly $4 million since inception 11 years ago. Myriad local charities benefit from the Foundation’s generosity.

With hockey parents skating on thin financial ice amidst Calgary’s economic slide, Hockey Calgary is girding for a spike in requests for aid as registrations for the upcoming season roll in.

Executive director Kevin Kobelka said while the deadline for parents to apply for financial support under Hockey Calgary’s Flames Even Strength Program is still a month away, he expects to see a significant jump this year, with belt-tightening parents looking for ways to allow their kids to keep lacing up their skates.

“We expect to see a big increase in requests for financial aid this year,” Kobelka said.

“We know things are difficult out there and we try and do our part to make sure everybody has a chance to play the game.”

Last year, 328 families signed up for the Even Strength Program — a partnership between Hockey Calgary, the Calgary Flames Foundation, KidSport and Canadian Pacific — up from 288 in 2014. Kobelka said he expects a significant increase in applications this fall based on what he has heard from KidSport and other agencies.

With the average registration cost — excluding jackets, extra tournaments, and other items — ringing in at around $900, the stress on parents impacted by Alberta’s downturn can be significant, Kobelka said. Elite-level hockey players can shell out as much as quadruple the amount of the average registration.

At KidSport’s Calgary chapter, the phones have been busy since the calendar flipped over to 2016, said executive director Kevin Webster.

“We’re up about 30 percent year-over-year so far, and that’s across all sports,” he said. “The numbers are just escalating overall.”

With demand soaring, KidSport in April slashed its maximum individual donation from $400 to $250, with the hope, Webster said, it will be able to return to a loftier limit after 2016.

Last year, KidSport helped fund 485 hockey players in Calgary, providing some $275,000, and officials believe the number of applicants will easily exceed that come fall. KidSport works through the Flames Even Strength program to identify those in most need, and depending on financial circumstances can shave hundreds off the costs of registration.

Kobelka said individual hockey associations often have programs to help struggling members as well, while Comrie’s Sports Equipment Bank is available for parents struggling to outfit their young stars.

Hockey Calgary is also expecting its house league program, boasting fewer games and a lower price tag, to see more growth this year, Kobelka said, after nearly tripling in size to 921 last season.

Meanwhile, even as Hockey Calgary prepares to help players weather the province’s economic storm, it’s also launching a pilot project in its atom division (ages 9 and 10) this year, separating all but the top tiers into three regional zones, allowing players to take on competition closer to home.

“It’s a big city now and to get across the city in winter during rush hour to play hockey can take an hour and a half on the road for some,” Kobelka said.

“If it’s successful, we’ll look at expanding it out.”

The Hockey Calgary boss said approval for the pilot was far from unanimous, with representatives from 20 Calgary hockey associations narrowly agreeing to support the plan.

Kobelka said there had been some discussion about trying it out at the peewee, bantam, and midget levels as well, but the decision was made to keep the pilot at the atom level to determine if it would be a fit for higher levels.

slogan@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @ShawnLogan403

Even as many Calgarians struggle to keep their own pantries filled, that didn’t stop them from stepping up this weekend to ensure the food bank’s cupboards won’t go bare.

Some 7,000 volunteers blitzed 198 city neighbourhoods as part of the Calgary Food Bank’s annual city-wide food drive, which coincides with increasing seasonal demand for the agency that continues up through Christmas.

Spokeswoman Shawna Ogston said even though Calgarians are struggling to provide food for their own families, they still managed to share 205,000 kilograms of food, about the weight of the Statue of Liberty.

That’s nearly 25,000 kilograms more than last year’s haul and critical for the food bank that has seen unprecedented demand amid the city’s economic struggles.

“Things haven’t slowed down for us so this will go a long way in making sure our shelves are stocked,” Ogston said.

Plastic bags were left at homes earlier this week, asking residents to fill them with non-perishable food items for the food bank.

Ogston said demand for food hampers tends to see a significant spike in the fall, with people facing back to school expenses, increased heating bills and Christmas on the horizon.

The food bank generally distributes about 3,000 hampers each month, but that number has grown through most of 2016, increasing to 5,000 and even 6,000. Those who wish to help or donate funds can visit calgaryfoodbank.com

With winter jackets in high demand for Calgary families, this might be the biggest year yet for The Salvation Army’s Annual Coat Drive.

Karen Livick, executive director of The Salvation Army in Calgary, said the coat drive originally focused on providing men with winter jackets, but the growing number of struggling families impacted by the recession prompted the organization to open up to Calgary families in need.

“Not everyone is prepared for the cold weather popping up,” Livick said. “The drive has really grown over the last number of years because there’s so much demand from families coming in for support.”

Livick added that with the significant changes in Calgary’s economic climate, it’s not just low-income families looking for adequate winter wear.

“A lot of clients these days are middle-income folks who have suddenly lost their jobs,” Livick explained. “They have school fees to pay, kids are growing out of clothes so quickly … it’s a really hard time of year.”

Schools around the city have stepped up to collect coats for kids, and Livick said the growing community support over the past few years has been overwhelming.

The Salvation Army’s 14^th Annual Coat Drive will be held at McMahon Stadium Sept. 24 as the Calgary Stampeders take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at 2 p.m. With 5,100 coats donated last year by Stampeders’ fans, The Salvation Army is hoping to break that record this year.

Volunteers will be stationed around McMahon Stadium to collect new or gently used men’s, women’s, and children’s coats. Cash donations are also welcome, which will be distributed toward The Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope and the Barbara Mitchell Family Resource Centre.