Inn from the Cold’s supporters have brought hope and light into the lives of Calgary families who are not only facing homelessness — but also all the added stresses that come with COVID-19. Thanks to their support and dedication, Inn from the Cold will be able to help the hundreds of families who turn to us in the coming months. This May Claire’s Campaign raised $1.15 million to fund the critical IFTC Family Support Program. The funds raised with this…
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Claire’s Campaign 2020 is officially finished. As we look back on another incredible month of continued support from our community, we want to highlight the work of one of our favourite young philanthropists. Dexter Ronak has been supporting Inn from the Cold for many years by organizing fundraisers to sponsor dinners and donate during Claire’s Campaign. We wanted to interview Dexter and get the inside scoop on his path to charity and helping those in vulnerable situations. …
Read moreInn from the Cold is strongly committed to our values of inclusivity, respect, compassion, and courage. For us that means taking the necessary steps to support people in all of the ways that people can be supported. For us that means providing shelter and services to families that need a place to call home. It also means welcoming, valuing, and celebrating everyone’s diversity as we strive towards our vision of ending family homelessness. As an organization we haven’t…
Read moreCOVID-19 Update: Inn from the Cold’s operations
May 14, 2020
Accepting new families who require assistance
Protecting people remains Inn from the Cold’s top priority during the pandemic.
IFTC is accepting families who require emergency shelter. To enable physical distancing, families are placed temporarily in available apartments in the community as part of our scatter-site shelter operations. Families are housed in the emergency shelter at our downtown location only if space is available; our communal shelter has two main washrooms, so capacity is being kept at two families…
Read moreThis May, every donation to Inn from the Cold will be matched until $350,000 is donated towards our annual Claire’s Campaign. Claire’s Campaign began in 2012, spearheaded by IFTC long-time supporter Gary Nissen and his sister, Karen Zutter. The campaign was named for their mother Claire, who passed away in 2007. Claire inspired Gary to become a supporter of charitable organizations in Calgary. Claire left her children with a legacy of giving back to her community and helping…
Read moreEleven years ago, local community leader and homeless advocate Suzanne West organized a fundraising event to help Calgary’s most vulnerable families. Called the Steps to End Homelessness, this event was destined to become an annual one that was held on the McHugh Bluff stairs in Crescent Heights on or near the event founder’s birthday. While this year’s event on April 21st has been cancelled, the annual fitness challenge is being planned for next year, when repairs on the…
Read moreProtecting our shelter and housing families, and the employees and volunteers supporting them, remains Inn from the Cold’s top priority during this pandemic. That’s why we’re collaborating with community partners like HomeSpace Society and innovating our operations to house our shelter families in available apartments in the Calgary region. Under normal operations, we have space for 20 families in our communal family shelter. This emergency shelter does not allow us to protect families in a way that living…
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Inn from the Cold (IFTC) is closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and regularly meeting with partners from the Calgary shelter community and officials from the local and provincial governments, including the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA).
We are committed to taking all and every precaution to reduce the risk of exposure to potential and existing shelter families, volunteers, and employees. The health, well-being and safety of IFTC’s people are paramount and are the goal of all the…
Read moreFor the 7th consecutive year, Inn from the Cold’s annual donation-matching fundraiser, Claire’s Campaign, will be returning for the month of May. Claire’s Campaign was launched by Gary Nissen, in honor of his mother Claire. Gary Nissen created the campaign so that vulnerable children were provided with basic necessities and to offer mothers-in-need supports and services to help raise their children. This month, donors are given the opportunity to double the impact of your donation and help sustain quality programs…
Read moreCircles of Hope – Who is Jesse Thistle?
April 29, 2019
Circles of Hope is taking place on May 1st and we would like to introduce our keynote speaker, Jesse Thistle, in more depth. With his lived experience of overcoming personal adversity—homelessness, addiction, incarceration –and many years of academic research, Jesse is uniquely situated to help us explore social change on numerous levels. Jesse Thistle brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to our event and we hope you’ll join us for a powerful and thought-provoking discussion on…
Circles of Hope is taking place on May 1st and we would like to introduce our keynote speaker, Jesse Thistle, in more depth. With his lived experience of overcoming personal adversity—homelessness, addiction, incarceration –and many years of academic research, Jesse is uniquely situated to help us explore social change on numerous levels. Jesse Thistle brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to our event and we hope you’ll join us for a powerful and thought-provoking discussion on…
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