WE Summer/Fall 2014

MAGAZINE OF UNITED WAY OF THE ALBERTA CAPITAL REGION
SUMMER/FALL 2014
THIS ISSUE OF WE MAGAZINE IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY
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Working together to
keep kids in school and
help families out of
poverty
The Big Picture
Pedal Power
Plus:
Early Years Continuum Project
takes a community approach
to raising children
Claras Big Ride encourages
year-round movement
towards mental health
The City of Edmontons
anti-poverty task force
Receive WE digitally
by subscribing to
wemagazine.ca
At Alberta Blue Cross, we believe in building healthy and sustainable communities across our
provincecommunities where all Albertans have an equal opportunity to thrive. We work to
make a genuine diference in the communities where we live and serve through initiatives
like our Healthy Communities Grant Program, Hearts of Blue employee-led charity
and annual United Way campaign.
ABC 83104 2014/06
Involved in YOUR community
Because well-being is more than just a clean bill of health.
To learn more about our community involvement, visit www.ab.bluecross.ca.
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Complex Problems
Have Solutions
myunitedway.ca
Poverty is Solvable.
Discover how...
Did you find all 17 words?
Visit myunitedway.ca for a complete list.
Donate now.
We are all part of the solution.
000WE-UnitedWay-FP.indd 1 2014-07-28 8:55 AM WE_p02-03_Summer14.indd 2 2014-08-12 2:32 PM
4 MESSAGE FROM
UNITED WAY
5 COMMUNITY
CHAMPION
Sandra Woitas is a woman
of vision and an advocate for
childrens rights
6 THIS WAY IN
A look at a handful of United
Ways recent community
initiatives
9 MYTH BUSTERS
Teens dont drop out of school
because of laziness or the
promise of big money
40 BUSINESS WAY
The Meal to End Hunger gives
MacEwan University students
a lot to digest
41 LEADING EDGE
Northlands history of giving
back to United Way spans
more than four decades
42 MILESTONES
Edmontons engineering
community shows its
giving spirit
23 STUDENTS DO MORE
Post-secondary students are breaking the stereotype
of apathy and building a model for not-for-prots
at the same time
27 MENTAL MOVEMENT
Claras Big Ride and other Alberta-based initiatives
are going the distance to raise awareness for mental
health and physical activity
30 TAKING POVERTY TO TASK
Edmonton is tackling the problem as a team
with an ultimate goal of eliminating it
34 SET A NEW NORMAL
Lifelong mental health starts from a foundation
of a strong education and builds with awareness
38 SPONSOR PROFILE:
ALBERTA BLUE CROSS
Employees, with the help of company matching
campaigns, have contributed more than $1.5 million
to United Way
ON THE COVER:
Outreach worker Jenny Bochke is
helping kids like Taylor get more
out of school and life.
PHOTO: Kelly Redinger
DEPARTMENTS
SPOTLIGHT Education
10 SET FOR SUCCESS
Lunch programs, outreach supports and stay-in-
school initiatives are all part of a collaborative
tapestry to help children succeed in their education

14 A STRONG START
It takes a community to raise a child, and its never
too soon to start seeking support from available
initiatives that focus on kids
19 BRIDGE THE GAP
Creating meaningful programs for children
through collaboration is the mantra of the
Out of School Time Secretariat
SUMMER/FALL 2014
FEATURES
5
6
10
WE SUMMER/FALL 2014 WEMAGAZINE.CA 3
30
19
34
30
14
27
Complex Problems
Have Solutions
myunitedway.ca
Poverty is Solvable.
Discover how...
Did you find all 17 words?
Visit myunitedway.ca for a complete list.
Donate now.
We are all part of the solution.
000WE-UnitedWay-FP.indd 1 2014-07-28 8:55 AM WE_p02-03_Summer14.indd 3 2014-08-12 2:32 PM
WEMAGAZINE.CA 4 WE SUMMER/FALL 2014
O UR WAY
UNITED WAY OF THE ALBERTA CAPITAL REGION
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Nancy Critchley
ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Mike Kluttig, Sue Huff, David Odumade
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT: Cindy McDonald
EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Meredith Bongers, Ilene Fleming, Sheilah Pittman,
Anne Smith
SPONSORSHIP AND CORPORATE SUPPORT COMMITTEE
Meredith Bongers, Nancy Critchley, Kevin Fitzgerald,
Myrna Khan, Mike Kluttig, Stephane Hache
VENTURE PUBLISHING INC.
PUBLISHER: Ruth Kelly
DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM CONTENT: Mi Purvis
MANAGING EDITORS: Lyndsie Bourgon, Shelley Williamson
ART DIRECTOR: Charles Burke
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR: Andrea deBoer
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR: Colin Spence
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Betty Feniak Smith
PRODUCTION TECHNICIANS: Brent Felzien, Brandon Hoover
CIRCULATION: Karen Reilly
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Colleen Biondi, Martin Dover,
Pat Fream, Lucy Haines, Jen Janzen, Brynna Leslie,
Michelle Lindstrom, Cory Schachtel
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS:
BB Collective, Nancy Critchley, Buffy Goodman,
Pedersen, Darryl Propp, theravenwine Photography,
Kelly Redinger, Curtis Trent
ABOUT UNITED WAY
The mission of United Way of the Alberta Capital Region is to
mobilize collective action to create pathways out of poverty.
WE is published for United Way of the Alberta Capital Region
by Venture Publishing Inc., 10259-105 Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3
Tel: 780-990-0839 Fax: 780-425-4921
Toll-free: 1-866-227-4276 circulation@venturepublishing.ca
Printed in Canada by Transcontinental Interweb
WE is printed on Forest Stewardship Council

certied paper
Publications Agreement #40020055
ISSN 1925-8690
Contents copyright 2014.
Content may not be reprinted or reproduced
without permission from United Way of the
Alberta Capital Region.
SUMMER/FALL 2014 VOL 3 No. 2
Our Children,
Our Future
WE ALL HAVE A STAKE IN PROMOTING THE WELL-BEING
of children and youth, and we all benet from their positive
outcomes. In this issue, we examine the supports in our communi-
ty that help children and youth become all that they can be.
Some of the most important factors that contribute to high
school graduation actually start in early childhood. Communities
are adopting innovative strategies to build a strong foundation for
young children prior to entering school, because when children
start behind, they often have difculty catching up.
If we think of child development as a scale with two sides, one is
stacked with challenging situations such as stress, neglect or pov-
erty, and the other side with positive factors like supportive rela-
tionships and skill-building opportunities. We need to be sure these
scales are tipped toward the positive. The programs and initiatives
highlighted in this issue of WE, like Partners for Kids, do just that.
At United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, we realize that
education is a stepping stone to future success. By starting from
the very beginning, we can address challenges that may be more
costly and difcult to overcome later on. Collectively, we can use
our time, energy and resources today to ensure all students have
educational success.
I hope you enjoy this issue of WE, which has been generously
sponsored by Alberta Blue Cross. Thank you for your interest in
the children of our community and thank you to Alberta Blue Cross
for making it possible to share these stories with you.
Ilene Fleming
Director, Community Building and Investment,
Children and Youth, Success By 6
United Way of the Alberta Capital Region
WE_p04-05_Summer14.indd 4 2014-08-15 2:02 PM
COMMUNITY CHAMPION
FRIENDS AND PEERS DESCRIBE
Sandra Woitas as a larger-than-life
trailblazer, a relentless advocate for
disadvantaged children and families,
a tireless volunteer and an inspiring
community leader. Currently the
executive director of the Edmonton
Public Schools Foundation, Sandra has
garnered several awards for her ded-
ication, including Woman of Integrity,
an Alberta Centennial Medal, Woman of
Vision, and Advocate of Young Children
Award. In 2004, the City of Edmonton
selected her as one of the top 100
Edmontonians of the century, part of a
celebration of the citys centenary.
This June, in recognition of her
extraordinary achievements, she was
granted an honorary doctor of laws de-
gree from the University of Alberta. Her
professional and volunteer titles range
from director to professor to guest
speaker, and in each role she aims to
break down barriers that limit kids.
She engages passionately and
wholeheartedly, and with steely deter-
mination she raises the bar and moves
mountains. Sandra took some time out
of her hectic schedule to answer some
questions from WE magazine.
WE: In what ways have you
affected the well-being of children
in Alberta?
Sandra: It has been my lifes
mission to see that disadvantaged
children have access to the high
quality education they deserve.
Ive pursued this passion in my
role as principal of Norwood School
and as director of the City Centre
Education Project, where I built a
network of support agencies now
called Partners for Kids, a program
that serves 3,700 students in 14
Edmonton schools.
While on secondment to Alberta
Education, I worked with parents,
schools and communities on the
cross-ministry Family Violence
and Anti-Bullying Initiative. Most
recently, as director of the Edmon-
ton Public Schools Foundation, I
launched campaigns to support full-
day kindergarten programs for kids
in socially vulnerable communities.
WE: What challenges have you
overcome?
Sandra: Waking the sleeping
giant in this province: the passion
Alberta parents and communities
have for their children, building
social trust, one conversation at a
time, and engaging society in the
all-important task of getting our
young children ready for life.
WE: What drives you?
Sandra: Believing I have a vital
role to play in building essential
networks for kids in need. Being a
part of a critical mass of positive
nurturers people who unite and
become committed to a worthy
cause, witnessing great teaching
in classrooms, helping kids who
struggle to graduate high school
and become healthy, competent,
contributing Albertans. I love seeing
kids cross the nish line!
WE: Whats the next milestone you
have in your sights?
Sandra: Hope is the oxygen of the
human spirit. I want to continue to
champion hope for all children to be
given opportunities to show that,
no matter what their life situation,
they have gifts and talents and they
deserve to shine.
Sandra Woitas is committed
to breaking down barriers
that limit kids success
Champ for
Children
by PAT FREAM
Sandra Woitas, executive director of the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation
WE_p04-05_Summer14.indd 5 2014-08-13 7:13 AM
by UNITED WAY STAFF
CHANGE IN THE CARDS
IT MAY JUST LOOK LIKE A COLLECTION OF
scrawled signatures on a sheet of paper, but for Angela
Kenny, collecting signatures for United Ways Statement of
Support is a commitment she has made to ght poverty in
her community.
When United Way asked Angela to sign a statement card
committing to help end poverty in the region, she didnt
have to think twice. In fact, she began asking everyone she
knew to sign. There was a point in my life when I had a
lot and then a part when I didnt, explains Angela, adding
that having used community services in the past, she knows
their value rst-hand. Poverty shouldnt exist, she says,
especially in a province like Alberta.
Amanda Bennett agrees. Shes been collecting signatures
this past year by asking her neighbours if they want to
end poverty in the community; she sees it as a simple and
powerful way to help her community.
United Way rst asked people to sign statement
cards in June 2013 during its public launch of Creating
Pathways Out of Poverty, a results-based approach focused
on collaborations with key partners to end poverty in the
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP: Myrna Khan, vice-president of resource develop-
ment at United Way, lends a hand posting Statement of Support cards.
The statement wasnt meant as a petition to bring before government. Instead,
it was designed as a simple action people could take to join with United Way and
stand up against poverty in the community.
Statement cards have since been handed out during poverty simulations, United
Way events and to businesses in the community. In addition, visitors to United
Ways website can sign electronically. To date, more than 1,500 people have signed
the statement and their names are being proudly displayed at United Ways ofce,
lling up an entire wall.
Putting your name on one of these statement cards can be a simple but powerful
act, and Angela sees the results in herself and in the mindfulness of her friends.
Its all about awareness, she says. I have friends telling me that since signing, they
now donate a hamper of food to the food bank every time they go to Safeway.
And, with 1,500 signatures and counting, what seems like a collection of names
on a wall is turning into a growing effort to change lives.
IN 1941, THE COMMUNITY CHEST OF GREATER EDMONTON
adopted the red feather for its symbol of giving. More than 70 years later, we are
known as United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, and the red feather symbol is
still used to honour our most loyal supporters. They are known as the Red Feather
Society a group of 1,600 people with 25 to 60 years of dedicated service and
fundraising to our cause. Many members share history with United Way as past
board and cabinet members, longtime volunteers as well as donors.
This year, for the rst time in ve years, about 100 members of the Red Feather
Society gathered for coffee and a presentation by Denny and Marg May, longtime
supporters of United Way. The Mays shared stories of Dennys father, Wop May,
a First World War ghter pilot and Canadian aviation legend known for his
humanitarian efforts in the Mercy Flight.
The feedback from the event is positive. People enjoyed the interesting
presentations and the socializing afterwards, says Donna Roth, senior advisor,
community investments. With such a great response, we have received many calls
from people wanting to attend future events, says Donna. Future presentations
will continue to be about local history in the Alberta Capital Region. Its
POVERTY IS COMPLEX AND TRYING TO
understand it can be challenging. In June 2013, United
Way of the Alberta Capital Region launched its rst
ofcial poverty simulation as a new learning tool to
highlight the daily challenges of living in poverty. It
is designed to increase awareness and bring a new
perspective to how difcult it is to emerge from poverty.
POVERTY SIMULATED
BIRDS OF A RED FEATHER
important to recognize the efforts of the loyal supporters,
adds Donna. And give them a chance to enjoy the history
they share.
Thanks to the Northern Alberta Pioneers Land
Descendants Association, who donated the hall at The Old
Timers Cabin and to Bon Ton Bakery and Starbucks Coffee
Company, who generously donated refreshments.
Contact united@myunitedway.ca or call Donna Roth at
(780) 990-1000 to learn about future events.
FEATHERED FRIENDS: Meredith Bongers and Donna
Roth of United Way with long-time donor and Red Feather
Society member Bill Rees.
The experience, which lasts an hour, simulates a month in the life of
someone living in poverty, with each 15-minute segment representing a week.
Participants are assigned a role within a low-income family, as a parent, a
senior, teen or a child. Over the hour, they interact with volunteers acting as
agency workers, employers, daycare providers, police ofcers and business
owners. Each new week brings its own set of challenges to the participants.
Before and after every simulation, organizers ask participants a number
of questions to evaluate how the experience affected their understanding of
poverty. And the survey results, based on the feedback of 511 participants have
been astounding. For example, before the simulation, only 28 per cent of the
participants reported a high degree of awareness of the difculties of becoming
self-sufcient on a limited budget. After, that number climbed to 94 per cent.
Similarly, just 32 per cent of participants reported a good understanding of the
difcult choices people living in poverty needed to make each month. After they
had completed the simulation, 95 per cent said they understood these tough
choices more clearly.
Judy Batty wasnt surprised by the survey results. Her own experience
with the simulation was profound and life-changing, she says. In fact, its
what prompted me to change my job at United Way to become the Poverty
Simulation Program coordinator. I think its a great learning opportunity.
Word is spreading about this opportunity, and Judy has already booked 21
simulations this year, nearly double the number of the previous year. Im happy
to see a growing interest in the program because it means more people are
becoming aware of the obstacles people living in poverty have to overcome each
day. To participate or volunteer, please contact Judy Batty at (780) 443-8384.
RED TIE GALA
THE EDMONTON EXPO CENTRE BALLROOM
at Northlands was alive with the buzz of our collective
achievements and recognition during the annual Red
Tie Gala on February 27, 2014. Uplifting music played
and confetti cannons heralded the largest fundraising
achievement ever for our United Way: $23.3 million. But
more importantly, amidst our own diversity and differences,
there was an energy that can only be found in communities
that are connected and ready to power ahead for the same
cause. In this case, our cause is to end poverty in the Alberta
Capital Region.
As the focus of the 2013 campaign was Creating
Pathways Out of Poverty, a symbolic pathway in the
cocktail reception lobby showcased photos of donors who
support United Way, as well as individuals who accessed the support of United
Way-funded partners.
Poverty is a thief. It steals your dignity, independence, pride and hope for
success. And it can affect any of us at any time all it takes is one misfortune, one
unforeseen circumstance. No one should have to suffer the embarrassment and
vulnerability that poverty brings. Not families, not individuals, and especially not
children, says Gary Bosgoed, 2013 Campaign Chair.
Our sincerest thanks go to Gary for his commitment and dedication this past
year, and we give a big welcome to Ruth Kelly, president and CEO of Venture
Publishing Inc., who will lead our campaign next year as the Chair.
Ending poverty wont happen overnight. At United Way we believe this is a
goal we can achieve in time, and the energy from the attendees at Red Tie Gala
demonstrates that our community also aspires to this ambitious goal.
Thank you!
1. AFFIRMATION: Patrons show signs of possibility during the
Red Tie Gala.
2. WOW FACTOR: The largest fundraising achievement ever is
announced, $23.3 million.
3. NEW FACE: Incoming United Way Campaign Chair Ruth Kelly
is joined by outgoing Chair Gary Bosgoed.
1.
2.
3.
ALBERTA IS OFTEN CITED FOR HAVING A
lower high school completion rate than the national av-
erage and therefore higher dropout numbers but the
situation is actually improving, according to recent Alberta
Education statistics.
Despite the declining rate of kids checking out of class
it hovers around three per cent there is still room for
improvement. There are many reasons why students
leave high school before graduation. Dana Antaya-Moore,
education manager with Alberta Education, discusses some
of them, at the same time debunking myths surrounding why
students fail to complete school.
MYTH #1. Kids drop out of high school because
they are lazy.
I think theres that notion that theyre lazy, Dana says.
But we know that they drop out because of various life
events. They may become pregnant, they may have to
stop attending school to support their family, they may be
discouraged and eventually just become disengaged enough
that they dont see a point in being there and often in those
cases they dont feel connected to an adult at the school or
known by an adult at the school. So they kind of just fade
away. They dont have those connections that get them to
come and support them in that journey, she adds.
Sometimes, its about how competent they feel being in
school and with the course material, Dana explains. We
know kids will sometimes drop out if they have experienced
repeated failure in school and dont feel there is someone
there to support them in being successful, she says.

MYTH #2. Dropout rates are on the rise in
the province.
Alberta Education calculates student results related to high
school enrolment in Grades 10 to 12, each spring for the
previous school year. These results include three-, four- and
ve-year high school completion rates, based on tracking
Reasons why kids check out early have
nothing to do with laziness
High School Dropouts
by MARTIN DOVER
MYTH BUSTERS
Grade 10 students.
And while the average
rates of kids opting out of
school before high school
grad saw a slight upswing
in recent years, that
trend has begun taking a dip. Our
current dropout rate is 3.5 per cent,
as compared to 2011s 3.3 per cent,
explains Dana. But the ve-year
trend shows overall that things are
improving, with rates coming down.
There are schools with very few kids
dropping out, and some with more,
she says, citing values across the
province plunging as low as two per
cent or as high as eight.
MYTH #3. Teens drop out of
high school to make big money,
especially in the oil patch.
I think its another misconception
that kids drop out to go and work,
lets say, in the oil patch. Thats a
popular myth, especially in Fort
McMurray, Dana says. But the
oil and gas industry in and around
Fort McMurray actually wont hire
kids if they havent completed high
school, so they actually work closely
with both Fort McMurray public and
Catholic boards to ensure supports
are in place to ensure kids can nish
high school and then they will hire
them. And many communities are
doing that; theyre working with
whoever the local employers are.

MYTH #4. There is nothing that
can be done to encourage kids to
stay in or return to school.
Noting that local jurisdictions, rather
than the province, have authority to
oversee schools, Dana says she has
seen some Edmonton schools approach
the dropout problem by reaching out
directly to students who have left,
including M.E. LaZerte High School.
They have seen a signicant reduction
in dropout rate. They saw their drop-
out rate go from just over eight per
cent to three per cent over a ve-year
period, she notes of the results.
Elsewhere in the province, groups
are working to improve rates at
which Alberta teens nish high
school, Dana says. She cites a project,
All in for Youth, connected to
United Way Calgary and Area that
sees workers, many of them retired
teachers, reach out to kids who have
left school. They actually hire people
who have been in the education
system to call kids who have dropped
out and invite them back into the
school, and they set them up with
mentors, Dana says. Theyve been
having quite signicant success with
bringing kids back into schools.
DROPOUT RATE THREE-YEAR
ROLLING AVERAGE
2009-2011
NUMBER:
AVERAGE :
DROP OUT RATE
179,245
3.9%
179,301
3.6%
178,855
3.3%
2010-2012
NUMBER:
AVERAGE:
2011-2013
NUMBER:
AVERAGE:
BUDDING ARTIST: Delton School student Taylor Mikolas gets some painting
pointers from Roots and Wings outreach worker Jenny Bochke, as part of
Partners for Kids programming.
E
d
u
c
a
t
i
o
n
Success
SET
for
ARTNERS FOR KIDS (PFK) IS BOTH A PHILOSOPHY AND A
program that brings services to high needs children, youth and
families in Edmontons inner-city schools and neighbourhoods.
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. But while many
schools have mentors and lunch programs, PFK is uniquely collabora-
tive in nature, with supports that work together, in concert, at all the
citys PFK schools.
What started in 1995 as an initiative of United Way of the Alberta Capital
Region, The Family Centre (TFC) and Big Brothers Big Sisters (now Boys and Girls
Club Big Brothers Big Sisters or BGCBigs) at Norwood Elementary School, has
grown to a program with many partners and service providers in 14 socially vulner-
able central schools.
Erica Mikolas and her daughter Taylor, in Grade 4, know rst-hand the benet
of having supports in school. Taylor has attended Edmontons Delton Elementary
School for the past four years, where she has benetted from the schools PFK desig-
nation and services things like the E4C school lunch program, BGCBigs mentor-
ship and a connection with Roots and Wings outreach worker Jenny Bochke from
The Family Centre.
by LUCY HAINES Photography by KELLY REDINGER
Lunch programs, outreach supports
and stay-in-school initiatives are all
part of a collaborative tapestry to help
children succeed in their education
P
11 WEMAGAZINE.CA WE SUMMER/FALL 2014
MEETING OF MINDS: Jenny Bochke, left, often holds impromptu chats with
parents like Erica Mikolas as part of a help-as-needed relationship at Delton
School, where Ericas daughter Taylor is in Grade 4.
The school has helped my daughter so much. We can go
see Jenny at her ofce anytime, and Taylor is able to tell her
things that she might not share at home, like the grief she
felt after losing her uncle, Erica says. Jenny is an interme-
diary who doesnt take sides, and shes younger, so theres a
comfort for Taylor to talk to someone closer to her age.
Part of the extended community at Delton School
includes an on-site family therapist and Child and Family
Services workers that staff members know by name and
can reach with one quick phone call. Community resources
include a nurse, nutritionist and police constable, citizens
that are all part of that village it takes to raise a child. Each
partner is helpful to a family, says Nancy Webber, Deltons
principal. While were prepared to deal with crisis situa-
tions, our work is aimed at prevention through PFK were
all dedicated to see each child succeed.
Jenny has also co-facilitated a grief and loss group with a
therapist at Delton, which is one example of the customized
approach a Roots and Wings worker can personally take at a PFK school.
And for Jenny, exibility in the work she does with students and their fam-
ilies is paramount, and something parents like Erica can appreciate. Jenny
has a coffee meeting for parents at the school every other week, where she
shares information about services we may want in the community, like a
parenting course or even help with the job hunt, Erica says. When I was
looking for part-time work recently, Jenny helped me with my resum.
Getting to know school children and their families, whether by opening a
formal case le or maintaining an informal help-as-needed relationship, is
par for the course and an enjoyable part of Jennys job. She says her typical
interactions include activities during recess or lunch and chats in the hall-
way with students, or even just a knock on the car window to say hello when
parents are dropping kids off at school each morning.
Nancy has seen what a community of caring service providers can offer
children and families. She remembers one case involving an expectant mom
with young children enrolled at the school. Shortly after coming to Delton and
meeting Jenny, the woman became homeless, but her positive experience with
the Roots and Wings worker brought her back to the school to ask for help.
We have a fabulous program here. Its hard to quantify, but its a huge
relief as principal to know that with the challenging issues people face, I
can point to someone that can help, Nancy says. It takes a lot to build that
trusting relationship, and to have a family open their home to us. But we
have that foundation here.
The annual PFK Outcome Report explains further. In it, one principal in
a PFK school notes the critical support children receive, which he says gives
them strength and hope to be successful in the future. He also underscores
that the program helps build condence and resiliency in families, which
contribute to their ability and willingness to complete their education.
Jenny says that in her short time at Delton, she has learned to meet families
wherever they are the school ofce, their home or at a nearby coffee shop.
Every situation is unique, and parent-driven.
The need could be for emotional support in a
crisis, or to nd connections for housing, ther-
apists or at the food bank. Having someone in
this safe, caring environment thats a liaison
sometimes its the connection people need.
The same is true for Allison Russell, a
community program facilitator at Delton and
other PFK schools. Working with BGCBigs,
Allison often runs a Creative Minds after-
school art class, plus mentoring programs that
pair elementary students with Grade 10 to 12
students or adult volunteers. Such programs provide the positive youth and
adult role models many children need, and a safe place to go.
That feeling of safety extends to the E4C snack and lunch program at
Delton, too. While all kids get a daily snack, students can opt-in for lunches
including sandwiches, fruit salad, subs, pizza and even spaghetti days. We
have a lot of business and volunteer support for the food program, Nancy
says. When it rst began, kids would ll their pockets. But trust built, and
soon the kids felt safe that the food would be there again the next day.
PFK addresses the many factors that can stop kids from nishing school:
drug and alcohol abuse; unhealthy home environments; gang involvement
and other dangerous relationships; poverty; fetal alcohol spectrum disorder;
abuse and trauma; living in substandard housing; and parental dysfunction
and child neglect. The programs partners help make it possible to address
these challenges.
Key partners who fund or deliver PFK services include: The City of
Edmonton/FCSS; United Way of the Alberta Capital Region; Edmonton
Public Schools; The Family Centre (TFC); Boys and Girls Clubs Big Brothers
Big Sisters (BBCBigs); E4C School Lunch Program; Edmonton Community
Foundation; Edmonton and Area Child and Family Services and the Centre
for Family Literacy.
TFC has been a founding partner of PFK by providing Roots and Wings
outreach workers, therapists and success coaches to the schools. TFCs
vice-president of client services, Pauline Smale, says the program has been
a longterm journey to understand what is helpful for children and youth.
One clear area that has emerged is intentional
positive adult relationships through formal and
informal work in the schools. That includes the
notion that everyone is a resource, from youth
leaders and mentors, to teachers and counsellors.
We focus on the culture of the school
the entire school is part of PFK so the school
climate can change as the engagement and
attachments grow. That builds leadership
and brings a sense of stability and hope for
children and their families, Pauline says.
Today PFK continues to focus on the vulner-
able 118 Avenue
corridor, help-
ing about 3,500
students from
kindergarten to
graduation, with
special attention
to the transitions
between Grades
6 and 7, and 9 to
10. Weve talked
about the whole
child for years, but now we know what this
means, Pauline says. Theres the cognitive
engagement education and expectation but
the psychosocial part is just as important. We
work on keeping bums in seats by embracing who
the student is every time they come to school.
Pauline says the more engaged and supported
a child is in school, the more likely he or she is to
want to be there. When kids have a relationship
with someone at school it is easier to support
them when things become challenging, she
adds. That can begin with a simple hello and
kind word from the school custodian, lunch
server or staff who work in the ofce. Its about
creating what she calls hubs of pleasantness, at
the same time addressing things most of us take
for granted: a calm environment and basics like
food and safe shelter.
We work to keep all our school children
through to graduation, Pauline says. And we
want to continue pilots in different parts of the
city, where poverty and transiency are high.
Wed love more involvement from corporate
Edmonton with that.
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We work to keep all our school children
through to graduation. And we want to
continue pilots in different parts of the city,
where poverty and transiency are high.
Wed love more involvement from corporate
Edmonton with that.
Pauline Smale, vice-president of client services,
The Family Centre
WEMAGAZINE.CA WE SUMMER/FALL 2014 WEMAGAZINE.CA 14
BEST BEGINNINGS: Greta Gerstner knew she could both
contribute and learn at Parents as Champions.
It takes a village to raise a child, and its
never too soon to start seeking support
15
WEMAGAZINE.CA
by MICHELLE LINDSTROM Photos by BB COLLECTIVE
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AST SPRING, WHEN GRETA GERSTNER MADE THE 10-MINUTE
drive from her Crawford Plains home to the nearby
Knottwood Community League Hall, she couldnt help
but feel a little nervous. She was about to walk into her rst
Parents as Champions meeting. The mom of two children under
the age of six was hoping to connect with other Mill Woods-area
parents who share her desire to pool resources and ideas to create
a collective, collaborative approach to their kids education.
While she recognized the groups site coordinator, Shireen Mears, as a
fellow parent at her daughter Amys kindergarten, she had no idea that some
of the unfamiliar but friendly faces in the crowd would soon become great
resources to her, and she to them. I didnt know what to expect, to be honest,
says Greta of the meeting in Knottwood, one of three Alberta sites in the Early
Years Continuum Project.
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ally knew where to go for sufcient support to create the best
environment possible while raising their young children.
With these questions in mind, the AELC saw an oppor-
tunity to create an innovative project that would look from
the parent perspective to how we build a better continuum of
supports for families with young children, says Mary Stew-
art, community investment specialist with United Way of the
Alberta Capital Region. The result (advancing the work that
AELC had started) was a four-year project called the Early
Years Continuum Project (EYCP), established in April 2010.
The intent of the project was to learn, not to create new
programs that could not be sustainable, says Mary, also the
former EYCP project manager.
For Greta, that was exactly what she was looking for
from the Parents as Champions project: a chance to bounce
ideas off of other adults about their kids. Both my kids
have speech delays, so I have found it very frustrating, she
explains. How can you get involved and change some of
these things? Thats sort of what piqued my interest, trying
to change it so theres more support.
DONT EAT GLUE. SHARE YOUR STUFF. PICK UP AFTER YOURSELF.
It sounds cute to say that everything you need to know, you learn in kinder-
garten. But truthfully, the foundations for lifelong health and ourishing
are built much earlier, long before a fresh-faced kindergartener meets his
classmates for the rst time.
The early years, from birth to age six, are when a child starts learning the
critical social, emotional and practical skills that will set the stage for a healthy,
socially secure adulthood. Paradoxically, it can be a time when parents have few
touch points with the system, and are unaware of the programs or services that
could help them navigate the intricacies of raising a baby, toddler and young
child. School is often their rst experience with these resources.
In answer to the lack of early-years support, in 1995 United Way of the
Alberta Capital Region created a program to support families called Success
By 6. Since then, the initiative has helped families prepare young children for
school. But roughly a decade later, service providers of early learning care said
they could meet families needs better by connecting with them more regular-
ly. They created a committee, Aligning Early Learning and Care (AELC), to
increase coordination and connection between services.
But it wasnt a case of if you build it, they will come. Some service providers
questioned what resources families accessed regularly, if any, and if parents actu-
PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Greta Gerstner found like-minded
support for raising and educating her young son Aaron and
daughter Amy through Parents as Champions.
Three communities were chosen to be part of EYCP,
picked because they already had some level of engagement,
and were also exploring similar questions about how to
best support children in their early years. The three sites
High Prairie, and Edmontons
Lymburn and Knottwood
communities worked on their
own challenges and created
site-specic initiatives. In all
three places, site coordinators
acted as a conduit, providing
linkages between families,
services and policy makers.
In Gretas Knottwood group, one focus that was near and
dear to her was literacy.
Lymburn, in west Edmonton, was selected as an EYCP
site because provincial data mapped it as an area in which
the early childhood predictors of adult health were lower
than elsewhere. Middle-class Lymburns place on the prov-
inces map of low indicators was surprising. Service pro-
viders and parents were curious to explore this in the area,
Maria Montgomery says. At the time, she was a 3Rs
(relationships, resources, resiliency) worker in the area,
contracted to provide crisis response, resiliency training,
early intervention and prevention programs.
Maria became the EYCP site coordinator in Lymburn and
nearby communities Callingwood and Ormsby. We found
that people want to collaborate and network, she says. People
want somebody to organize the work to support families, but
nobody has the time. Maria knew she could be that person.
Before EYCP came to a close on March 31, 2014, work in
Lymburn and areas set the stage for the 3Rs position to be-
come a sustainable role. A 3Rs worker will continue to work
with families and all the neighbourhood hubs including
churches, schools and community leagues. Further, the 3Rs
worker will be that person who orchestrates it all, turning
great ideas into concrete plans and connections.
Other initiatives have created opportunities to connect
service providers and families of young children. Among
them, Maria chairs Building Better Linkages, a group
whose work aims to counter the silo effect multiple efforts
working in isolation rather than in concert. The BBL meets
monthly as a network of early intervention service provid-
ers, she says. Weve been sharing and learning about each
other. It doesnt matter whose door a family goes to, each of
us is able to better support and refer the family.
THE THIRD SITE TO JOIN WAS MILL WOODS
Knottwood, in April 2012. It created the Parents as
Champions project.
Parents as Champions came out of a growing awareness
about the importance of grassroots involvement and engage-
ment. Greta joined the group half-
way through the projects lifespan,
and attended for about a year. She
says that the most valuable aspect
for her was the chance to connect
with parents whose children, like
hers, were experiencing learning
difculties and who referred her
to expert help. I found it helpful
that I got to meet professionals, Greta says, and nd who to
talk to for answers and different programs available.
Shireen Mears is Knottwoods EYCP site coordinator
and Parents as Champions project coordinator. She says
Knottwood was chosen for EYCP because momentum was
already building locally, and its community league hosted
the project site. She also works with the Mill Woods Early
Childhood Coalition, a group working to better understand
its residents needs and determine the readiness of
pre- kindergarten children for school. Since the coalition
was already well- established, Knottwood prioritized
involvement with caregivers.
We wanted to focus on empowering
parents to believe in their ability to
make good decisions for their children,
based on good information.
Shireen Mears, Knottwood EYCP coordinator

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The Early Years Continuum Projects provincial-level
steering committee oversaw the project with three main
focus areas:
Linking and Leveraging, which built on existing
networks and created more dialogue amongst
agencies
Building Capacity, which empowered site coordinators
and partners to be champions of the early years
Knowledge Mobilization, which was the result, in part,
of studying successful existing provincial services
and delivery methods, and talking to other service
providers and policy makers
Organizations represented on the steering committee
included United Way of the Alberta Capital Region/
Success By 6, Alberta Health Services, Child and Family
Services, Early Childhood Mapping Project (ECMap),
Edmonton Catholic Schools, Edmonton Public Schools,
Alberta Education, Getting Ready for Inclusion Today
(GRIT) and Interagency Head Start Network.
WE SUMMER/FALL 2014 18
project is very connected to the policy makers and the
decision makers for early years, she says. We were able
to show that parents want a voice, and that their voice is
very important in the decision making.
Mary says EYCP used a number of evaluation tools
to measure change. The idea was, if youre bringing
this collective together early childhood specialists,
partners and caregivers could this group affect change
and move the needle on early development? she says.
The ndings from the project showed that by coming
together and having a plan and specic goals, communi-
ties and individuals felt they were able to affect change.
EYCP may have come to a natural close, but the
work continues. People are coming together, learn-
ing from each other, and nding meaningful ways to
engage in early childhood education. And the initiative
has brought forward information from more than 500
Alberta parents about what is important to them in
terms of services and supports for their children prior to
kindergarten.
As an end user of the services, Greta would like to see
the reach of initiatives like Parents as Champions contin-
ue. I think we have done a lot of great things for a lot of
parents, she says. As parents, we have collective prob-
lems. In nding other parents who are like-minded, we
can improve the quality of our kids education. I would
like to get back to the thinking it takes a village to raise a
child. I would like to get something started like that.
We wanted to focus on empowering parents to believe in their ability to
make good decisions for their children, based on good information, she says,
adding she found that parents rose to the challenge. We generated so many
ideas with parents that we wanted the opportunity to implement some of
those programs.
Some parent-led ideas included partnering with the Centre for Family Literacy
to create a monthly family literacy program that included supper, childcare and a
workshop for parents about developing their kids language, reading and writing
over a six-month period. This was a natural t for Gretas family. It was a big re-
source for me in nding different ways to develop language, explains Greta.
While she opted to leave her son and daughter at home to give the meetings her
full attention, Greta says many in the Knottwood program appreciated that child-
care was available at the monthly Wednesday night meetings.
Knottwoods EYCP also partnered with the Edmonton Public Library to start a
Family Book Club program. The library recommended books for babies, toddlers
and preschoolers that the club members could talk about in meetings. Interested
members also attended conferences, including the Alberta Early Years Conference
in September 2012.
The EYCP has come to an end after four years, but Shireen says she hopes to
keep some of its projects going in Knottwood.
One is an annual Ive Outgrown it Sale, a used-clothing bazaar at which local
service agencies set up information outreach booths.
Another project is Photovoice, an initiative that encourages participants to
document their neighbourhood with images and words. We asked parents to take
pictures of things that resonated with them, Shireen says. Each picture tells a
story, so we asked parents to write a little blurb so others could understand. She
envisions the future of Photovoice in Knottwood to include quarterly themes.
Shireen, like many others involved in the EYCP, saw its effectiveness. The
IZ ONEILL HAS LONG SEEN A STRONG
need for immigrant children to have sum-
mer and after-school programs available
to them. The executive director at Boys and Girls
Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters (BGCBigs), Liz is also
chair of the Out of School Time Secretariat, which
has been helping Edmonton organizations plan and
administer out-of-school programs since 2006.
She says the goal of the secretariat is helping children
feel like they belong here, no matter where they might have
started their lives. The community cares for them, and the
community will stand by them, she says.
It all started when Liz, on behalf of Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Edmonton (now BGCBigs), teamed up with reps
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Creating meaningful out-of-school programs for
children through collaboration
by JEN JANZEN Photography by DARRYL PROPP
Bridge the Gap
from the Mill Woods Welcome Centre and Africa Centre
in 2006, to brainstorm how to deliver summer programs
to immigrant children. Edmonton only had two programs
geared to immigrant children, so the three groups knew
the need was there, but they didnt know how quickly the
group would expand.
In 2008, the rst year of programming, they served
89 children. In the next year, ASSIST and the City Centre
Education Project came on board, and 601 children
attended customized summer programs. In 2014, there are
35 groups involved in what is now called the Out of School
Time Secretariat.
Annette Malin is a community investment specialist for
United Way of the Alberta Capital Region and shes been
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part of the secretariat since last September. Annette says shes delighted with
how seamlessly the group operates. Weve got great people doing this and our
kids have great support as a result of it.
But it wasnt always a smooth process, says Liz. In the early days of the
program, nding locations was an issue. We needed to get schools to open up
in the summer so kids didnt have to travel long distances, she says. It wasnt
really happening ve or six years ago, but now its robust. There are joint-use
agreements at anywhere from 15 to 18 schools, with City of Edmonton employ-
ees lending a hand throughout the summer.
Last year, more than 1,000 children accessed out-of-school programs, a 60 per
cent increase from 2008. With support from the Out of School Time Secretariat,
more immigrant organizations are creating their own programs. They knew their
families needed programming, and they knew they needed support to provide
that programming. Even though these are all solid organizations, you can work
through barriers easier if you work as a team, says Liz. The Africa Centre, which
started without any programming, now provides out-of-school programs 12
months of the year, four days a week.
In the last 10 years, Albertas population has grown by a million people, and
Liz says half of that increase, either directly or indirectly, is a result of emigra-
tion from abroad and within Canada. It doesnt always look like immigration,
she acknowledges, explaining that Edmonton often isnt the rst destination.
Montreal and Toronto are popular cities for new Cana-
dians, but the increased job opportunities lead many
people to jump across the Prairies to Alberta. Edmontons
francophone school system, for example which was built
around instilling bilingualism in Canadians now counts
immigrant children from French-speaking countries as
90 per cent of its student population, which speaks to the
increase in immigrants within the Edmonton regions
demographics.
Positive role models can also be lacking in an immi-
grant childs life, and often their parents are busy working
to support the family, even taking jobs they are over-
qualied for. Sometimes you see people from your home
country in your community, Liz says, and at home, they
might have been an engineer, but in Canada theyre driv-
ing a taxi.
Nancy Petersen of the Edmonton Public School Board
recently joined the secretariat, but was involved from the
beginning through her role with the City Centre Education
Partnership, which had a thriving summer program for
inner-city youth. She says many refugee children havent
NEWCOMERS: Most of the children who attend Africa
Centres out-of-school programs are refugee children.
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had any formal schooling, and coming into a classroom at
nine or 10 years old when they dont know the language,
dont understand the material, and dont share the same
background as their peers, can nd it overwhelming.
They may have been exposed to a deprived or violent
lifestyle in a refugee camp, and
there might be mental health
impacts that we dont under-
stand, says Nancy. She adds that
families dont always arrive in
Canada intact: sometimes family
members are left behind or have
been killed in a camp.
Tesfaye Ayalew is the executive
director of the Africa Centre, and
says most of the kids and teenag-
ers who use the out-of-school programs there are refugee
children. He emphasizes that before you start to consider
how the programs have beneted the youth, its necessary
to realize where many of them have come from. Refugees
dont plan to come to Canada to earn more money; they
come because of war, of famine, of displacement. They
dont choose, he says, adding that many parents have to
work two or three low-paying jobs just to make ends meet,
so theyre not able to keep a close eye on their kids.
That, says Nancy, is where the danger begins. Many of
the kids would otherwise be
at home doing nothing, or
on the street with whatever
the street has to offer them.
Theyre more at risk of
falling into illegal activity,
or getting involved with
gangs, she explains.
Tesfaye recognized this
danger in 2006, and wanted
to help bridge the gap that
was apparent in available programming: there were out-
of-school programs in Edmonton, but there werent many
that were refugee- or newcomer-specic, and there werent
many that were culturally appropriate.
Tesfaye calls the programs at the Africa Centre a
Many of the kids would otherwise
be at home doing nothing, or on the
street with whatever the street has to
offer them. Theyre more at risk of
falling into illegal activity, or getting
involved with gangs.
Nancy Petersen, Edmonton Public Schools
SCHOOLS OUT: Liz ONeill, chair of the Out of School Time Secretariat
and executive director at BGCBigs, says the goal of the secretariat is
to make children feel welcome, no matter where they were born.
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holistic approach. We wanted to help them get caught up in the school sys-
tem, but add a component of culture, identity and heritage to help them under-
stand who they are, so they can better understand where theyre going, he says.
And the knowledge isnt just academic-based, either: the children learn about
how to make healthy choices and get to play sports. Hes helped introduce many
refugee children to the Canadian joys of ice skating and skiing, for example.
The Harvard Family Research Project, a research organization operating
out of Harvard University, says out-of-school programs can foster a wide array
of benets for the children who take part in them, but Tesfaye doesnt need a
study to be convinced of the rewards: he sees them every day, in the faces of the
children who attend programs there. There are numerous stories of students
becoming more condent as they spent time at the Africa Centre, such as a
teen girl from Sudan who volunteered to teach a hip hop dance class for other
girls. It was an after-school activity for several years, and when the girl left
the club, the students ran the club themselves, practising daily and planning
performances.
The feedback Tesfaye has received from parents has been encouraging, as
well. Parents like the fact that the programs emphasize African culture, and they
remark on the engagement level that their children have in school: more reading
at home, more homework completed on time and in general, happier kids.
I hear again and again that they cant wait to come here, Tesfaye says.
When the weather is bad, they dont want to stay home. Now they say, Lets go
to Africa Centre.
BUILDING BRIDGES: A volunteer plays UNO with children at Africa Centre,
which strives through its programs to teach the participating youngsters
condence and emphasize both African and Canadian culture.
THE POWER OF MANY
The OST Secretariat doesnt organize the out-of-school
programs itself: it helps Edmonton groups organize
their own programs, helps them apply for funding
and gure out logistical challenges. The secretariats
strategy document is called Faster Alone, Farther
Together, and Liz and Annette agree that title sums up
the benets that the cooperation has given them. This
initiative provides an effective way for groups to work
together, without having to compete for resources and
attendance, says Annette.
Collaboration was part of the secretariats initial
vision from the beginning, Liz says. The community
had to come together to get work done in new ways. We
knew we could get work done more quickly if we worked
alone, but could make a more substantial contribution if
we all worked together.
The programs have been so successful that the OST
Secretariat is looking at working with local groups
to open up the availability to all students, not just
immigrant children.
Post-secondary students are breaking the
stereotype of apathy and building a model for
not-for-prots at the same time
by CORY SCHACHTEL
STUDENTS
Do More
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COMMUNITY MINDED: Alberta School of Business
students led and participated in a not-for-prot
business case competition this February.
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information with students, he says. I guess we were just
naive and inexperienced.
The committee selected Youth Empowerment and Support
Services (YESS) to feature in its case study, in part because the
organization has helped kids off the streets and into jobs since
1978. Steven distributed the case study throughout the faculty
of business, hoping to get as many as four teams interested in
representing the university at the end of February 2014. We
got 11 in the rst 24 hours, and 14 in total, Steven says. Since
so many students wanted to compete, the committee held a
scaled down version of the competition at home, an internal
round exclusively for U of A students in advance of the broader
competition. It was great for our committee, Steven says. It
allowed us to revise things for the major competition, when
wed have students from across North America we wanted to
impress. The best part is this meant we got to help another
organization: the Boys and Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Edmonton [and Area].
Case competitions are nothing new, especially at the U of A,
but most of them are narrow in focus. This competition was
multi-faceted, because thats how not-for-prots work, Steven
N MARCH 2013, ALBERTA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
(at the University of Alberta) student Sherin Noroozi
went to Washington, D.C. to compete in a business case
competition. Something set this one apart from the usual student
competitions. Rather than focusing on a large corporation, it
focused on a not-for-prot organization, challenging competitors
to tackle the challenges not-for-prots face. The business case
tried to address question of how to boost the efciency of
social support initiatives. The solution, according to some local
students, is simple: completely change the business-charity
paradigm. While the U of A team did not come back with
winning results, Sherin came home inspired to make a change.
She returned determined to create the rst continent-wide, Canadian-
hosted not-for-prot case competition, here in Edmonton. With co-chair and
friend Nisha Patel, the two assembled a committee of nine students, beginning
work in April 2013.
One of those students was Steven Knight, who as past VP Academic at
the U of A sought out local business leaders and not-for-prot organizations
who might want to take part. Steven was prepared for disappointment. We
thought it would be tough to get people from the community to help out,
and we thought it would be impossible to get not-for-prots to share their
I
ON THE CASE: Clockwise from top left, United Way of the
Alberta Capital Regions booth at the not-for-prot career and
volunteer fair; event co-chairs Nisha Patel and Sherin Noroozi
don their best; a group shot of the ANPCC executive team.
Members are, from top left to right: Nicki Clarke, Nisha Patel,
Webb Dussome, Deb Cautley, Alexandra Vu, Sherin Noroozi,
Jessica Ireland, Andra Bob, Jordyn Lugg, Graeme Glassford,
Steven Knight, Kevin Pinkoski and Alfonso Aguilar.
WE SUMMER/FALL 2014 25 WEMAGAZINE.CA
says. You wouldnt do well at this competition if you only
focused on nance and accounting, or considered yourself a
marketing specialist. Its more of a holistic business approach.
Once the U of A students completed the internal round
and judges chose a winner, two more Edmonton teams
entered from MacEwan and
Concordia, along with two other
Canadian teams from Manitoba
and Prince Edward Island. Three
American teams from Florida,
Indiana, and American University
in Washington, D.C. rounded out
the eight spots.
The four-day event kicked off on February 26, and held
events at the Art Gallery of Alberta, Matrix Hotel, the U of
A and the Citadel Theatre. We gured, as students sitting
in classrooms all day, they would be reluctant to sit through
more talks at night, but they really connected with what the
speakers had to say, Steven says. He speculates this because
there is a general lack of information about not-for-prots at
university business schools.
Overcoming the absence of information was part of the
competitions main objective: change students perception of
not-for-prots, in order to change the way universities and
business institutions perceive them as well. To date, the Alberta
School of Business at the U of A teaches only one not-for-
prot course which is not unusual
for business schools across North
America. Many students disregard a
not-for-prot career simply because
they dont see potential for prot,
which leads to the competitions
second main objective. We wanted
to introduce the idea of social
enterprise creating social prot, says Steven. Instead of only
generating economic dollars, you generate social benet, which
ends up saving money. We said to students, If you decide to do
this competition, youll generate social prot by allowing an
organization to improve efciency, which in the case of YESS,
means helping more kids, which saves society money.
Mark McCormack is a current U of A student, but
he comes from the opposite end of the business model
We wanted to introduce the
idea of social enterprise creating
social prot.
Steven Knight, past VP Academic at
University of Alberta
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SHOP TALK: Instructor Howard Harmatz of the University of
Manitobas Asper School of Business (who had the winning
team) chats with fellow case competition participant Mark Loo.
POVERTY PARALLEL: Students attend a poverty simulation,
the rst ever held specically for post secondary students.
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goes back into the companys social mission.
Making social enterprise the norm is an ambitious
mission, and the concept is not completely new, but there
are reasons for optimism. The united, global voice of Make
Poverty History has made signicant ground since its
genesis in 2005. Another sign
may be the Alberta School
of Businesss Not-For-Prot
Case Competition, which sent
students from around the
continent home from Edmonton
with a new outlook, creating
social prot of its own.
There was a student from
the University of Southern
Indiana, an entrepreneurship major who had started a few
of his own businesses, says Knight. He said he never gave
much thought to the not-for-prot sector, and only came
to the competition because he wanted to come to Canada.
At the banquet, he came up to me and said, Im going to
change the entire way I think about business. A business
that can make economic and social prot is completely
viable, I just never thought about it before.
Hopefully, its just the start.
continuum, running the U of A chapter of Make Poverty History. Hes familiar
with the terms and glad to see the School of Business also heading to the centre.
The fact is, charities are not the future, and big business is not the future.
Social enterprise is the future, says Mark. Even though it makes us feel good
to run not-for-prots, theyre not as effective as they should be, because they
dont always think like a business. And if corporations
ran like social enterprises, some big problems could
already be solved. Its great to see the School of
Business start the discussion from that side.
Large corporations often do the most net good
in places where people have few options and having
a job any job beats going hungry. But getting
corporations to think of social benet can be easier
than convincing a charity to splurge on software
that increases productivity. A big difference is the
measurability of success. It takes years for YESS to gure out how many kids
they get off the streets permanently, into homes and careers. For corporations,
even ones who provide social prot, it still comes down to dollars.
We are starting to see organizations from both sides migrating towards
the middle, because its the best of both worlds, says Mark. There are already
signs in the marketplace that when you create a product with a social mission,
it sells better. He mentions Telus pink phone for breast cancer as an example.
People want to be part of something they believe in. We want to capitalize on
that, and create prot, but make a legal guarantee that some of the prot
There are already signs in
the marketplace that when you
create a product with a social
mission, it sells better.
Mark McCormack, of the U of As branch
of Make Poverty History
ELIMINATING POVERTY: Created at the U of A, the local Make Poverty History chapter has
raised awareness about poverty by urging corporations to run like social enterprises.
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OR MONTHS, 57-YEAR-OLD EDMONTONIAN
Colin Simpson (pictured above) has been
committed to walking 3.2 kilometres per
day, the distance from his home to work and
back. It may not sound like much, but its man-
ageable. And thats exactly the point.
Claras Big Ride, and other Alberta initiatives, raise awareness
for mental health and physical activity
Its my way of getting moving, says Colin, who is
manager of Volunteer Edmonton and supervisor of The
Wellness Network at The Support Network. Im doing
what I can in my own small way to improve my mental
health and physical health, and hopefully inspiring others
to do the same.
by BRYNNA LESLIE Photo by PEDERSEN
WEMAGAZINE.CA 28
In his own small way, Colin has also raised money as
part of Move 4 Mental Health, a new annual fundraiser by
The Support Network and the Canadian Mental Health As-
sociation Edmonton Region
launched in March.
The two organizations
represent Edmonton as local
partners for a national fund-
raiser by Bell Canada called
Claras Big Ride. The national
event is named for Canadian
speed skater, cyclist and six-
time Olympic medalist Clara
Hughes, who embarked on a
110-day ride across Canada this spring to raise awareness
and funds to help end stigma about mental health issues.
When we rst heard Bell was looking for community
champions for Clara more than a year ago, we part-
nered with the Canadian Mental Health Association and
applied, says Nancy McCalder, executive director of The
Support Network. Our role has been to take this as an
opportunity to leverage Claras Big Ride, so we can pro-
mote local services and raise awareness so people in our
community know where they can go if they have mental
health concerns.
The Support Network Crisis Centre is an umbrella for a number of essen-
tial organizations, including 211, the Distress Line, a crisis chat line, a crisis
support centre and The Wellness Network, a new web-based service launched
by Alberta Health Services that includes a drop-in location for anyone with
mental health concerns. The organizations partner, CMHA Edmonton, offers
a number of programs that it hopes the afliation with Claras Big Ride can
promote.
CMHA has a range of services promoting mental health and recovery
education, suicide prevention and mental health, rst aid training, housing
and family support programs and peer-led recovery support, explains Ione
Challborn, the CMHA Edmonton chapters executive director. Awareness of
these services is essential to social and economic well-being for the more than
20 per cent of Canadians that live with mental illness, she says.
People living with mental illness are not only affected socially, but are also
more likely to suffer from economic inequality, says Ione. People who suffer
from mental illness make up a disproportionate percentage of the population
living below the poverty line. Offering services for people with lived experience
are important strategies that create pathways out of poverty. Public awareness
about mental health issues and education around the stigma associated with
mental illness, of which Claras Big Ride is a part, is central to this.
Colin, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 17 years ago, says access to
resources has made all the difference in his life. His own diagnosis, and subse-
quent access to counselling, came as a relief after feeling different for much
of his life. He recalls his difcult adolescence in Alberta in the 1960s. I was
teased and bullied by boys at school, and I was suicidal at 13, he says.
At such a young age, with little public support available, he turned to booze
and drugs, a way to try to escape and numb the pain that he was experiencing.
He idled through life, went to post-secondary school three times, but says the
stress of never nding his place contribut-
ed to three psychotic episodes involving
suicide attempts, at age 25, 40, and most
recently, just after his 50th birthday.
Long before that, he says, the stigma
around mental illness was a great chal-
lenge for both Colin and his parents.
I know my parents struggled, won-
dering what to do with me, Colin says.
Their answer was to get me really busy,
into music, rodeo and sports all kinds
of things to keep me moving. Looking back, I can see it was denitely good for
me to be busy and active, to be connected to the community, and through all
those activities I had a sense of accomplishment when I was able to do well.
Thats exactly the theme behind Claras Big Ride. Clara, who suffered
depression as a teenager, found that through sport, she could mitigate symp-
toms. In fact, a number of studies support the experience of Clara and Colin,
that good nutrition and physical activity can help deter or mitigate symptoms
and psychotic episodes, in addition to accessing mental health supports.
There is no health without mental health, says Ione. Positive mental
health is a product of many things related to self care: eating well, having
restful sleep, exercising the mind and the body, enjoying other people and our
This year, more than 500 people will kill
themselves in Alberta. We need to talk to
people, talk to kids and let them know theres
someone they can talk to. Not talking about
it isnt working.
Colin Simpson, supervisor of The Wellness Network
at The Support Network
WE SUMMER/FALL 2014
IN TANDEM: Ione Challborn, the CMHA Edmonton chapters executive
director, pictured in the number two pedalling post above, says public
awareness through events like Claras Big Ride is key to eradicating
stigma surrounding mental illness.
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natural environment and having meaningful work and
volunteer activities.
Physical exercise helps the body relax and rest, she
adds. It can take us outside and put us in the company
of other people. It can help us change up our routines or
establish new ones. A little exercise can go a long way.
By fundraising, Colin hopes people will not only be
inspired to improve their everyday mental and physical
health, but that they will also become aware that there are
community services in Edmonton that can help people in
crisis. And most importantly, he hopes people will be
WE SUMMER/FALL 2014
CYCLING FOR CHANGE: As Clara Hughes wheeled into Edmonton in early June,
she was met with a crowd of support. Local initiatives tied to the Olympians
cross-Canada tour helped raise money and awareness for mental health.
inspired by Claras Big Ride and Move 4 Mental Health to talk
about mental illness more openly.
As a kid I thought there was something very wrong with me and
I was ashamed, and there was no one in my community to look up
to or to talk to, so I felt very, very isolated, he says. This year more
than 500 people will kill themselves in Alberta. We need to talk to
people, talk to kids and let them know theres someone they can talk
to. Not talking about it isnt working.
Someone like Clara Hughes is vital to the conversation, he adds.
Shes speaking out and saying, Im a six-time Olympian, I strug-
gled with depression. These are not life sentences for the fringes of
society, theres hope and the possibility of a good life these days if
you get help.
As Clara arrived in Edmonton on the rst day of June, a crowd
of people were there to cheer for her and champion the cause in the
south part of the city. The mental health fair and evening gala were
hosted by The Support Network and the CMHA-Edmonton Region
with funding from United Way of the Alberta Capital Region and a
number of businesses and private sponsors.
Supporting Claras Big Ride is a good way to raise funds for
our local services through the Move 4 Mental Health Campaign,
says Nancy. It also helps to raise awareness about our services and
about the fact that getting active, simply going outside and having a
walk can clear your head and make you feel better.
At the end of the day, Nancy says both organizations hope tying
a local event to a national one will encourage people to seek help if
they need it. If people are having concerns around mental health
issues, there is help available, she says.
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IN FORCE: Bishop Jane Alexander, who heads the Mayors Task Force
for the Elimination of Poverty, is working towards a goal of no Capital
Region resident having to live in poverty.
WEMAGAZINE.CA
by JEN JANZEN Photos by BUFFY GOODMAN
E COULD FEED THE HUNGRY PEOPLE AND PROVIDE HELPFUL PROGRAMS
for those who are struggling to make ends meet, or we could create a
world that keeps people out of poverty in the rst place.
Jane Alexander, Bishop of Edmontons Anglican Church, prefers the second option. As co-
chair of the recently launched Mayors Task Force for the Elimination of Poverty, she is excited to
think about proactively approaching the poverty problem. Its a really exciting conversation to be
having, Bishop Jane says. And I think, in Edmonton, we have the resources to make it happen.
The task force ofcially began on March 20, and is meeting monthly until its conclusion in
2015. Its a diverse group, involving members from the business, education, social work, faith and
provincial government worlds.
Were drawing the threads together to reach as many angles as we can, Bishop Jane says.
Startup Edmonton CEO Tiffany Linke-Boyko was asked to bring her entrepreneurial
perspective to the task force. She says shifting poverty from charity delivery to practical solutions
is an important step. People dont want to experience homelessness, or live in poverty, she says.
Creating a world in which they can help themselves were really excited about it.
As of a 2013 report, there are more than 100,000 Edmontonians living in poverty, about 30
per cent of them children. Statistically, the immigrant and Aboriginal populations are more
susceptible to poverty: twice as many Aboriginals as non-Aboriginals have low incomes, and
about two-thirds of immigrants earn low incomes for at least three years after coming to Canada.
There are so many people working multiple jobs just to try and manage their bills, says
Bishop Jane. Youll just start to get your head above water, and then all of a sudden youve
reached a nancial threshold and you dont qualify for aid anymore.
How Edmonton is tackling the problem
with a goal of eliminating it
TASK
POVERTY
W
TAKING
TO
GROUP EFFORT: Bishop Jane Alexander and Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson, joined here with Reverends Susan Oliver
Martin and Scott Sharman, believe poverty will only be eradicated with a broad conversation change and action.
One of the ideas the group will be exploring is resil-
iency: why are some people able to successfully rise out
of poverty, while some cant? Along with housing and
transportation issues, theyre also looking at what a
living wage means for Edmontonians: how much a per-
son has to make in order to pay for accommodations,
utilities, food, daycare and other essentials.
Early intervention is another important link:
working with parents to make healthy choices for their
children, even before the baby is born, and working to
provide after-school care, as well as recreation options
and improved access to health services.
Mayor Don Iveson says the task force is a contin-
uation of work started in 2012, when Edmonton City
Council created the Poverty Elimination Steering
Committee to look at ways to reduce poverty in Edmon-
ton. The project, co-chaired by representatives of city
council and United Way, revealed three needs: to be
proactive about preventing poverty while intervening to
reduce its impact; to understand who the initiative
is serving; and to build awareness and seek solutions
as a city.
Thats the foundation the task force is building on.
The poverty task force is not completely out of the
blue, Bishop Jane says. Were not at the beginning
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of the conversation. The city has done amazing work
preparing for this. The task force will be joined by two
working groups: one focused on aboriginals and why
they are over-represented in poverty, and the other on
information and research.
In his keynote speech at the Mayors Symposium on
Poverty on March 20, John Rook, president and CEO
of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, said the task
force will need to use cathedral thinking to solve the
problem of poverty in Edmonton. The term references
the fact that the worlds greatest cathedrals have some-
times taken centuries to complete. Cathedral
thinking involves the greater collective coming
together with a shared vision for the future, he said.
Shaping Edmonton into a world-class city will take
a lot of work: work based on a vision beyond our own
times. And that means applying great forethought,
taking stock of our resources, and continuing for-
ward even if we dont experience the end result.
John encouraged the group to look at poverty
elimination as an investment that makes nancial
sense. He gave an example of a mother who couldnt
ll a prescription for medication because she was $10
short and ended up heading to the emergency room in
an ambulance, with her children put into foster care
while she was hospitalized, leading to much greater
costs than the initial $10 the mother was missing.
Is it possible to eliminate poverty? It might seem
like a pie-in-the-sky goal, but Bishop Jane says not only
is it possible, the fact that stakeholders are speaking in terms of
eliminating, rather than reducing, poverty represents an import-
ant change in how people think of it.
The fact that its such a broad conversation means you really
are looking at all levels: not only how we can respond to the
situations that poverty creates, but how we can change some
structural things in our society that mean we dont create the set
of conditions that lead to poverty in the rst place, says Bishop
Jane. I dont think its going to be easy, but we actually believe
that its possible: what might we bring to the table to make it
work? Its a fantastically courageous conversation to be having.
Shaping Edmonton into a world-class city will take
a lot of work: work based on a vision beyond our own
times. And that means applying great forethought, taking
stock of our resources, and continuing forward even if
we dont experience the end result.
John Rook, president and CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation
Tiffany adds that Edmontons vision has already been an
inspiration to other communities, with some of the task force
members receiving emails from organizations in other commu-
nities, extending well wishes to the project and saying theyre
excited to see what Edmonton comes up with. Maybe others
can piggyback off of it, she says. This project has potential for
ripple effects outside of Edmonton.
The task force has committed to presenting a report to
Edmonton City Council by December 2015.
ROLE MODELS: Brendan Chalfour and McKenna Hartman
represented Victoria School this spring at a Toronto
summit about ways to reduce mental health stigma.
WE SUMMER/FALL 2014
CHOOL KIDS, LIKE THE REST OF US, EXPERIENCE
stress and insecurities. And sometimes we
brush their concerns under the rug. Dont be so
dramatic, suck it up, we tell them. Its not a big deal. But
what we are really saying is, Your concerns dont matter.
And worse: Dont talk about mental health.
Positive mental health is an indicator that sets up students to succeed aca-
demically. Hand in glove, a good education is protective against poverty.
We grew up in a generation where mental health wasnt seen as a positive
thing, says Jennifer Parenteau, project coordinator for The Way In. When it
came to mental health, people gave little thought to taking proactive steps.
Thankfully, these days there are multiple capacity-building initiatives 37,
actually underway in Alberta schools in an effort to improve educational
outcomes along with mental health.
JENNIFER PARENTEAUS PROJECT, THE WAY IN, IS ONE OF
those 37 initiatives. It exists because of the forward thinking principals in
Mill Woods junior high schools Dan Knott, Edith Rogers and T. D. Baker.
They noticed how much administration time was spent supporting families
with complex mental health issues.
The foundation of a strong education lies
in a concerted and proactive approach to
lifelong mental health
by MICHELLE LINDSTROM photography by CURTIS TRENT
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35 WEMAGAZINE.CA
compounding the need for more programming and support.
The solution was to bring services to the people instead of
expecting them to navigate a new system in a language in which
they have varying degrees of uency. By using the three junior
high schools as hubs, students, families and community mem-
bers gained local access to a mental health therapist,
mentorship coach, family support worker, addictions counsellor
and more. What we do is build resilience in youth and fami-
lies by improving mental health though prevention, promotion
and intervention programs in the community of Mill Woods,
Jennifer says.
She has even noticed a recent decline in students sent to the
ofce for drug-related concerns. When you have access to an ad-
dictions counsellor, you can just ask a question, she says. They
have access to the right information.
Bringing the resources right to the clients door is also an ap-
proach Canadian Mental Health Association, Edmonton Region
(CMHA - Edmonton) takes with high schools in the city and
surrounding areas. One initiative of the associations Community
Education is the Light Up Your Mind School Program.
Teachers request our staff to come out and do presentations
To remedy this, Alberta Health Services Addiction and
Mental Health (along with its partners) created a full-time proj-
ect coordinator position to engage partners in the community to
be able to access resources for parents and to build a wraparound
support service, using the school as a gateway to service, says
Jennifer, who took over the role about two years ago.
Mill Woods holds some of the citys most diverse and
dynamic neighbourhoods. The population tops out at more
than 100,000 people, rivalling that of the City of Red Deer.
A full third of those residents are under the age of 20. There is a
lot to love about Mill Woods a plethora of greenspaces, lively
community leagues, a great rec centre and more. The area is
home to an ethnically diverse population with the highest num-
ber of immigrant families in Edmonton.
Active community champions are addressing high incidenc-
es of crime, domestic violence and poverty within some public
housing projects. For many people living in Mill Woods, there is
poor access to outreach centres, birth control centres, child psy-
chiatry, full-day addiction recovery programs, alternative schools
or low-fee counselling services. The rich cultural and linguistic
mix of the area can create barriers to effective service delivery,
SCHOOL SPIRIT: Brendan and McKenna travelled to
Toronto to attend the two-day student-only summit.
Mentor Anita and Emma
students chosen, McKenna and Brendan were two selected
to attend this years Unleash the Noise from February 20
to March 1.
McKenna says it was the brainstorming sessions that all 200
students took part in that really stuck with her. We brought
back a lot of ideas, she says.
One idea they implemented during the schools recent Men-
tal Health Week back in May was an agency fair. We invited
counsellors and agencies in the public and Catholic system
and resource groups, Brendan says. It was open to parents,
teachers and staff.
For Brendan, it was the
networking opportunities
in Toronto that impressed
him most. Hes remained in
touch with a few University
of Alberta students who at-
tended the summit and they
continue to discuss future
mental health initiatives
possibly an Edmonton Unleash the Noise satellite summit.
Implementing the ideas of youth is also a trend iHuman
Youth Society believes in for its Uncensored drama theatre
program. It started in 2006 as a research project at the Uni-
versity of Alberta in partnership with iHuman Youth Society,
and the High Risk Unit of Child and Family Services, says
Lindsay Ruth Hunt, iHuman Uncensoreds program facilitator.
The program was so successful that it no longer operates with
program funding, Lindsay says, but rather on the money it
earns in its gigs.
Facilities such as libraries, and professionals including social
workers and teachers hire Uncensored to perform. Lindsay
guides the iHuman youth (typically age 14 to 22 who are facing
high-risk barriers) to create scenes for the specic audience,
while letting the kids determine the content and approach
based on their own personal experiences. The youth continue
to do the work because they feel theyre making an impact on
the service providers that theyre doing workshops for, she says.
They feel strongly about being heard and having their story
told. The youth are also paid for their performances, she adds.
It ips on its head the assumptions of who holds the knowl-
edge and how best it should work, Lindsay says. We should
be looking to the youth as to what their needs are and what the
barriers are that they come up against.
It takes a willingness to listen and learn to make things
better. It takes a special eye to see whats right under your nose.
And it means breaking the silence and sharing the truths about
mental illness, as these groups have done, to dispel myths and
reduce stigma.
to help students understand more about their own mental
health, resilience and coping strategies, says Ione Challborn,
CMHA Edmontons executive director. We explore topics
around mental illness, stigma, suicide awareness and some of
the misconceptions around mental illness that get in the way
of getting support and supporting others. Teachers usually re-
quest all four presentations over the course of the school term.
Light Up Your Mind has successfully run for more than 20
years and keeps building its knowledge bank. The more we
know as time goes by, the more we can talk about, Ione says.
The ultimate goal is to bring awareness and to create conver-
sation because with aware-
ness you break down stigma.
Finding resources and
mentors right in the school is
an initiative that has worked
for Victoria Schools Grade 10
to 12 students. Community
Helpers, funded by an Alberta
Health Services grant, started
in the 2012-2013 school year to identify natural helpers.
We did a survey where everybody wrote down the names
of the people they go to in the school for help, says McKenna
Hartman, a Grade 12 Victoria School student and Community
Helper. Whoevers name showed up ve times or more had the
opportunity to go to this training.
The training was a two-day retreat where counsellors and
speakers ran sessions for the student helpers about mental
health, ethics, labelling, trust, teamwork, helping skills, self-
help, suicide, depression, substance abuse, sexual orientation,
gender identity, stress, dealing with violence and abuse and
conict resolution.
Brendan Chalifour was in Grade 10 last year when he was
chosen to be a Community Helper and attend the intense
retreat. For me, I never really knew anything about mental
health, he says. Im on student leadership and Ive been learn-
ing more about these programs.
Last fall Mary Frances Fitzgerald, Victoria Schools curric-
ulum coordinator for counselling, health and wellness, heard
about a student summit in Toronto that focused on ways to
reduce mental health stigma. She suggested McKenna and
Brendan throw their hats in the ring to be chosen to attend
from among 1,800 hopefuls nationwide.
The application process seemed straightforward. It was just
a couple of questions about how much you already know; what
you would be looking to learn; what you would be taking back;
and what you planned on doing with the information back in
your own community, McKenna says.
Out of the 200 Canadian high school and university
Teachers request our staf to come out
and do presentations to help students
understand more about their own mental
health, resilience and coping strategies.
Ione Challborn, executive director, CMHA-Edmonton
WE SUMMER/FALL 2014
37 WEMAGAZINE.CA
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Alberta Blue Cross employees, with the help of the companys
matching campaigns, have contributed more than $1.5 million to
United Way since 1992
donations, last year alone Alberta Blue Cross raised more than
$148,000 for United Way.
By supporting United Way, Alberta Blue Cross is glad to be
able to reinforce the important role United Way plays in the
lives of so many Albertans, Brian says.
BENEFITTING
COMMUNITIES
OES BEING GENUINELY COMMITTED TO MAKING A
positive difference at the community level reect on an
organizations reputation? The people at Alberta Blue
Cross like to think so.
The company is the provinces largest benets provider and it has a strong
reputation as an organization Albertans can trust. In fact, Alberta Blue Cross
was recently named in an Ipsos survey as one of Albertas Top 10 Most Loved
Brands. Alberta Blue Cross has a unique mandate to support the health and
wellness of Albertans, and we know that our commitment to the communities
we serve is an underlying reason for our success, says Brian Geislinger, vice-
president of corporate relations with Alberta Blue Cross.
While Alberta Blue Cross is a not-for-prot organization with limited funds
to invest, the company is highly engaged in supporting the communities it
serves both nancially and through volunteer time.
Our long-standing commitment to community involvement is truly a credit
to the spirit of giving, generosity and volunteerism of our employees, Brian
says. Alberta Blue Cross employees are actively engaged in a wide variety of
initiatives to support the community, including involvement in the Canadian
Blood Services Partners for Life program, the Row for Kids event in support
of the Stollery Childrens Hospital Foundation, Santas Anonymous, monthly
Casual For A Cause days as well as regular drives to collect food, clothing and
other items for those in need.
As an organization committed to safeguarding and promoting its members
well-being, a strong focus to Alberta Blue Crosss donations is the health and
wellness in the communities it serves.
Although Alberta Blue Cross is involved with a variety of other charitable
organizations throughout the province, its longest-standing community
partnership is with United Way. Since 1992, Alberta Blue Cross has contributed
more than $1.5 million to United Way. Thanks to the generosity of Alberta
Blue Cross staff and the companys commitment to matching all employee
D
000WE-ToolsSchool-FP.indd 1 2014-07-28 8:54 AM
TRUE BLUE: Alberta Blue Cross raised more
than $148,000 for United Way last year.
000WE-ToolsSchool-FP.indd 1 2014-07-28 8:54 AM WE_p38-39_Summer14.indd 39 2014-08-12 2:28 PM
DOZENS OF MACEWAN
University students were treated to
more than a home-cooked meal when
they attended the Meal to End Hun-
ger at the City Centre campus last
fall. They also got a taste of poverty.
Students were admitted to the
event, part of the universitys United
Way fundraising campaign, with a $5
ticket, which promised them a meal
served up by the Aramark catering
staff. But unlike what the brochure
advertised, not everyone would
dine on a juicy T-bone on that cold
evening last November.
Upon arrival, diners were given co-
loured pieces of paper to determine
where they would sit, designed to be
a represent the different economic
groups in society. When the food
came, some were served steak with
all the xings atop linen tablecloths,
while others were given rice and veg-
etables and shared water pitchers.
A third group was given rice without
anything else, including cutlery.
It showed the distribution of how
some people may eat compared
to others, says Vineeta Dasoar,
campaign manager, public sector, for
United Way. They also had a pro-
fessor who spoke on poverty and a
young speaker from United Way who
described her experiences of living in
poverty and how she overcame it.
Vineeta says events like this are
important because the majority of
those in attendance were members
of Generation Y, a group of young
people United Way hopes to engage
in various initiatives as the organi-
zation moves into the future. Pov-
erty is such a huge issue where we
live; were hoping the students will
be willing to take action against it.
Staff adviser Clint Galloway, man-
ager of residence services at MacE-
wan who helped run the event, says
most students got the message and
were thankful for a new perspective
on something they may not have
considered the prevalence of pov-
erty all around them.
The majority of people did un-
derstand and get it, Clint says. We
had people come up to us and thank
us and say they learned quite a bit.
Clint says one surprising obser-
vation he made during the meal
was that the upper class tables pa-
trons seemed to feel uncomfortable
about the meal they were served
compared to their peers at the mid-
dle and lower class tables. They
went out and shared their steak with
other people. Some people didnt
even want to eat their steak, they
were willing to give it away; they
just felt so guilty, he says.
The event was intended to give
students some perspective. When
we think about our own position,
our socioeconomic status, were
very privileged. Do we share that
privilege with other people? Clint
asks. What do we do to make sure
that everyone else has the same
privilege, whether it is access to
education or the ability to read?
It was interesting to see people
sharing their food with complete
strangers. They would cut it up in
three and deliver it to other tables.
It was interesting to see that dy-
namic play out.
Organizers consider the rst
Meal to End Hunger a success. It
was a really eye-opening experi-
ence for them, which is the inten-
tion, says Clint. The purpose
was not to dupe students, not to
pull the wool over their eyes, but
to basically educate them on the
reality of the world when it comes
to privilege. Being an institute of
higher education, just being here,
makes them a higher class. Not a
lot of people have access to higher
education. Theyre an elite group
of people.
Student-led MacEwan University
initiative puts more than food on
the table for attendees
A Taste
of Reality
BUSINESS WAY
by SHELLEY WILLIAMSON
YOU MIGHT KNOW
Northlands as the company that
hosts fun events like K-Days and
concerts at Rexall Place. But what
you might not know is that North-
lands is also a key community
partner for Edmontons non-prot
organizations, including United Way
of the Alberta Capital Region.
Northlands and United Way
have incredible records going back
probably about 40 years, says
Darryl Szafranski, the director of
community relations at Northlands.
That four-decade-long partnership
encompasses everything from event
production to fundraising cam-
paigns, and has brought fun and
advocacy to the region and North-
lands employees over the years.
Every year, Northlands staff
participate in a workplace cam-
paign, which in 2014 raised just over
$20,000. They have also initiated
the Day of Sharing, during which
Northlands employees head out
into the community and donate a
days worth of work to a community
initiative they feel strongly about.
Thats just over $20,000 in
estimated volunteer support,
says Darryl. Were a not-for-prot
service organization. We invest our
prots back into our facilities to
maintain them, and the rest goes
[to] the community.
Boots on the Ground
Northlands supports United Way with
a variety of valuable contributions
by LYNDSIE BOURGON
WE SUMMER/FALL 2014
In 2013, Northlands contributed
$1.25 million to community initia-
tives as cash, or value in-kind. Those
in-kind contributions include every-
thing from venue rentals to cater-
ing. In April 2014, they provided the
venue and food for United Ways
UDodge dodgeball tournament.
In the past, they have helped
organize the River City Round Up
Be Seen in Jeans Campaign, a
United Way fundraiser that allows
participants to wear jeans to work
throughout Canadian Finals Rodeo
Week in November. Northlands also
provides in-kind sponsorship of the
annual Red Tie Gala. This ts our
mission of supporting organizations
that help increase and enhance the
life and community in our region,
says Darryl.
Northlands focuses on ve com-
munity pillars: memory making,
education and agriculture, arts
and culture, community enrich-
ment and Northlands Neighbours,
a granting scheme for community
leagues. Under these pillars, they
utilize their invaluable experience
in event organization to invest in
and support various communi-
ty organizations making sure
worthwhile events and causes get
the support they need.
41 WEMAGAZINE.CA
LEADING EDGE
ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS
are a competitive group, vying for
contracts in the community and estab-
lishing themselves as the go-to people
for industry. Since 2006, companies
from Edmonton have been using that
competitive spirit for the common
good and, through the Engineering
Challenge, have donated more than
$10 million to United Way of the
The Engineering Challenge
started with three companies Colt
Engineering Corporation, CoSyn
Technology and Stantec Consulting
Limited. At its early stages, the
companies simply compared their
normal annual United Way campaign
contributions and the company who
made the most donations won a
trophy to display for 12 months.
Since then, there have been some
fundamental changes, explains Randy
Hills, planning technologist at Stantec.
Three specic criteria (employee giv-
ing rates, employee participation rates
and commitments to best practices)
are measured to determine the an-
nual winner. A steering committee of
company representatives and United
Way staff works together on campaign
strategies. Participating companies
collaborate on a Day of Caring event
each September for one of the funded
partners. During a Day of Caring,
companies fund and complete a proj-
ect that a United Way funded partner
could not otherwise afford.
The Challenge has grown due to the
promotion by United Way and by the
consulting engineering community,
itself. In 2013, staff from 15 companies
created a community garden for a Ca-
nadian Mental Health Association res-
idence. They built a gazebo and eight
garden plots where residents could
plant vegetables and owers. The
experience was unbelievable, Randy
says. Residents are excited about
growing some of their own food and
sharing the bounty with neighbours.
Agency staff members provide
lunch and moral support for the
event and also share a brief synopsis
of their work. It is an opportunity to
raise awareness about community
issues and the work of United Way,
adds Randy, who chaired the steering
committee in 2013. To work side by
each with the employees of the mem-
ber agencies is a real eye opener. Ex-
periences like this drive real change in
the community, says Kevin Fitzgerald,
director of corporate partnerships for
United Way.
Monies collected through the Chal-
lenge more than $1.6 million last year
alone go toward United Ways efforts
to create pathways out of poverty.
In fact, the Engineering Challenge
has been such a winning concept
that other sectors are joining in.
The Education Challenge currently
involves Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology (NAIT) and MacEwan Uni-
versity and is destined to grow. The
Heartland Challenge, involving Fort
Saskatchewan and Redwater-based
companies, is well underway.
Randy encourages more sectors to
get involved. It is benecial for any
industry to contribute to the com-
munity they operate in, he explains.
And it is very rewarding.
Edmontons engineering community steps to the plate
through annual Day of Caring activities
Up to the Challenge
MILESTONES
42 WE SUMMER/FALL 2014 WEMAGAZINE.CA
by COLLEEN BIONDI
DIGGING DEEP: Staff from 15 companies created a community garden for
residents of a CMHA apartment building as part of a 2013 Day of Caring.
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At Alberta Blue Cross, we believe in building healthy and sustainable communities across our
provincecommunities where all Albertans have an equal opportunity to thrive. We work to
make a genuine diference in the communities where we live and serve through initiatives
like our Healthy Communities Grant Program, Hearts of Blue employee-led charity
and annual United Way campaign.
ABC 83104 2014/06
Involved in YOUR community
Because well-being is more than just a clean bill of health.
To learn more about our community involvement, visit www.ab.bluecross.ca.
ABC 83104 WE Magazine - FULL COLOUR, FULL PAGE - 9 x 10.75
000WE-AlbertaBlueCross-FP.indd 1 2014-07-28 10:09 AM WE_p44-01_Summer14.indd 44 2014-08-12 2:27 PM

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MAGAZINE OF UNITED WAY OF THE ALBERTA CAPITAL REGION

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