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Vision for the Future Lynda is a single mom struggling to work two part-time jobs to make a home for her children. The lack of money is a constant worry and there is hardly a day where she isn’t concerned about how she is going to provide food for the children and additional furniture for their home. Having maxed out her support provided by the food bank, Lynda turned to the neighborhood church for help. They immediately directed her to the Storehouse-39-3-10 Helpline. After just one phone call help was on the way from three separate agencies. With one delivery Lynda received emergency food supplies from Community Kitchen:, a crib, formula, baby food and a much needed kitchen table from NeighbourLink and an appointment for a free eye exam and new glasses to replace her old broken pair from The Calgary Eye Way Society. Storehouse-39-3-10 follow up with Lynda provided her with information about Community Kitchen’s nutrition education program, and an opportunity to consider learning a new skill set that would allow her to have one good paying job instead of two part-time minimum wage jobs. “It is so hard to ask for help,” Lynda said, “and to only have to explain our situation once to Storehouse-39-3-10 and receive help from three agencies is a god-send”. The Need for a Co-Location Collaborative Model in Calgary Calgary is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, having recently surpassed the one million population marker. With its great “community wealth” also comes the reality of growing numbers of individuals and families like “Lynda’s” that live in poverty or who are homeless. It is imperative that non-profit agencies that provide basic human needs services and broad based counseling to the homeless and those living in poverty, expand their collective program capacity by achieving greater efficiencies. This model of co-location and collaboration will provide the framework from which multiple agencies can unite in their efforts to work with individuals in the community that need their support. The Creation of Storehouse-39-3-10 Storehouse-39-3-10 is an umbrella non-profit company comprised of the founding partner agencies that was registered under the Alberta Companies Act on May 25, 2006. The establishment of Storehouse-39-3-10 has enabled the three founding non-profit agencies to co-locate and collaborate under one roof to achieve greater efficiencies and expand their program capacity to better address the growing needs of Calgary’s homeless and those living in poverty. Founding Storehouse-39-3-10 Agency Partners • Community Kitchen Program of Calgary Society • NeighbourLink of Northwest Calgary and Beltline Inc. • Calgary Eye Way Society Clients Served Each of the founding project agencies works to address the issue of poverty and homelessness in the community of Calgary. Clients include the working poor; immigrants; aboriginals, low income families, single mothers, the homeless and those facing homelessness and needing a “hand-up” to break the cycle of poverty. Co-Location Collaborative Model With contributions from the federal and provincial government, foundations, corporate and private donors, Storehouse-39-3-10 has purchased a building in Northeast Calgary at 3751 21st Street NE. The building is being converted to provide shared warehouse space, meeting rooms, training room, Board room, volunteer and staff lunch room, copy and mail room, reception areas, etc. The building will also house offices for the Storehouse-39-3-10 founding project agencies and additional non-profit agencies. The flexibility of short-term and reasonable rate leases—as well as the ability to use board and meeting rooms, copy and mail room, volunteer and staff areas will be a significant benefit for junior non-profits. Child Find Alberta will be the first agency to benefit from this model of co-location and collaboration beyond the founding project agencies. Storehouse-39-3-10 is Innovative and Unique Although there are other examples in Canada where non-profit agencies have co-located in one building, the Storehouse-39-3-10 model is unique as it incorporates program collaboration. Working together the founding project agencies have developed a series of programs that will help break the cycle of poverty in Calgary: • Helpline – one phone call provides access to multiple resources • Infants and Children Under 2 • Run, Jump and Play (children 2 – 6 years old) • Pre-employment Programs (e.g. warehouse & eye wear manufacturing) Storehouse-39-3-10 provides the foundation for agency collaboration that works towards breaking the cycle of poverty and preventing homelessness in Calgary.
1. Improved responsiveness and services - One client application form will be used to generate appropriate service(s) from one or more of the agencies, which will reduce client frustration. Shared resources among participating agencies in the delivery of services to homeless and those living in poverty will enhance response time and breadth of services provided. This collaborative approach will achieve results that no one agency can accomplish alone. |