“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much” – Helen Keller
It’s 2021, and although our society has come a long way in the fight against the pandemic, we are still encountering many health, economic and social difficulties. COVID-19 has taken so much from us, including our ability to connect in traditional ways and meet in person. This has affected many areas of our community, and in particular our local non-profit organizations.
For many years, the non-for-profit sector has been there to create a healthier, more compassionate and inclusive society, lending a hand to those needing a place to live, bringing the arts to life for our citizens, providing resources for families in need and helping make lives easier for so many.
Historically, many of these organizations relied on fundraising events and activities for revenue generation, which because of COVID-19, have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. This new reality has a profound effect on their ability to support their communities; despite their resiliency in finding new and creative ways to serve.
These wonderful organizations can’t do it alone, they need our support more than ever.
And that’s why we are here today, asking you to take a couple minutes of your day to join us in the initiative called “Give Back Tuesday”. Every month, we will highlight the mission and needs of some of these community heroes, in hopes that we can all together bring awareness of the important role non-for-profits play and how we can help them help others.
On behalf of our team and these fantastic organizations, thank you for spreading the word!
Calgary Police Youth Foundation (CPYF)
Their mission
Educate youth about good citizenship, safe communities, policing and avoiding victimization and criminality.
How operations have adapted through the pandemic
The child and youth Programs funded by CPYF and delivered by Calgary Police Service and other community partners, adapted operations to overcome challenges arising from school closures and inability to meet in person.
- These changes created an opportunity to address the immediate needs of the children and youth by providing laptops and other technology so they could continue with schoolwork safely from home.
- They also have provided essential needs including food, grocery cards, personal care products, activity kits, games, and mental health resources were available for those most in need.
- Program teams were able to move quickly to virtual alternatives to deliver crime prevention education sessions, mentoring support via. videoconference and where possible, outdoor activities.
Historically the Calgary Police Youth Foundation has been visible and present in the community fundraising. Their success has been through the ability to host community events, meet new supporters in person, sharing their story, and inspiring the community to get involved.
Although they were able to adapt and move to virtual platforms for some of their events, as a charity with a small online following, virtual events were not able to have the same level of impact they would have had if they were able to host them in person.
How you can help
Like many charities, the Calgary Police Youth Foundation’s future revenue is at most risk.
By becoming a Promising Future monthly donor, you will provide CPYF with a continuous and stable source of funding throughout the year, being a convenient and customizable way to give.
This helps ensure that there are no gaps in support for those they serve and that they can continue their critical work of keeping Calgary’s vulnerable children and youth safe from victimisation and crime. Read more about this initiative and get involved: https://cpf.cpsevents.ca/promising-futures/
Growing their online community is also a great way to help spread the word, please follow them on social media: Instagram and Twitter, and Facebook.