The Alex Community Health Centre
2840 2 Ave SE T2A 7X9 Calgary, AB, Canada

You are seen, you are loved.

We all know what it's like to be young and struggling to figure out your place in the world. Now imagine you've just become homeless as a result of an unsafe home environment. Many of our youth, including Twinkle, live this reality every day. Today, on Christmas Day, make a donation to our Youth Health Centre to show Calgary's at-risk youth they're not alone. https://give.thealex.ca/stories/ All donations over $25 are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.

"1. Remind yourself it’s okay if all you do for the holidays is get through them: Let’s start here, since it’s the most important thing. If the thought of practicing a bunch of self-care is utterly exhausting, that’s valid as heck. A little expectation setting can go a long way, even if it’s just saying, 'Okay, yeah, holidays this year are going to suck. I’m going to feel like crap and white-knuckle my way through it the best I can.' That is loads better than forcing yourself to make the best of things or focus on what you 'should' be doing or feeling. Give yourself permission to hate every minute of this if that’s what you need." https://www.self.com/story/holidays-alone-self-care

Press Play - a virtual, family-friendly evening of entertainment, hosted by Dave Kelly. With musical performances, special guest surprises & a virtual tour of our Youth Health Bus, Press Play give you a great reason to spend time at home with your friends and family, while supporting the incredible work at The Alex Youth Health Centre and Youth Health Bus. Tickets are free, and fundraising opportunities will occur throughout the evening.... **BUY YOUR 50/50 TICKET TODAY!** https://trellis.org/press-play Your generosity will ensure The Alex can continue to make a difference in the lives of young people, providing a refuge that has been built on compassion, trust and respect allowing at-risk and street-connected youth to recognize their worth and reclaim the lives they deserve.

Before the pandemic, Keira had been getting health care and couselling at The Alex for an eating disorder. A month after COVID-19 reached Calgary, Keira's heightened anxiety caused her to completely isolate, both physically and emotionally. She started to struggle even more...We are all Keira. #WeAreAllAlex. Read Keira's story at https://give.thealex.ca/stories/

Tonight's the night! Grab your kids, grab your snacks, and tune in to this free, family-friendly virtual event in support of The Alex youth health programs!

On Trans Day of Remembrance we pause to not only remember those we've lost, but celebrate and cherish those who are still with us. "We see you. You are worthy. You are valid, and we support you."

The Alex will be closed for the holidays starting Dec 24th, re-opening for normal hours Monday Jan 4th. Mint Pharmacy at The Alex will also have holiday closures! If you need to access the pharmacy, please call 403-520-6450. Happy holidays from our family to yours!

A feel-good story for your Thursday morning: "Kyle Charles was hired by Marvel Entertainment to be one of the artists involved in Marvel Voices: Indigenous Voices #1." http://ow.ly/ASyM50CojKs

#OrangeShirtDay is a time to honour the impact of the Residential School system in Canada, and drive action that moves reconciliation forward. Doug Monroe, an Alex HomeBase community member talks about his journey and the work that still needs to be done.

#GratitudeTuesday goes out to Alberta Computers and TELUS who both provided devices for our staff to stay connected to our community during this pandemic! Not to mention the cell phone plans Telus generously set up for us. We are so grateful for this incredible support.

The orange shirt refers to the new shirt that Phyllis Webstad was given by her grandmother for her first day of school at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School in colonial British Columbia. When Phyllis got to school, they took away her clothes, including her new shirt. It was never returned. To Phyllis, the colour orange has always reminded her of her experiences at Residential School. Wear orange this Wednesday to commemorate the Residential School experience and to witness and honour the healing journey of the survivors and their families. Let's use this and all other days as an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations to come.

Join us online next Monday October 5th at 4:00pm as we share the work of the previous year, and a look towards the future. Register in the event description today! https://www.facebook.com/events/1286571985022364/

Violet is one of the more than 400 Calgarians experiencing homelessness in #YYC who have been given a safe, medically-supported space to isolate at our Assisted Self-Isolation Site (ASIS). During their time at ASIS, guests isolate in their own hotel room, which includes a kitchenette, phone, and a warm bed. They're also assigned a care team, consisting of medical care providers and case managers. We believe all our community members, whether they have a fixed address or not, ...deserve dignity, compassion, and kindness during the pandemic and beyond. #ReactReframeRespond

A beautiful night at #prairiegrid2020 sharing the work of @goodfoodyyc and promoting #bigsocial supporting Community Food Centres across Canada including our lovely centre in the heart of Forest Lawn. Thank you @eatnorth for inviting us!

Since April, ASIS has provided isolation in a YYC hotel to nearly 400 homeless Calgarians with symptoms or a diagnosis of COVID-19. But isolation isn't the only goal. More than 55 people have transitioned from ASIS into long term Housing First programs, while more than 35 have been reunited with family or moved into independent housing. This means that as a result of their stay at ASIS, people are getting what they need to transition out of homelessness altogether. ... Hear from the leaders on the frontlines of this project, Dr. Kerri Treherne and Danielle Szabo on the impact we've seen so far. Thanks to all our partners on this project. We are proud to be working alongside you to support community members with no fixed address. CUPS Calgary, HomeSpace Society, Calgary Homeless Foundation, @YourAlberta (Government of Alberta), City of Calgary Your Local Government

"Many of us will experience some kind of trauma during our lifetime. Sometimes, we escape with no long-term effects. But for millions of people, those experiences linger, causing symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and negative thoughts that interfere with everyday life. Joelle Rabow Maletis details the science behind post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD." https://www.ted.com//joelle_rabow_maletis_the_psychology_o

It’s back and better than ever! The Big Social is gearing up for its second year raising funds for The Alex Community Food Centre and Community Food Centres Canada! The #BigSocial is a national event that brings people together around food and raises funds for improved food access. You can connect in person or online, making The Big Social the perfect way to give back during COVID-19. From October 9-25, raise funds, share food, show you care! https://bigsocial.ca/16501/the-big-social/

Between March and June our Social Dispatch team connected with thousands of community members to provide support, resources, referrals, basic need items, and a listening ear during that difficult time. But the work isn't done. People will continue to need us and we can't do it alone. Donate to our COVID-19 response today: http://ow.ly/aR0K50BrQTy #ReactReframeRespond

When COVID-19 reached #YYC back in March, our team quickly reorganized our entire operation to continue supporting our community. Hear from our team on the creation of The Alex Social Dispatch Centre and how we managed not to lose a single day. "I feel like everything had just been broken, and I was part of the fixing." - Lyndon We know this isn't over. The need for food, connection, and other basic needs items will only increase, as the economic and health effects of COVID continue to unfold. Consider donating to The Alex to help us ensure no one gets left behind: http://ow.ly/7bFT50Bqxin

We love this 15 minute TED talk from 2017 on the idea of a universal basic income. Such a relevant conversation we need to continue having today! "Ideas can and do change the world," says historian Rutger Bregman, sharing his case for a provocative one: guaranteed basic income. Learn more about the idea's 500-year history and a forgotten modern experiment where it actually worked -- and imagine how much energy and talent we would unleash if we got rid of poverty once and for all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydKcaIE6O1k&ab_channel=TED

#weekendlongread "Prisons were never designed to be stand-ins for mental health support, addiction care, employment services, or shelters. Instead, they are structured around ideas of punishment, places where we lock ’em up...Even as notions of reform and healing have muddled their purpose, the ugly truth is that prisons warehouse people we don’t want or don’t know what to do withpeople our society has failed to support." https://thewalrus.ca/did-prisons-ever-work/

http://ow.ly/oTGz50BoxaX