Grateful for Grace Generation

Volunteers from Grace Generation Church were back again on Thursday, Aug. 26 - this time sorting emergency food by expiry date and dividing a generous donation of dishes from the Mustard Seed into bowls, plates, mugs and more. You guys are awesome - thanks, Grace Generation!

ConocoPhillips Canada a big-time help for NeighbourLink and Calgary

Our 20 volunteers from ConocoPhillips Canada deserve a BIG thank you for sorting and packaging 125 bags of winter baby clothing, as well as building 59 emergency food hampers on Wednesday, Aug. 25! Your diligent work will help keep children from local, low-income families warm this winter season - and hungry Calgarians fed in times when they don't know where to turn for their next meal.

They're a year older and have grown a few more inches, but other than that not much has changed about Lauren, 7, and her brother Michael, 4. A year ago they had a combined ICU2 birthday, where all of their friends brought donations for NeighbourLink's baby program instead of gifts. They did the same thing this year, blessing us big time with much needed diapers, formula and other baby supplies! Thanks (again!) Lauren and Michael!

What a wonderful world of volunteers

This is a big shout-out to our great volunteers, including some of our newest - Nathan, Chelsy and Kirsten to name a few - as well as those who have been here before - including Trinity Church of the Nazarene. Thank you, all, for your hard work sorting items in our warehouse and traversing the city delivering ICU2 and LIFFE Support orders to clients! You mean the world to us...

All Roads Lead Home BBQ

Three-legged races, watermelon eating contests, a pinata and bouncy castle - the list could go on, but these are just a few examples of the fun activities that were enjoyed by all who attended the All Roads Lead Home 2nd Annual Volunteer and Family Appreciation BBQ on August 7! Latino beats drifted over from the picnic site to our left and the smell of spicy East Indian food wafted across from the one on our right as all of us at Bowness Park's picnic site #4 celebrated good food, great friends and a wonderful program. Thank you to everyone who helped with the event, as well as to the volunteers and families who were able to attend. We're looking forward to another great year for All Roads Lead Home!

The latest and greatest 'food group'

Before Thursday, July 29, there were four pallets tucked inconspicuously amongst the rafters of NeighbourLink's warehouse, plumb-full of unsorted emergency food. From canned peas to macaroni and cheese, this non-perishable food didn't know what hit it when 15 energetic volunteers from Cenovus Energy Inc. began sorting it by category into 64 Rubbermaid bins. Thank you, Cenovus, for all your hard work - and for tackling two pallets of summer baby clothes afterward!

Girls with hearts and hands of gold

Leesha (left) and Autumn (right, at center, with mom Jodi and sister Isabel) aren't the same age, but they have at least one thing in common: NeighbourLink! Leesha expends her time, energy and resources twice weekly while volunteering in the warehouse or making deliveries to clients. Meanwhile, Autumn donated the proceeds of her '5 + 5' birthday party to NeighbourLink's baby program; Autumn asked her friends to bring $5 as a gift and $5 for a donation to NeighbourLink. Her and her friends' $60 contribution will help infants-in-need access the items they need to be healthy and happy.

On July 2, representatives from the Rebekah Assembly of Alberta dropped off hand-knit and crocheted baby blankets at the NeighbourLink warehouse, along with a generous donation of $2,302.80 to go towards the ICU2 program. Below, Rebekah representative Maureen Lenox presents NeighbourLink's Manager of Volunteer Resources, LeeAnne Alexander, with the donation. Thank you, Rebekah Lodge, for your ongoing support!

Client-and-donor-in-one champions NeighbourLink in her community

"Anytime you hear of a client turning from a receiver into a giver, that spells success," NeighbourLink CEO Walter Twiddy has said in the past. For Melani Gordon, giving and receiving go hand-in-hand.

A four-time NeighbourLink client, Melani has still donated more items than she's requested as her four daughters grow up and out of baby things.

Her family is also packing up and out to Toronto later this June, so it's no surprise that her latest donation included leftover non-perishable food, outgrown children's shoes and clothing, toys and a stroller.

"My heart goes out to people," she said, evident in the way she took helping her neighbours in need and giving back to NeighbourLink a step further by organizing a donation drive in her community.

Fifty flyers stuffed into mailboxes by Melani and her two older daughters, ages 3 and 5, resulted in pick-ups of donated baby items from nearly 30 doorsteps one week later.

It was her two youngest girls who were the reasons Melani discovered NeighbourLink in the first place. 

"Just give NeighbourLink a call," the health nurse had advised Melani when she became a mother of twins four months ago. She and her husband were finding it difficult to make ends meet.

"I was floored," said Melani, when she found out they could access free formula, diapers and more through NeighbourLink's baby program, ICU2.

"I wonder if they have this in Toronto? If they don't, I'm going to start one!" she said with contagious enthusiasm. Thank you, Melani, for your help and donations!

Ten volunteers from Devon Canada Corporation's finance department tallied 126 bags packaged and 6 orders delivered at the end of the day on Thursday, June 17. They had spent the afternoon hard at work sorting and packaging bags of baby clothes in the warehouse, as well as driving across Calgary to drop off furniture and household items to NeighbourLink clients who had ordered them via our HelpLine. In the words of a client whose order was delivered by Devon volunteers, "Thank you and God bless. You all touched my heart and brought back my faith even stronger." Thanks again for your hands-on help, Devon!