NeighbourLink is a non-profit organization that partners with the faith community, social service agencies, individuals and corporations in Calgary to provide essential resources and practical help to people in need. We incorporate the very best of community ideals in that we utilize local resources to meet local needs, at a neighbourhood level.

Operating since 1993, NeighbourLink services provide hundreds of impoverished families with a network of care when and where they need it most - at home in their community. Our focus is on the prevention of homelessness by getting resources to at-risk families before they drop through the cracks to the street. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - we help people stay in their homes, avoiding the extremely high cost of shelters and the enormous resources of time and effort it takes to 'rescue' homeless people and help them become self-sufficient again.

2009 Annual Report

Our Mission

The mission of NeighbourLink Calgary is to help neighbours-in-need through a network of church and community volunteers expressing their love for neighbours in practical ways. This is accomplished in a unique way by providing and taking needed resources directly to the homes of people in need.

Families and individuals who are in need of our services call our HelpLine. Through the HelpLine an intake form is filled out and a needs assessment is completed. Clients that qualify for our services are all living below the poverty line. NeighbourLink uses the LICO (Low Income Cut Off) level for household income for the purposes of assessing the qualification of a family or individual.

Our clients include single parents, low-income families, immigrants, refugees, people with disabilities and seniors. At the time of assessment our clients are still living in their homes. They have an address, but often are coming to NeighbourLink for help with resources that will enable them to stay in their current home and not become homeless.

For more information about our specific programs and/or to find out what resources are required, please visit our PROGRAMS page.

Churches

Churches network together through the NeighbourLink organization. There is a basic commitment from each church to be a contributing member of the NeighbourLink network, both in financial support, helping resources, and volunteers. In return, NeighbourLink provides a client screening and referral service to the churches that saves them time, guards against getting taken advantage of, and lets them focus their resources on legitimate needs.

Churches are our source for almost all of the resources we find to help people. Our Board of Directors come from network churches, the actual help comes from them, and our volunteers come from them. As such, our over 100 churches represent the potential resources of approximately 20,000 people, both volunteer and financial!

Within our network of churches are those from about 30 different denominations across pretty well the whole spectrum of the Christian faith. All of these work well together because our focus is not on what makes each denomination distinct and different from each other, but rather our focus is on what they have in common – a compassion for the needs of people in their neighbourhoods. Deep within people is the common desire to help others when they need it, and that is what makes the NeighbourLink network of churches work so well together.

For greater needs of a client, we link several neighbourhood churches together to help. For example, if the need is a financial need, we will get several churches to each contribute a portion of the need, and together, the neighbour is helped. This is such an important part of the service we provide to churches – by linking together, churches can accomplish so much more than as if they worked in isolation from each other.