Community Social Work Program a wide variety of resources

This information is provided courtesy of Calgary Community Social Worker Viviana Reinberg
cell: 403 651-1629, viviana.reinberg@calgary.ca

The community social work program is composed of about 25 community social workers located in specific geographic areas. Our work is to do community development at the local/neighbourhood level. Our funding comes from Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) which is a funding partnership between the Government of Alberta (80%) and municipal sources (20%).

What does a Community Social Worker do?

• We connect residents and local groups with one another to increase social inclusion and a sense of belonging for everyone
• We help residents, local groups and partners to identify social issues that impact their neighborhood and assist with actions to address those issues
• We create opportunities for networking, conversation, and skill building. We support residents to be leaders within their neighbourhood.

As a community social worker, HOW projects are done is just as important (if not more so) than getting them started. The following are principles guiding our work:

• Everyone has the ability to make a difference in their neighbourhood.
• Each person has gifts and talents that can benefit others and their neighbourhood.
• Those affected by an issue need to be part of decisions meant to address those issues. The living experience of folks affected by an issue is as important as other types of knowledge.
• Social Inclusion, participation and involvement of diverse groups are important for the wellbeing of the neighbourhood.
• No one knows everything for together we know a lot.

Click Here for more information about the program.

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The Library is launching the "Borrow a Computer" service

"Borrow a Computer" is a Calgary Public Library pilot project that lets any valid Library card holder request a Chromebook to use at home. Members can request a computer through the online catalogue and will receive the item through a holds process. Each device can be borrowed for up to eight weeks. For more information, visit Borrow a Computer.

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Building Self-Care Practices in Stressful Times - Learning Webinar

Wednesday, February 17, 2021 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm.

During and after stressful events, even more so if events are cumulative such as in a pandemic, it is important to recognize that self-care can sometimes be more complex and changeable than simply attending to bubble baths and bedtimes. Our hope is that this webinar taken from material designed primarily by Alberta Health Services will provide ideas and resources for your personal self-care during and after the pandemic to support your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Register here.

Organized by Calgary Alliance for the Common Good

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Christmas Help for Families in Need

• The Acadia Food Pantry food distribution is Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at McDougall United Church, 8516 Athabasca Street SE. Volunteers needed!
• Christmas Hampers from Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church
• Holiday Toy Room from Women's Centre of Calgary

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Food Resources

An online map that includes where and how to access food hampers, free lunches for kids and youth, grocery delivery services, and other community-based food resources: Calgary COVID-19 Community Food Map

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Glenbow Museum

• Complimentary Admissions to all First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people during regular museum hours.
• Children, ages 6 and under, are also free admission.
• Maximum group size is currently limited to 6 or less.
• Groups of 3 or more are asked to preregister by contacting jschmidt@glenbow.org

School groups are not eligible for this program. Contact Glenbow Museum with any other inquiries 403‑268‑4100

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Wagonstage Children's Theatre - August 20 - August 30

Sundays: 11 am & 1 pm; Thursdays: 10 am & 11:30 am

Wagonstage is turning pandemic to FUNdemic with all the necessary precautions to ensure safe and healthy fun. Children ages 3-12 and their families are welcome to enjoy a FREE performance that will make them giggle and wiggle.

Performances are weather permitting and REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Find all the details and register HERE.

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The City of Calgary is recruiting volunteers for the Anti-Racism Action Committee- Deadline Sept. 11^th, 2020

Anti-Racism Action Committee application process The Anti-Racism Action Committee will advise Council on the development and lead the implementation of a community-based anti-racism strategy. The Committee will identify systemic barriers to accessing City of Calgary programs and services and recommend actions to address, and identify opportunities to work with community partners and organizations on actions to address structural racism on a community-wide level.

For The City of Calgary recruitment of volunteers for other committees or boards, please go to: Boards, Committees and Commissions

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From Welcoming and Inclusive Communities Network

Are you using the right wording? Have you ever wondered whether the language you are using is inclusive? The City of Oshawa's Inclusive Language Manual may be a helpful resource to better understand the words and phrases that are insensitive or demeaning and how you can improve your language to create an inclusive environment.

Newcomers are invited to provide input on the settlement process:

The Centre for Race and Culture is seeking immigrants and refugees to participate in an online survey to share thoughts on the settlement process. Target individuals are those that have been in Canada less than ten years. The Understanding Newcomer Experiences of Inclusion (UNEOI) is a two-year community-based research project looking at newcomers' experiences of settlement, integration, and inclusion and how this impacts well-being. Municipalities and community organizations that work with newcomers and invited to promote the survey, which is available in the following languages:

• English
• Arabic
• Cantonese
• French
• German
• Punjabi
• Spanish
• Tagalog

More details are available on the Centre for Race and Culture's Facebook page and participants will receive a $10 gift card.

Information is from the Welcoming and Inclusive Communities (WIC) newsletter. WIC is a partnership between the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) and the Government of Alberta to support municipalities to implement policies and practices to help overcome issues of racism and discrimination.

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Free and confidential one-on-one Financial Coaching can help!

The financial coaching process is unique and tailored to your needs. This service is available in-person or over the phone. To book a coaching session please call 403-612-5079. Organized by Aspen and Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary. Click for More Info

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Tech Mentors Program

Assists one-on-one those with the barriers to using technology. Tech Mentors is a library program that pairs volunteers with patrons one-on-one to provide help with any technology questions the patrons may have.

Starting Tuesday August 11^th, we're trying it out as a Zoom program - anyone who needs help can just sign up online or by calling our Library Hotline at (403) 260-2600 (the Hotline people can also help patrons get set up with Zoom so that they can access the program in the first place). Participants will need a free library card to sign up; if they don't have one the Hotline people can help with that as well. Here's the link to register online: https://calgarylibrary.ca/events-and-programs/programs/tech-mentors/

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The Acadia Food Pantry Needs Volunteers This Fall

As folks are required to head back to school and work in the fall, a number of our current volunteers will no longer be available to help with the pantry. We would like to give a HUGE thank you to all of those volunteers who have given of their time and talents to help provide food for those in need.

The pantry is in desperate need of someone with a large vehicle who would be willing to take on the food pickups once or twice a month at the SPINZ program location.

Beginning in September, the pantry will move back to operating once a month, on the third Tuesday. Dates for food distribution are: Aug. 18, Sept. 15, Oct. 20, Nov. 17, Dec. 15

Volunteers will be needed for those days and for the Tuesday before (to make hampers and an additional Spinz delivery).

The Acadia Food Pantry is a community-based initiative and it's operated by volunteers. Hampers are distributed free of charge to those in need, regardless of where they live. If you are able to volunteer, please contact Viviana at viviana.reinberg@calgary.ca.

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Kids Up Front: Weekly Kids At Home Resources

Weekly resources are updated Every Monday. Find the Weekly Resources HERE

This week we're feeling crafty and flexing our creative muscles. Design your own pop up card for any occasion with templates and step-by-step instructions (ALL AGES). Create your own beautiful sculpture with sunshine clay made of just 3 ingredients (Ages 3-8). Learn to express your creativity through dance with video lessons and activity plans from Canada's National Ballet School. (Ages 3-12).

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Collaboration & Crowd Funding Platform and Anti-Racism Capacity Building Fund Info Session

The City of Calgary has opened a new online idea sharing platform for organizations to collaborate on ideas to build capacity for anti-racism policy and systems change.

This platform was established to support the current call for funding proposals for community-based initiatives that build the capacity of organizations to facilitate policy and systems change that undo systemic racism. In collaboration with the Calgary Foundation and the United Way of Calgary and area, up to $600,000 in funding is available for this call.

The platform will be open for participation until the funding call closes on September 18, 2020 after which time the content will be archived. If you wish to connect with other organizations or groups interested in collaborating on an anti-racism, capacity-building initiative, we encourage you to do so on the collaboration and crowdsourcing platform provided by The City of Calgary's Innovation Lab.

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The City of Calgary Job Posting: 9 Block / Stephen Avenue Ambassador Pilot Project

20 - 25 hours per week work for up to a six-month contract (Hours and length of time of contract will depend based on successful applicants' schedule and funding)

"The area in and around City Hall - the heart of where decisions about our city are made - should be a cohesive, safe, welcoming and vibrant area where Calgarians want to be. By collaborating and quickly piloting new and innovative ideas and ways of doing things, we will enhance and enrich this nine-block radius."

The Ambassador Pilot Project (APP) has a goal of creating a welcoming and inclusive area for all people within the nine blocks surrounding the Calgary Municipal Building and Stephen Avenue (8th Avenue). Working as part of a team, the ambassadors will connect Calgarians and visitors to information on services, places and supports within walking distance. Ambassadors will also build ties with local businesses, community organizations as well as socially and economically diverse citizens who may be spending time in the area. We are hiring up to six adult ambassadors. DowntownCalgary.com

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ARPA's The Okotok Indigenous River Camp online programming has been launched!

In case you haven't heard, due to COVID-19, Alberta Recreation & Parks Association (ARPA) is moving several elements of our Okotok Indigenous River Camp online for 2020. The goal of this programming is to connect Indigenous Elders with the community so that they can share their wisdom and pass their knowledge forward.

These sessions are FREE so click here to see upcoming webinars for August as well as an archive of past recordings. Please note that we are adding new sessions all the time as we confirm with Elders. So spread the word and add this info to your programming calendars! Contact Janet Naclia, ARPA Programs Manager, at jnaclia@arpaonline.ca with any questions.