July 2020 E-News

Our COVID-19 Response

Throughout the pandemic, we have been providing our city’s most vulnerable children, youth and families with practical support intended to keep them safe and healthy while at home. Thanks to the generous support of our donors and community partners, we have been able to ensure that those most at risk are not forgotten during these challenging times.

To date, we have spent $200K in providing different resources to those in need and we will continue to support them in any way that we can. Below are just a few examples of how we are helping youth and their families during COVID-19:

Grocery store gift cards as an alternative to meal programs
Department store cards to help provide means for clothing and other household essentials so that families can divert reduced income for bills and rent.
Hot Meal Restaurant Program
Youth Activity Kits to keep youth engaged and physically active while at home
300 Calgary Cares Boxes filled with basic food supplies, gift cards, reading material, puzzles, books, masks, hygiene products, mental health and wellness tools, and other essential items.
Created a Family Navigator temporary position to help connect Program families with resources available in Alberta to manage the impact of the ongoing pandemic
Provided laptops and Chromebooks to help students complete school work while at home
Provided bikes to select Program youth with the greatest need.
Providing up to 350 Indigenous students with a back-pack filled with essential school supplies and a months supply of healthy school snacks.

The Evolution of the Calgary Police Youth Foundation

For nine years, we have been working to prevent crime in Calgary by providing children and youth with education, prevention, early intervention, and risk reduction resources.

The Calgary Police Youth Foundation has a long history in the Calgary community, beginning with funding the Child Advocacy Centre in 2011 and the new build of the Youthlink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre, as well as supporting those in crisis during the great floods of 2013 and most recently during the ongoing pandemic.

On July 1st , we announced our new name – the Calgary Police Youth Foundation. This was an important step forward that highlights our purpose of YOUTH, along with recognizing our valuable partnership with the Calgary Police Service. Since the change, we have received some great feedback from our stakeholders and the public, who agree that our new name more accurately describes what we do and will help to foster ownership with those we serve!

While we are extremely proud of the progress we have made, our work is not done yet. By signing up for our Promising Futures monthly giving program, you can help us forge ahead and continue to build a community where all of our children can thrive. By signing up today, you are sending a message to those we serve that says, “we are there for you” and we know that with your support we always will be.

Thanks to Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink, your monthly donation can go even further! Until August 30, 2020, Birdies for Kids will be matching all donations by up to 50% with 100% of proceeds going to the Calgary Police Youth Foundation.

Learn more and sign up today at: https://cpf.cpsevents.ca/promising-futures/

Here is a timeline with just a few of the highlights from our 9 years of existence!

2011 – Calgary Police Foundation incorporated and registered as a charity in Alberta
2011 – Provide funding to support establishment of the Child Advocacy Centre
2013 – Multi-Agency School Support Team and YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre Programming established with help from CPF.
2013 – $120,000 relief provided to children, youth and families during great floods of 2013
2013 – CPF assists with funding for new build and relocation of Youthlink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre
2014 – CPF purchases a bus for the use of the Calgary Police Cadet Corps
2015 – Integrated School Support Program, Youth At Risk Development Program, Calgary Police Cadet Corps and Power Play added to CPF annual funding priorities
2017 – Invested over $115,000 in Cannabis Education for Youth
2020 – the Calgary Police Foundation Officially Changes Name to Calgary Police Youth Foundation

Upcoming Events!

AUGUST 5 – Power Play Pass It On

Although Power Play Soccer has been cancelled for the season due to COVID-19, we still wanted to find a way to keep our participants active and allow them to have some fun this summer! That is why we have arranged for 85 Power Play participants to each receive a soccer ball and Power Play jersey. Joining us at the event to help with volunteering and soccer drills is Power Play supporter Imperial! We hope that the children can put their skills to good use this summer and we can’t wait to see them back next year!

AUGUST 27 – Back-Pack Drive for Indigenous Students

We are excited to launch our new back to school initiative for Indigenous students in the Calgary area. We will be supplying Indigenous students from K-12 with back-packs filled with everything they need to start the school year off on the right foot including school supplies, healthy snacks, and shoes! Thanks to our corporate partners for supporting this initiative!

OCTOBER 5 – 2021 Canine Calendar Launch

This year is very special for the Calgary Police Service Canine Unit – it is their 60th anniversary! We can’t wait to share this year’s calendar with you where we will honour and celebrate dogs from CPS Canine Units, past and present, with a special commemorative poster. So, save the date and follow along on our social media channels for all of our 2021 Canine Calendar updates and early bird offers!

DECEMBER 12 – Donor and Volunteer Appreciation

Thanks to our amazing network of donors and volunteers, we are able to help and support over 9,250 vulnerable children and youth every year. To say thank you, we will be hosting our first Calgary Police Youth Foundation Donor and Volunteer Appreciation event at the YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre on December 12! Stay tuned for more details to come.

SPRING 2021 – CPYF Garage Sale

Next spring, we will be hosting a GIANT garage sale fundraiser! If you have any clean, gently used items such as clothing, furniture, appliances, sporting goods, etc. that you would be interested in donating, let us know! We are also looking for storage space to house all of the donated items, so if you have access to additional space available at your home or business, we would love to hear from you. Reach out to us at CPYF@CalgaryPolice.ca for more information!

Shaw #ChipinforKids

While we can’t physically come together this year for the Shaw Charity Classic, Shaw is committed to continuing the tournament’s legacy of giving. Shaw invites you to #ChipinforKids by texting KIDS046 to 30333 to donate $10 in support of the Calgary Police Youth Foundation!

To make your generous contribution go even further, Shaw will match your donation, and the matched donation amount will then be matched again by the Shaw Charity Classic, up to an additional 50 percent. Your $10 donation can grow into a donation of $30!

The donations and matched contributions raised through the #ChipinforKids program will help ensure that charities like ours that have been strained by COVID-19 can continue to support our city’s most vulnerable children and youth to keep them safe from crime and victimisation.

We are fortunate to have a small but mighty group of volunteers that help us with fundraising events and provide practical support throughout the year. This month, we asked a few volunteers why they choose to give their time and talent to the Calgary Police Youth Foundation. Take a look at what they said!

“I first learned about the Calgary Police Youth Foundation (CPYF) at a fundraising event put on by the Canadian Energy Executive Association (CEEA) in the summer of 2019. I was then invited to participate in the CEEA Charitable Funding group this past fall. I discovered more about the CPYF and the vital role that they play in supporting children and youth in Calgary.

I now participate in their focus groups and help with various initiatives requiring volunteer support. I love that this program offers youth help when they need it. It is there to provide support and opportunities that can have positive, life altering impacts. In my life, I have had the good fortune to experience small gestures of kindness during some of my most difficult times. These gestures gave me hope and strength to carry on. I can only hope that I can pay some of this kindness forward by supporting such a great team and program.” – KIM

“I chose to volunteer after discovering the Calgary Police Youth Foundation on social media. I was inspired after witnessing the impact their dedicated team was having on the community and wanted to be a part of it.” – KYLE

Interested in volunteering with the Calgary Police Youth Foundation? Email us at CPF@CalgaryPolice.ca!

Chief Youth Courage Awards Update

In March, we had to postpone the Chief Youth Courage Awards Gala due to COVID-19. Since then, our team and organizing committee have been hard at work to find new ways that we can bring Calgarians safety together in person and now also virtually. We are very excited to reveal our new plans for the Gala and are grateful we will be able to recognise and honor all of the award recipients later in the year while at the same time, unite as a community to celebrate our strength and resilience together. We invite you to follow along on Calgary Police Youth Foundation social media channels for all Gala related updates and we look forward to seeing you in person or virtually at the Chief Youth Courage Awards Gala on November 13th, 2020!

Bouquets

Thanks to the generous grant we received from the Breakfast Club of Canada, we have been able to supply food and hot meal programs to help support children, youth and families facing food insecurity during the pandemic. Many of the Programs funded by CPYF include a nutrition element and with the restrictions on physical distancing in the previous months, we had to be more innovative in making sure food support continued in a different way.

Thank you, Breakfast Club of Canada for helping Calgary’s most vulnerable children, youth, and families when they need it most!

We also wanted to give a special thank you to our friends at Corus Entertainment for being our official media partners of 2020!

They will be helping us spread the word about some of the great events we have coming up including the Chief Youth Courage Awards Gala, our Donor and Volunteer Appreciation Night, and the 2021 Canine Calendar!

Thank you, Corus Entertainment for supporting Calgary’s most vulnerable children and youth!

We are so excited to be a charity of choice for two of Calgary’s most popular marathons this summer!

This year is the 40th anniversary of the Calgary Police Half Marathon (CPHM). Often seen as the first big race of the season, the CPHM has gone virtual this year and will take place in September! Although registration is now closed, racers and members of the public can still contribute pledges that will be donated to the Calgary Police Youth Foundation! Learn more at: https://halfmarathon.cpsevents.ca/

The Calgary Police Youth Foundation is also a participating charity for the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon, which is also going virtual this year. Registration is still open, and we are looking for runners to join our team – KMs for Kids! Sign up to run with us this summer and collect pledges for our city’s most vulnerable children and youth! Register: https://calgarymarathon.com/

Canadian Free Wills Network Update

Since our last edition of E-News and with the help of our supporter Dietlinde sharing how easy it was, we have had a number of people express interest in our Canadian Free Wills Network Program. We are excited that so many of you are taking advantage of this opportunity and are considering leaving a legacy gift to the Calgary Police Youth Foundation!

If you haven’t already, you can still sign up for the program to get a simple Will written or amended, completely free of charge! To make it easier, couple’s can even have their Wills written at the same time! Visit our website to learn more about the Canadian Free Wills Network and to register today! Website: http://cpf.cpsevents.ca/canadian-free-wills-network/