Our first full day in Calgary began at 7:00 in order to leave from Foothills by 8:00 to catch the C-Train to head downtown. Fortunately, the weather reminded us of home, as it had snowed overnight, and it was a little bit chilly outside. We were warned that this would only be the first bit of a long day of walking. We walked across the University campus and all made it safely to the train.
We walked around downtown Calgary and met Kim Thiessen at Inn from the Cold, which is a non-profit organization that helps families that need help and a place to stay. After a bit of orientation, we were put to work cleaning the dining room and the kid's room. The kid's room is a room where families can take their kids to have a safe place to play. We sanitized the toys, mopped the floors, and put together two play areas that had been recently donated. We were then toured around the facility, and learned that currently Inn from the Cold has twenty cubicles with bunk beds and a dresser, and each night, a cubicle can house anywhere from a parent and a child to both parents and four kids.
After the tour, we found a place inside (away from the wind) to eat our lunch. We took refuge in a three story mall, which felt and looked a bit different from the places that we had already visited.
After we had our lunch, we visited CUPS, which is an organization that deals with three main concepts: health, education and housing. We sat through a presentation in a very warm boardroom, (But hey! At least there were snacks!) and then got a tour of the facility. Unfortunately we weren't able to physically help with anything there, but we learned a lot about the organization. They operate a medical clinic, which you don't need a health card to go to, classes for parents with children, and (surprisingly, to me) a large amount of other services.
We then made our way through downtown Calgary to catch the train to go back to the church. We got off at a different station than we got on at, way back in the morning, and got to walk back via a different route. Currently, we are preparing to eat supper and stay up with a Night on the Streets.
The three pictures are of our group cleaning at Inn from the Cold, touring CUPS, and waiting for the C-train in Downtown Calgary.
More to come!
-Benjamin Schulz
