At Distress Centre Calgary, we’re closely monitoring the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) situation. The risk to Albertans remains low at this time but we will continue to follow the guidance from the Government of Alberta as the situation evolves. The safety and wellbeing of our volunteers, staff and clients is our top priority and we are putting...
In 1979, Board Chair Hilde Houlding proclaimed the departure of Dr. Stew Clark as Executive Director and the hiring of Jeanette McEachern as the “end of a beginning.” Jeanette served as Executive Director for 18 years, and was variously described as passionate, fearless, formidable, and a legend in her own time. Katie Black, Teen Program...
Throughout the 70s, funding was an ongoing challenge. Ken Low noted that generally: “Funding is a problem for any pioneering endeavour, funders use a criteria and metrics for leading edge initiatives, to get supports.” The Drug Information Centre (DIC) was seen to be short on such formal metrics, on policy, and on the strict procedures...
From the first days of the Drug Information Centre, volunteers have been key to its success. Since most early volunteers did not have any formal training in counselling, it was not uncommon to run into difficulties. Emil Roessingh, both a volunteer and Volunteer Coordinator recalls: [caption id="attachment_19606" align="alignright" width="366"] A volunteer photo from the early '70s.[/caption] “There...
Image: From old to new! Executive Director Jerilyn Dressler in our emptied contact centre in the old building (left) and then in our new contact centre bustling with volunteers and staff serving the community. As of February 1st, 2020 our new address is: #500, 999 8th Street SW, Calgary, AB T2R 1J5 At noon on January 31st,...
Image: A contact card from 1979. Some information removed to protect confidentiality. Compared to the first five years of DIC operations, 1976-1979 were relatively uneventful. Reliable, ongoing funding was the major administrative issue. Co-ordinator Penny Cairns noted in a 1976 staff meeting that fundraising was taking up so much time it was hard for her to...
In the early 1970s, outreach to clients, to the local community and to other professionals formed significant parts of the Drug Information Centre’s work. By 1975, funders were also demanding such collaboration. One major initiative was The House. Opening in June 1973 at 635 4 Ave N. E., The House provided a group-living experience for teenagers...
Image: From a 1972 newspaper. At the end of 1971, the Drug Information Centre (DIC) continued at its original location, operating 24/7. Education, crisis support and counselling regarding drug issues remained the main goals. Policy decisions were arrived at through group discussion. A grant of $2,000 from Junior League supported the library, with the rest of...
Self-care is any activity that we intentionally do in order to take care of our physical, mental and emotional health. Practicing self-care helps you avoid burn out, improve your mood and reduce anxiety. By taking care of yourself you’re able to be there for others when they need you. As Karen Pickles from Stresscase puts it:...
While smoking dope and ‘finding themselves,’ Canadian youth were crossing the country in large numbers during the late 1960s and early 70s. It was a lifestyle most cities and towns were unprepared to deal with. Social supports were slowly being put into place, but never without controversy. To enable a large-scale professional discussion of this problem,...
