Dee Bardsley, a retired schoolteacher, began volunteering on our crisis lines in 2013. She still remembers one of her first high risk calls - from a struggling young man who was having thoughts of suicide. Dee had spoken with him for a few minutes when he revealed that he had always wanted to be a teacher. “I...
See this update as a video! It was a very long winter for all of us here in Calgary and across Alberta – the fourth coldest Calgary winter on record. With warmer temperatures and longer days, there is renewed optimism that spring is near and hope that summer weather is around the corner. At Distress Centre Calgary,...
Each month, we receive around 10,000 calls to our crisis line. Here are three stories highlighting the skill and compassion of our volunteers and staff as they support two callers and a chatter through crisis. Makena Makena called our crisis line on a Tuesday afternoon feeling overwhelmed, stressed out and lonely. She told the volunteer that her and...
We are excited to announce that we have been selected to be a part of Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink (BFK). BFK is a fundraising program designed to give charities the opportunity to solicit donations and receive additional funding of up to 50%. Participating charities will receive 100% of every donation collected on...
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness in any given year. Each of us can play a part in helping the people in our lives – friends, family members, neighbours and coworkers - who are struggling with their mental health. First,...
Despite the large number of social services available in Calgary, people who need help often don’t know how to find it. The system of supports is complex and hard to navigate. That’s where 211 comes in. Calgarians who need help can simply dial 211 to speak with an Information & Referral Specialist who can help...
Karen Pickles first called Distress Centre’s crisis line six years ago. As a single mother of two children and caregiver to someone with severe mental health issues, she found herself calling DC often. “I’m sure that we would have called on a weekly basis for the first year,” Karen recalled. “There’s been so many times where...
“Distress Centre, Gwen speaking.” “Hello, my name is Mary*,” said a soft voice on the other end of the line. “I’m having a hard day.” “I’m sorry to hear that,” responded Gwen, a crisis line volunteer at Distress Centre. “Do you want to tell me about it?” Mary sighed. “I’ve had some pretty severe health problems. I don’t...
“Distress Centre, Omar speaking.” “Hello, my name is Adam*,” said the voice on the other end of the phone. Omar*, a crisis line volunteer in the Distress Centre contact centre, listened intently. “I just filed for bankruptcy and I am so relieved. I just wanted to call and say thank you.” “I’m happy to hear you’re relieved,”...
2018 has been another challenging year for both Calgarians and our agency, due to the economy and the increased demand we’ve seen for our crisis services. We have been able to respond to the changing needs of our community thanks to the ongoing support of our volunteers, staff, Board, partners, donors, and funders. 2018 was another...
