Mark Li began his volunteering journey at Distress Centre in October 2020, when he made a strong first impression on our Training Coordinator, Trevor. “Mark shocked me when I asked a question to the training group and he pulled out a colour coded binder with the answers to my questions,” said Trevor, who is also Mark's...
“Being part of Distress Centre has enriched me as a person and a social worker. It has given me the tools to better understand and apply these tools to crisis intervention. As a human it has opened my eyes to a world of mental health struggles and humbled me. I feel I can better empathize,...
One year of pandemic response at Distress Centre Calgary This is part one in our multi-part series exploring Distress Centre’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, one year after we first activated our business continuity plan and went remote for the safety of our staff and volunteers. It hasn’t been an easy journey; we’ve encountered many challenges and 2021 continues to challenge...
Image: ConnecTeen volunteers (Amy Li on the right) at the 2014 Calgary Hitmen game in support of ConnecTeen. There would be no Distress Centre without the original group of volunteers, so it seems only fitting that our 50th story focuses on our volunteers. What follows are a few volunteer highlights from 2010 to 2020. In 2011, ConnecTeen...
Some people know from early in their lives what they have passion for. The vast majority however, discover which areas interest them through experience and exploration. For Romit Panesar, a crisis line and leadership volunteer at Distress Centre, an unexpected introduction to mental illness is what drove him to find his passion in life. Romit spent...
Image: Volunteers receiving recognition for their years of service with Distress Centre at the 2004 Volunteer Banquet. Laura (far left) has a Distress Centre teapot! Despite many predictions, the world did not end at the start of 2000, and volunteers continued to be the heart and soul of Distress Centre. A Town Hall meeting was held...
Image: Glenda Nyberg in her home in 2018. From the beginning, volunteers have been the backbone of Distress Centre’s service to the community. One of many individuals who have commented on their importance is Dr. Jackie Sieppert, Dean of Social Work at the University of Calgary and former Board Chair: “The organization would collapse without volunteers. You...
Image: Volunteers at the 1994 Christmas party. 150 volunteers were on the lines in 1990, with a new shift from 9 pm to 2 am added due to volume. The initial phone number from 1975, 266-1605, was still the place to call in a crisis. Drumheller joined with Banff and Canmore to use a 1-800 number...
Image: This image of volunteers appeared in our 20 year anniversary publication in 1990. At the 1980 AGM, Jeanette McEachern was proud to say the Centre had a solid volunteer training program, a good funding base and an active and responsible volunteer group. She also remarked that “other centres wrestle with the same problems we do:...
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...
