Crisis line volunteer, Mortaza, is no stranger to giving back to the community. Before joining Distress Centre in the summer of 2020, he already held a wide range of volunteer roles, including: youth soccer coach, patient ambassador and mealtime volunteer at the University of Alberta hospital, and classroom volunteer at an elementary school. Mortaza was seeking...
When you become a remote Online Services Crisis Line volunteer for Distress Centre, you get to make a difference in the lives of others, from the comfort of your home! Online Services volunteers provide crisis support through online chat and email to anyone who contacts Distress Centre seeking help. Not everyone is comfortable talking on the...
Crisis line volunteer Elissa* is no stranger to dealing with life’s hardships. She endured years of struggle and overcame many challenges before finding her way to Distress Centre, and she said that she’s been able to leverage the lessons she’s learned in her personal life to better support Distress Centre’s service users. Elissa worked as a...
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. Read - 50 Stories Part 49 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...
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! Read - 50 Stories Part 36 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...
Image: Glenda Nyberg in her home in 2018. Read - 50 Stories Part 22 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...
