Neighbour Day is taking place on Saturday, June 19th in Calgary this year. Neighbour Day started in June 2014 to celebrate the incredible outpouring of support and generosity neighbours demonstrated after the 2013 floods. Our city continues to celebrate this as one of the highlights that makes Calgary such a great city — our strong and caring communities.

This last year has been challenging for so many of us but great neighbours have made us feel less alone.

Trellis now runs 34 programs and services in every quadrant of Calgary and even serves Chestermere and Strathmore, our neighbours to the east. We keep our doors wide open, meeting people from every culture, background and life experience, helping them live healthy, authentic lives. We simply couldn’t do that work without great neighbours like you. Thank you.

Here is a story about a young man, Ahmad*, who graduates from high school this year.

Graduating is an incredible milestone for any youth, but especially for Ahmad who has faced many challenges in his young life. His family came to Canada as refugees, and his parents were struggling to find their footing when domestic violence became a factor in their home. His father was deported back to their country of origin, and despite how hard they worked, Ahmad and his mother still found themselves living below the poverty line. The family’s housing broke down and in desperation to support her son, Mom reached out to Avenue 15, Trellis’ youth emergency shelter. Because of you, Trellis was ready to answer this call.

Hospitalized for mental health reasons, including post-traumatic stress, Ahmad was scared and anxious. Trellis staff supported him during this time of significant uncertainty, including his transition from our emergency youth shelter and into one of our group homes, Bear Lodge. There he received support and mentorship in a stable environment. With time and encouragement Ahmad began to show up for himself and for others; he was also connected to a youth group which built his confidence, and he became a role-model to the other youth in the house. With a newfound sense of belonging and a community of support around him, Ahmad is now exploring his next steps into adulthood.

Because of generous people like you, Trellis helps children and youth build a solid foundation to manage their emotions, set and achieve positive goals, as well as build and sustain healthy relationships. Your generosity ensures fun and engaging summer day camps, week-long culture camps for Indigenous youth, emergency shelter, housing and mental health supports when they need us most.

Will you support another young person like Ahmad and donate to Trellis today?

*The 365 Program Support category supports all programs across Trellis on an annual basis.