When was the last time you looked around and smiled at your surroundings?  

Trellis has a list of building and renovation projects where you can make real differences
for youth, just like Bear Lodge and Eleanor’s House.   

In early 2020, Clearwater Charitable Foundation and the Poelzer Family Foundation Fund at the Calgary Foundation generously contributed $50,000 towards a major renovation project at Eleanor’s House. Eleanor’s House is a transitional housing program for youth ages 13 to 17 who are experiencing sexual exploitation and are working towards making positive and healthy changes in their lives. 

Our renovation project was slightly delayed by the pandemic; however, the project is now in full swing thanks to the commitment of incredible donors and the hard work of our
team on the project. This renovation is quite the undertaking and includes an expansion of the main floor, upgrades to the kitchen, removing of walls to create a more open concept. This work will ensure the safety of the youth and the longevity of the house. 

Tiffany, the manager of Eleanor’s House, and her team are keen for the new trauma informed space that will be safer, easier to maintain and a place that youth will be proud to grow in. We anticipate the renovation project at Eleanor’s house to be completed for May of 2021 and we cannot wait to share the transformation with you! 

Thanks to a major renovation at our Bear Lodge group home back in 2019, our team has great experience in renovations for youth housing. Because of amazing partners like ENMAX and ServiceMaster Calgary, the Bear Lodge group home underwent a large transformation. As part of the process, the team hosted a Youth Advisory Forum, with the goal of gaining knowledge from youth experiences to help guide renovations of the space. Our team wanted to ensure that we were working alongside youth to create the most comfortable, supportive and trauma informed environment possible. 
 
Youth who have personal experience being in group care and other Children’s Services programs were invited to share their ideas and opinions. Youth were asked about what helped them feel welcome and safe, how the new space could best support them to meet their goals and what they felt were significant experiences that shaped their journeys. They even had the opportunity to collaborate with an interior designer to explore their ideas on design features. 

This experience showed us how truly powerful it was to have youth support and inform the renovation process.  
 
Thanks to donors who are committed to our work, we are able to take the time needed to engage youth with lived experience and create spaces that not only meet their needs, but spaces that really support them in challenging times, where they feel safe, encouraged and supported. A long list of building and renovation projects are awaiting your support and we invite you to connect with us to talk about the difference you can make. Help us grow!