Community Investors IV: Neighbourlink

The fourth non-profit highlighted in the CIES Community Investors Series is NeighbourLink.  NeighbourLink is an award winning organization serving the city of Calgary started as a grass roots operation through a small group people who had three things in common: they noticed  a need, cared about that need and most importantly wanted to act.

In 1993 NeighbourLink officially became a registered charity operating and have been declared an “Essential Social Service” by Service Canada to our city, Currently in their 23rd year of operation, NeighbourLink’s primary purpose has not wavered; they are a non-profit organization that partners with other social service agencies, individuals, and corporations in order to provide essential resources and practical assistance to those who need it most. Their two primary programs include:

ICU2- Infants and Children Under 2

The purpose of the Infants and Children Under 2 (ICU2) program is to help infants born into low-income households get the best possible start in life by providing baby essentials their parent(s) cannot afford.

Infant safety and well-being is our first concern. By ensuring that babies who are currently sleeping on the floor or in a laundry basket are given a safe crib to sleep in or that children who currently ride in a vehicle held back only by their parents arms are placed in an appropriate car seat, we hope to prevent avoidable infant injuries/fatalities.

Low Income Family Furniture Essentials Support (L.I.F.F.E Support)

The LIFFE Support program accepts donations of new and used furniture and household goods from the Calgary community and then distributes the items to families in the city through our Partnership referral program. If we don’t have sufficient donations of items to meet the need for essential goods such as beds, small dressers and kitchen tables and chairs then, we are able to bulk purchase through the financial support associated with the partnership agreements.

By ensuring that families and individuals are given basic household essentials to make their house a home, NeighbourLink assists Calgarians who are living in poverty as they rebuild their lives and create a brighter future for themselves and their children.

Before job training, before language assessment, before furthering one's education, before most anything, care for the city of Calgary's Children and a home to live in must come first. Thank you to Neighbourlink for the impact you have had on the life of Calgarians and the city of Calgary for the last 23 years. For more information about Neighbourlink visit their website.