For the past 35 years, CUPS Calgary has been a beacon of hope for Calgary's most vulnerable populations, providing essential services and support to individuals and families facing poverty, trauma, addiction, mental health challenges, and homelessness. Through this work, we have seen the incredible impact we can have when science, research, and community come together.

Over the years, CUPS Calgary has grown and expanded its services, but our purpose remains the same: to walk alongside our community as we navigate complex challenges, build better systems and a stronger, more resilient community, and create change through collaboration with our community partners.

CUPS’ President and CEO, Carlene Donnelly, has dedicated over 28 years of her career to driving this purpose forward and inspiring others to join us in our work. For our 35th anniversary, we sat down with Carlene for a conversation about where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we’re headed.

Q: How have you seen CUPS grow and change since you started in 1996?

A: “In 1996, CUPS was a very small clinic working to tackle very big challenges. At that time, Calgary experienced an increase in family homelessness and a lack of affordable housing, with limited resources available to meet the rising need for support. CUPS has grown as quickly as the needs of our community and we have relied on research-based evidence to respond to those needs and create an impact in the lives of those we support. What once was a small but mighty team of 15 became a team of 150 dedicated staff, and our services have expanded from basic health care and referral support to a robust offering of programs in areas including primary health care, specialized health services, housing, family and child development, addiction support, mental health, and much more.”

Q: What are you most proud of when looking back at CUPS’ growth over the last 28 years?

A: “I am so incredibly proud of the work we have done with and for our community over the years. As we came to understand brain science through crucial partnerships with the Palix Foundation and the Harvard Centre for the Developing Child, we understood that the key to building resilience and creating lasting change starts with healthy brain development. Over time, we adopted brain science into every program, and it has become the foundation of our trauma-informed approach to integrated care. Our longstanding research partnership with the University of Calgary has allowed us to take what we learn by looking at trends and determining best practices to support our community through intentional and responsive programs.”

Q: What do you think CUPS means to the community?

A: “I think we’re known as great collaborators. This work requires us to work with those who share our purpose, and I think we’ve built very strong relationships over the years to do that. I also think we are known as an organization that values continuous learning; continuous learning requires humility, listening, and collaboration, and I think that approach gives us real clarity about where our expertise starts and stops. We make it a priority to share what we know as leaders in this space and to learn from those who know what we don’t.  I think there’s a lot of value to that, and it has made us a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to a community-driven approach to caring for our community.

Q: What are you most excited about when looking ahead to another 35 years for CUPS?

A: “With our new strategic plan, I am really excited about seeing our purpose, ambition, and values grow and expand and more deeply align with other resources addressing critical issues, such as Alberta’s recovery model. You know, we help people see a better future for themselves and their families and have become not only a lifeline for those in need but also a partner in our community. I am looking forward to more collaboration, more learning, and more opportunities to help people find a greater sense of resilience and well-being.”

Here’s to 35 more years!

This year, for our 35th anniversary, we are calling on our community to get involved in our work, creating better systems and a stronger community.

Donate $35 for our 35th year and help thousands of Calgarians access trauma-informed, strengths-based, integrated care through responsive programs and services with fewer barriers.

Visit CUPScalgary.com/donate today!