Since the COVID-19 pandemic caused so many to become islands unto themselves, CUPS has seen more and more clients come through the doors looking for support. 

With our Integrated Care approach, our goal is to ensure that every single client that walks through our doors is armed with as many individual supports and programs as possible. We want to help everyone we work with find a new trajectory of self empowerment, success, and connection. 

We are motivated to help those that are most vulnerable put a plan in place to not only arrive at a state of self-sufficiency, but to also thrive within the container of a safe, secure community setting so that they know what that feels like — and what to look for — out in the rest of the world.

For Lizzy, that safety net was everything.

Lizzy’s story

Experiencing homeless, using drugs and trapped in a domestic violence relationship, Lizzy woke up one day to realize she was pregnant again, and that she was ready to forge a new path.

“I was just done. I didn’t want to be homeless — and pregnant — and on drugs. I wanted to do it better this time.”

And she did. 

After connecting with CUPS, we helped Lizzy start her new journey by navigating our Primary Health Care and Mental Health Services. With those foundational tools in place, Lizzy also was able to get support for housing and worked on becoming a more confident parent through Nurturing Parenting and other programs within the Family Development Centre. 

Genuinely feeling received by the staff at CUPS, Lizzy found a healthy outlet through painting, and gifted her art to many of the people she connected with, to cement that feeling of connection.

“Art is my (outlet), and they nurtured that,” she explains. “A lot of people at CUPS have a couple of my paintings.”

Bringing her children home

Lizzy’s boys are now 2, 11 and 13-years-old. 

Before working with CUPS, she never thought that her two older children would ever be able to come home again. CUPS helped her not only become the best parent she could be, but also, navigate the court system in order to regain custody.

“Having my family here is just… I never thought I could have my older two kids back in the same house,” she smiles. “And they want to be here!”

Lizzy is now nearly 3.5 years sober. She is currently attending Bow Valley College for the prerequisites required to continue her education in both Addiction Studies, and Human Services. She says that she was inspired to make those choices by the people who helped her here at CUPS. She wants to give back, and to make her boys proud.

“I honestly don’t know where I would be without CUPS,” she laughs through tears. “They’ve done a lot for me in my life – supported me – guided me. And all the people there made me feel like I wasn’t alone, and that I could do it – that I could make it.”

Expanding with grace

Lizzy is just one of over ten-thousand people that we help every year at CUPS. 

Since 2020, these past three years have taken us into a whole new world. With social issues in Calgary on the rise, we play a critical role in helping address them. The support we receive allows CUPS to continue to engage with clients like Lizzy, and to help empower them to reach their goals.

Thank you for expanding with us.