Building connections with your children can be a difficult task. Not always being able to draw from lived experience makes managing the needs and wants of your little ones feel like learning a foreign language without an interpreter.  

Our entire philosophy at CUPS is built around that approach, where we’re not only meeting the patient where they are at, but we’re listening to them and building support systems around them based on their individual needs. 

If your priority is finding a roof over your head and food to eat, then taxes aren’t even close to a top priority. But for low income individuals and families, filing taxes properly and on time is vital.

At CUPS, we work with all kinds of families. From single parent families, to large households of parents and children. Some need more support than others but the goal is to ensure that every family has whatever level of support they need for them. 

Managing diabetes can be challenging in the best circumstances. For many people experiencing homelessness who also have diabetes, an inconsistent diet and fluctuating living/sleeping arrangements can prove to make it an uphill battle.

Several organizations in the city have been working in tandem for years to combat the situation by providing shelter support for those who need it. CUPS Executive Director Carlene Donnelly says the sustainability of helping those in need comes through community partnerships forged with one common focus. 

CUPS has a longstanding partnership with the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UVCM) to provide free vet clinics to ensure client’s dogs and cats remain healthy and strong. 

December 21 is a long, dark night. In Calgary, the sun will set at 4:31 pm and not rise up again until 8:37 am. For those without a roof over their heads, that’s more than 16 hours of darkness until daylight returns.

Imagine being five years old and waking up on Christmas morning knowing there will be no gifts under the tree. Unfortunately, that is the reality for many children in Calgary.

Truth and Reconciliation is not about one day of reflection, it is a year-long conversation about acknowledging, establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

When you’re struggling with basic needs, mental health counselling is often low on the priority list. But counselling plays an important role in preventative mental health and CUPS is continuing to find ways to remove barriers and keep it accessible for those who need it most.

Sometimes reducing barriers for support and care comes down to the initial welcome to a physical space. For people who often feel judged and unworthy, a warm welcome starts a relationship off on a better foot.

The CUPS Annual Wreath Campaign is one small way we are working to spread encouragement and impact throughout our community. Proceeds from the wreath campaign go directly to CUPS programming, to better support Calgarians with complex needs.

Poverty is a significant issue in our community. Not only do we have more than 1,900 people homeless in Calgary, but upwards of 24,000 people are on a waitlist for affordable housing.

At CUPS, an incentive program in partnership with Calgary Dollars is focused on building community pride.

During the last few years, we haven’t been able to hide from the pandemic, so instead, we’re asking ourselves: What did we learn, gain, and help others achieve during this time of uncertainty and upheaval? It drives what we do every day.

Communicating with a toddler is often a challenge. However, there are ways to help improve how parents interact with their young ones and CUPS is working to provide an opportunity for parents to do just that.

Defined by more than just the brick and mortar of the facilities where people live, CUPS and HomeSpace are creating spaces where CUPS clients feel connected as they work to improve their lives.

On what was a powerful, and emotional day for our entire CUPS community, we listened and reflected upon the historic apology from Pope Francis on the devastating legacy of the system of residential schools.