GROWING OUR IMPACT

Last year Trellis Society directly served 5,902 individuals and their natural supports, while creating 14,000 moments of connection and support for people in our community.

What does it mean to flourish?

At Trellis, we believe that with the right supports, everyone can flourish.

We believe flourishing happens when we are engaged in an authentic life that brings inner joy and happiness through achieving life goals, being connected to our people and passions, and having the right supports and foundations in place that will help us during the difficult times. To measure our Flourishing Impact, we look at the three key domains of Economic Stability, Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Belonging and Connection.

Economic Stability

– which includes stable housing, employment, income, basic needs, education and equitable access to resources.

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING

– which includes positive identity, social and emotional skills, optimism, healing from trauma, meaning and purpose, child and youth development and mental health wellbeing.

186 youth received counseling supports

95% of Ready, Set Go! preschoolers improved their emotional literacy skills

89% of YTA youth improved in their recovery from addiction and substance use

95% of Hera girls decreased their involvement in sexual exploitation

94% of Club kids say they have an improved sense of self-worth

1,460 individuals were supported out of homelessness (includes children, youth, adults)

276 youth were employed through Trellis

254 students were supported to complete high school

97% of Home Stay families said they learned the skills to resolve problems with their housing in the future

BELONGING & CONNECTION

– which includes relationships, cultural connections, family cohesion and reunification, resident belonging in community development and feelings of belonging to our people and places.

151 community events were held by our Community Development and Family Resource Network teams

Our Circle Keepers supported 133 cultural ceremonies for program participants

76% of our youth in group care improved their connection to family and positive natural supports

82% of Iiyika’kimaat youth felt positive and hopeful about their future as an Indigenous person

Community Development

ROOTED IN RELATIONSHIP:

Northeast Calgary Flourishes Together

Creating lasting change in communities is beyond the strength of any one group or individual. It requires the voice of many. Over the last two years, the challenge of social isolation offered us a collective opportunity to build more resilient communities that not only survive through crisis, but also thrive after it.

Working with and listening to the community is key to ensuring that people feel empowered and valued. During the pandemic, the Community Development team heard a number of stories from northeast residents who were feeling secluded. One solution that came up in conversations was engaging residents in different activities that they could do from home.

Residents were excited to learn something new while connecting with others. As more people began attending, they also opened up about their own interests that they could share with each other. This began our popular Share Your Skill series where every month residents led their own activities that ranged from yoga classes to cooking.

Community Development Worker

Shalini Handa says these virtual programs were initially focused on serving northeast Calgary communities. But through word of mouth, their reach expanded. People began joining in from every corner of Calgary. Some would even attend from across Canada or while they were traveling in countries like India and Pakistan.

“That was the beauty of virtual programming. Everybody could access it easily,” Shalini says.

Building Up Leaders

Individual gifts become powerful when they are connected together. This was true for Veena Bagai, who was able to grow while also building capacity for others.

Shalini first met Veena, a resident in northeast Calgary, when she attended drop-in programs at the Genesis Centre. The two formed a deeper connection when the

Community Development team began hosting virtual sessions.

Veena had many skills that could support residents in different ways, so Shalini encouraged her to start her own program sessions. Veena was a bit hesitant as she had never facilitated anything by herself, but with Shalini’s help Veena began leading regular sessions for residents to come and learn skills such as baking, jewelry-making and knitting.

During this time, Shalini says Veena was able to grow as a leader and a mentor. She was initially uncomfortable with using a computer for the virtual sessions, but Shalini took time to sit down with Veena and teach her how to use apps like Zoom and WhatsApp.

As Veena’s confidence grew, she took opportunities to share what she learned with other residents. She jumped in whenever someone needed help with their computers. She even visited their homes to teach them how to set up Zoom so that they could attend programs.

Veena was very good at connecting with everyone, especially the younger residents from our Building Youth Connections program. One of the youth even took what she learned from Veena’s jewelrymaking sessions to make bracelets for a fundraiser!

“She was able to share her own experience with others and say ‘This is what I have learned. I can do it so you can do it as well.’ Developing that confidence level in other people was something she did very well,” Shalini says.

Supporting Each Other In Community

Many difficulties were brought on by the pandemic, but it was through people and relationships that the northeast Calgary community was able to pull together.

“Our residents have shown me their resilience. We have also learned from their openness to share what they have experienced in their lives.” Shalini says. “There were so many negative impacts of COVID, but I also see these positive effects coming out.”

Veena, who had become wellconnected with the people attending her classes, often asked Shalini about Trellis’ programs and resources that she could share with them. She says there weren’t a lot of resources available for newcomers when she came to Canada 31 years ago, but now she sees more places like Trellis where people can find support. They just need to be pointed in the right direction.

“Sometimes new people come, and they don’t even know where to go or what to do. I just try to connect them. If I can help them I’m more than happy to do it,” Veena says.

Because of Veena advocating on behalf of her community, we were able to connect with residents who needed support for their basic needs, utility bills, or even a device to stay in touch with friends and relatives. Shalini says connecting with people through ongoing community programs and supports has also provided a space where they can be open about their personal lives without the fear of being judged.

“One of our residents was going through domestic violence, and she was able to come forward to ask for support,” Shalini says. “That happened because we had built a relationship where she could trust us.”

Over this year, many residents formed a network of natural supports that have carried on beyond our scheduled programs. One resident, for example, had just returned to work after having a baby. She was finding it difficult to balance both at the same time, so one of the residents offered to babysit for her while she was at work. When another resident became ill, people brought meals for her and helped with chores around her house. There was also a senior resident looking to improve their financial situation, so someone found them a part-time job cooking for a family.

A community grows best when they grow together. And in Veena’s experience, relationships are the key to reducing isolation.

“Once they come out, they really love it here,” Veena says. “They connect with each other. They are more than happy because when they build friendships, their life is more comfortable.”

We are optimistic that this momentum in northeast Calgary will only continue to grow with time. Relationships are the heart of strong communities, and we look forward to connecting people through their collective strengths to help everyone reach their full potential.

1,464 community members engaged with our Community Development Program

Residents contributed

2,368 volunteer hours this year