Community ambassador program launched on International Avenue
Wearing bright purple jackets, carrying first aid and naloxone kits, community ambassadors are out along International Avenue looking to meet people in the community.
“Really I want to make connections with businesses and people on the street,” said ambassador Carmen Poon.
The east Calgary ambassador helper program launched in the spring with enough money from federal funding for two ambassadors.
The goal is to create a safe and vibrant environment while also connecting people to social services they need. The ambassadors have gone through extensive training including for opioid poisoning and suicide prevention.
“With a planning background for me it’s really about understanding the spaces we live in…that are not private buildings," said ambassador Ivan Osorio.
"It’s these open parks and streets and sidewalks, all those spaces where life really goes on how can we make that better for everyone,” .
Osorio and Poon also both speak Spanish which they say helps bridge cultural and language barriers.
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
The outreach program is a collaboration between the International Avenue BRZ and 12 Community Safety Initiative, which is a crime prevention group.
“One of their main aspects is to really let people know about all the good things you can find out here. There’s over 425 businesses within 35 blocks,” said Alison Karim-McSwiney, the executive director of International Avenue BRZ.
Karim-McSwiney said the ambassadors are there to welcome people to 17th Avenue SE and offer neighbourly help, such as providing directions or pointing out hidden gems.
But they are also there to help make connections on the street and connect people to social services they need.
Karim-McSwiney said there has been an increase of people experiencing homelessness over the past four years.
“What we’ve found recently particularly with COVID-19 is there’s been a real tipping point that’s happened out here. We’re seeing significant amount of social disorder that we haven’t been seeing before,” said Karim-McSwiney.
“There’s a lot of people that are living rough in the area and as a result we’re trying to help them to essentially get off the street and be connected with services.”
Karim-McSwiney said the plan is to hire two more ambassadors in the fall, when the source of funding will come from a city grant.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.