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Veterans Association Food Bank raffles trappers cabin to save lives

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It's a fully insulated three by four metre cabin and they'll deliver it to the winner anywhere in the province - but the shelter and safety the little trappers shack provides goes far beyond its four walls.

The cozy shelter is raising money to provide emergency services for veterans, many of them suffering from mental trauma from their service.

"We kind of talk that food gets them in the door, and once we have them in the door we can talk and we can find out what else is going on," said Charles Redeker, director of the Veterans Association Food Bank. "There's an underlying cause for why they've come in for food."

The cabin was built in honour of Cpl. (Ret'd) Jason Oliver, who moved to Calgary in 2007 after his service with the Canadian Forces ended. Oliver struggled for years with the fallout from his time in uniform, at times ending up in psychiatric care.

"A lot of mental health injury as a result of his service, and he and his family we provided a lot of support for," Redeker said.

At times he was doing better and ran a hugely popular haunted house each year for Halloween.

In January of 2021 Oliver took his own life, leaving behind two adult children and two young daughters. He was 47.

The Veterans Association Food Bank is working with about 1,000 retired service members in the Calgary area. The programs and interventions they offer - such as preventing evictions or utilities disconnects - help keep those men and women from "going dark" as Redeker calls it: disappearing and retreating from the world.

"If there's somebody in your life that seems to be struggling, reach out and have that conversation, because sometimes that's the start of pulling them out of the darkness," Redeker said.

The insulated tiny cabin has electricity and is built to meet most municipal regulations, allowing it to be placed in a yard with no permits required.

The rustic retreat isn't everyone's thing, so VAFB - which is a registered charity - is also offering a 50/50 draw.

Tickets are available through their website at www.vafb.ca

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