Category: Community Development

Mental Health Matters. A message from our CEO

As a born and raised Calgarian who has spent the last twenty years working in the social impact sector, I can say without a doubt, that mental health matters.   The mental well-being of individuals in our neighbourhoods impacts the fibres of our community. It is essential to create the vibrant and thriving city that we all wish to call home.    Now more than ever, Calgarians are… Read more »

12 Days of carya Featuring CSV Midstream Solutions

12 Days of carya is here; from December 1st through 16th, we will celebrate our supporters who have chosen to invest in carya’s essential services! We want to celebrate our supporters by showcasing their impact on the community. CSV Midstream Solutions is an Alberta-based company offering full services for complete midstream solutions. CSV stands for and believes in Creating Shared Value; CSV collaborates with community and… Read more »

12 Days of carya Featuring Calgary Municipal Land Corporation

  12 Days of carya is here; from December 1st through 16th, we will celebrate our supporters who have chosen to invest in carya’s essential services! We want to celebrate our supporters by showcasing their impact on the community. The word carya means hickory tree. A tree known for its deep roots, and strong but flexible wood. As a social profit agency, carya has been deeply… Read more »

Creating Connection to Bridge Gaps

  Each day, we are immersed in technology. From looking up the daily forecast to checking our bank statements or having a virtual meeting, we are constantly connected – evolving and adapting to the latest updates. For many of the seniors carya serves, this constant evolution can be an overwhelming consideration. Technology has become a barrier and is increasingly challenging as our world becomes more tech-centered…. Read more »

carya’s Cutest Volunteers

During the summer months, carya connects seniors living at Francis Klein Centre with energetic, four-legged volunteers. These furry volunteers are tasked with the important job of putting smiles on the residents’ faces! “Puppy Parties” are coordinated by carya to encourage spending time outdoors, connecting with others and building community engagement among seniors. Pet-human interactions are scientifically proven to improve our wellbeing and mental health, and we strive… Read more »

Community Champion: Clothing Drive Initiative

Ivy*, a client of The Way In Network, inspired a movement of kindness and proved that age would never hold her back! carya is very proud to assist a client-led initiative to raise donations for Ukrainian refugees. Ivy says she’s deeply connected to the trauma and fear experienced by those fleeing and suffering in Ukraine. Her empathy stems from personal experience with international conflict and a desire to… Read more »

Elder Friendly Communities: Six Word Stories

carya‘s Elder Friendly Communities works in, for and with seniors in community – celebrating and sharing the wisdom and experience that comes with age so that seniors are known and valued. Elder Friendly Communities reaches older adults in Bowness, Montgomery, Ranchlands, Varsity and Acadia with opportunities to connect, share and learn together, offering space to nurture relationships with themselves and others. To celebrate Seniors’ Week 2022,… Read more »

Better Together – How A Community Garden Kept Seniors Connected Through COVID-19

In 2018, carya’s Elder Friendly Communities embarked on a project to connect seniors, address food insecurity, and create a network of inspired and invested gardeners … because we’re better together. Located in the Northwest community of Highland Park, JE Harris House is a subsidized senior’s living complex that is home to 100 older Calgarians. Partnering with Calgary Heritage Housing and Chirp Foods, carya invested in developing a community garden at the residence that would… Read more »