The holiday season is often a time for gathering, joy, and cherished traditions. Yet for many, it can also be a period marked by loneliness, stress, and isolation. This contrast underscores an essential truth: connection is key to resilience, especially in challenging times.
In Calgary, barriers to accessing essential resources and support often leave individuals and families feeling overwhelmed and alone. Whether it’s a therapist guiding someone through anxiety or depression, a support group providing comfort to a new parent feeling alone, or assistance for an older adult navigating complex systems, connection often becomes the key to overcoming obstacles. But what happens when these connections are out of reach?
This is where Carya steps in.
Why Connection Matters
Connection goes beyond companionship. It’s about access to the resources, guidance, and support that allow people to gain the tools to face life’s toughest challenges and emerge stronger. Without these connections, navigating adversity can feel impossible.
In Calgary, the need for connection is profound:
- Nearly 25% of Calgarians struggle to afford essentials like housing and food.
- Over 40% of Canadians say that the economic downturn has impacted their mental health.
- Since the pandemic, self-reported anxiety has increased by 57% and depression by 33%.
- One in five Calgarians feels they don’t belong.
When mental health, financial security, and social connectedness are so deeply intertwined, the absence of support systems can create an overwhelming cycle of hardship.
Connection Sparks Resilience
Resilience isn’t just about enduring hardship – it’s about thriving through the strength of the relationships and support systems we build. At Carya, we create opportunities for individuals and families to develop these vital connections, fostering resilience, strength, and well-being.
Take Lucia, for example. As a new mother battling postpartum anxiety and isolation, she found hope in Carya’s parenting programs. “The support I got from Carya as a mentally and physically unwell new mother was so vital for my life and that of my baby.”
Or Avneet, who overcame her fears of seeking mental health support after joining Carya’s Family Counselling program. Fearing any sign of weakness or vulnerability might lead to losing her children, she made the brave decision to try. Through the program, she gained the strength to face her fears, overcome shame, and rebuild her life.
Then there’s Blair, who faced loneliness and financial hardship, unsure of where to turn. That changed when he discovered Carya’s art and financial wellness programs, which gave him a renewed sense of hope and connection. “I was lonely and didn’t know where to go until someone told me about Carya’s art programs. I trekked all the way across the city to be somewhere with other people.”
Each story highlights how meaningful connections foster resilience.
Carya’s 2024 Holiday Campaign: Connection is Key to Resilience
When people struggle to connect with the right support, it can feel like there’s no way forward. But by building strong, supportive connections, we do more than provide help—we create a path to a better future.
Carya connects the dots between mental health, family functioning, social connections, and living conditions. Each area strengthens the others, creating a cycle of support and empowerment. With too many in our community facing significant barriers to accessing the help they need, our 2024 Holiday Campaign focuses on ensuring more Calgarians have access to vital resources and support when and where they need them most.
Be the Connection That Makes a Difference
While the holiday season brings connection to the forefront, we know that this need extends year-round. By supporting Carya’s programs, you help strengthen connections that empower individuals and families to thrive – not just in December, but throughout the entire year.
Your generosity helps ensure more Calgarians have access to the support they need to overcome life’s challenges and build brighter futures. Together, we can build a more resilient Calgary—one meaningful connection at a time.