Community Hubs
Building strong, supportive, and inclusive communities. Because where we live matters
Six Community Hubs serving more than 200,000 Calgarians are being planned for over the next five years (2017-2021) in the communities of Bowness, Greater Forest Lawn, North of McKnight, Sunalta, Village Square, and Vista Heights.
The Community Hubs initiative is a partnership between United Way of Calgary and Area, The City of Calgary, and Rotary Club of Calgary, Downtown, and other Rotary Clubs in Calgary in support of Enough for All Strategy, specifically:
- All Calgary communities are strong, supportive, and inclusive.
- Everyone in Calgary can easily access the right supports, services, and resources.
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“Our neighbours’ strengths truly are our strengths. All Calgarians deserve to grow up in a community that is invested in their success. Community Hubs connect residents with each other and provide access to important supports and resources, when and where they need them.”
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Acting as a ‘community living room’ of sorts, Community Hubs are easily accessible gathering places for residents to connect, socialize, plan, and host community activities. They will house resources and services identified as needed by the community, and serve as a platform to ignite conversations on things with local impact.
Education, employment, financial literacy, resident involvement and leadership; kids recreation programs, childcare, and youth initiatives; counselling, food hamper distribution, connecting isolated seniors, and assisting new immigrant families. These are just some of the things Community Hubs are looking at offering with the goal of helping individuals and communities thrive.Hub openings will be staggered as community planning evolves and funding becomes available. Three key milestones move each Hub from planning to activation.
For more information on the Community Hubs initiative and how you can be a part of positive community change that makes a lasting and meaningful difference for families and individuals, please contact Andrea Wall, Project Manager, Community Hub Initiative at andrea.wall@calgaryunitedway.org (403-441-2269).
Partnering to Achieve Common Goals
The Community Hubs initiative is a partnership between United Way of Calgary and Area, The City of Calgary, and Rotary Clubs in Calgary. While the work of each organization spans across the city in many different ways to support people from every walk of life, the common goal of our collective work is the same: to make Calgary a great place for all by improving lives and supporting communities to be extraordinary.
We believe in investing in our communities and supporting the people in them. We are standing shoulder to shoulder because we believe the Community Hubs initiative:
- Builds strong communities by connecting people and fostering social inclusion, belonging and community attachment.
- Involves the community in decision making.
- Empowers residents to influence their community and lead change in their neighbourhoods.
- Supports them in transforming their ideas into actions.
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“Rotary is excited to partner on this initiative that will bring important services and connections to thousands of kids and families across Calgary; strengthening our city for future generations.”
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No one person or organization can do everything on their own. To offer all the things that enrich people’s lives is a collective effort. Through partnership, we make important contributions with collective impact, leverage financial and in-kind support, and increase our capacity to do more than otherwise able to alone.
The Community Hubs initiative is possible because of partnership, contributing donors through United Way’s Community Hubs Signature Initiative, and community residents. We’re all in this together.
Enough For All
Enough for All is Calgary’s community-driven poverty reduction strategy with the goal of cutting poverty in half by 2023, and supported by research that shows community attachment is directly linked to economic growth. Community Hubs support two of four specific goals outlined in Enough for All:
- All Calgary communities are strong, supportive, and inclusive.
- Everyone in Calgary can easily access the right supports, services, and resources.
In December 2016, the Rotary Club of Calgary approved the Community Hubs Initiative as its next multi-year Signature Legacy Project, which will see a $2M investment over five years. As a founding partner, Rotary’s role in this initiative will go beyond funding to include hosting events, volunteering, and program support within the Hubs.
From Rotary’s Perspective:
With the Rotary Club of Calgary, Downtown's $2,000,000 investment, we join a $21,000,000 project in partnership with United Way and The City of Calgary. Both partners have a deep knowledge of the social issues facing Calgarians. Rotarians will be involved in the consultation process with the 6 identified communities, where we will help them create Community Hubs that do three things:
• Reduce the social isolation of Community residents
• Provide access to services and programs and
• Support local residents to get involved and create change
• Reduce the social isolation of Community residents
• Provide access to services and programs and
• Support local residents to get involved and create change
"As a Founding Partner, Rotary will fill leadership roles at all levels of the Community Hubs initiative. From hosting barbeques and community consultations, to holding governance roles on advisory and steering committees; from operating programs like Stay In School and Christmas Hampers, to partnering with residents to launch community-wide projects, Rotary's involvement will extend far beyond a five-year financial contribution.
Community Hubs will also introduce Calgarians to Rotary in a new way. Rotary will benefit from enhanced visibility among the hundreds of Calgarians who access the Hub sites daily, as well as an increased social media and online profile as United Way creates a specific marketing strategy for this partnership."
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