Community Outreach

Co-Creating A World That Works For Everyone!

Get Involved

Change for Change is a group of individuals within the Calgary Centre for Spiritual Living community, who identify fun short term projects in cooperation with other organizations in the community.  They then give of their time, energy, talent and treasure, in order to empower others and help make the world a better place.

Are you interested in getting involved? To volunteer please click the button below or contact us at c4c@calgarycsl.org.

To contact the chairperson, Ron Hahn, directly email ron.hahn@calgarycsl.org   We love our volunteers!

The Change for Change Outreach Program spearheaded by Ron Hahn identifies, develops, and completes community projects arising from suggestions from within the CCSL membership as well as the Outreach Steering Committee. These projects support individuals to reveal their personal wholeness and magnificence, co-creating a world that works for everyone.  Have an idea for a project? Scroll to the bottom of this page to share it with Change for Change and be involved in making good things happen!

Donate

Donations designated to Change for Change Outreach can be made by:

e-transferred to office@calgarycsl.org

to donate online click Donate

mail or drop off at the Centre:

Calgary Centre for Spiritual Living
4411 Manitoba Rd SE
Calgary AB T2G 4B9
Canada

Add a message designating donations to Change for Change outreach.

Adopt a Piggy (bank)

Team lead/champion:  Cathy Prohl and Jennifer Owens

This is our ongoing fundraiser for Outreach.  You can sign up at the Centre on Sundays and receive a little blue piggy bank to collect your change for Change for Change. We will be collecting funds from the piggies throughout the year to use for our various outreach programs.

How We Are Helping

Calgary CSL’s Hospice Garden Initiative

We are participating in a unique opportunity to Create a Sanctuary for those ending their journey earthside. And make the transition a little more beautiful.
 Project Overview:
**CCSL’s Hospice Garden Initiative** aims to transform a bland courtyard into a vibrant garden filled with beauty and life.
This project aligns perfectly with CCSL’s values of love, peace, and growth.
 Volunteer Opportunities: We welcome members of CSL to volunteer for this meaningful project. Over the next two Sundays after service. If you are unable to volunteer, we also appreciate love offerings in the form of financial donations or physical donations (flowers, sod seed, soil, mulch, rocks, birdhouses, decor, etc)
Important Dates: -
  • Planting and Prep (Day One):** June 5th from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM - DONE
  • Planting (Day Two):** June 9th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM - Several volunteers signed up!
  • Final Touches (Day Three):** June 16th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM - sign up after Sunday Celebration to Participate

 

Recently Completed Project : Seniors Secret Service Society

Change for Change needs your help to support Calgary seniors in need.

“Suds & Soft Chocolate”

Bring your items on Sundays throughout November

Senior’s Wish List :

Toiletry items (shower gel, liquid soap, toothpaste, body cream) • Toiletry gifts sets • Treats: small boxes of chocolates, candy, cookies • Diabetic treats • Large print puzzle books • Herbal teas • Fuzzy blankets (know that they need to fit in a small box) • Jigsaw puzzles – Under 500 pieces are best

This Christmas Cheer program helped bring joy to over 6000 isolated seniors in 2021 and 2022. 
Various agencies submit names and personalized gift lists and many “Secret Santas” shop for their seniors.

Ongoing project : Loops of Joy

Sharing our gifts with others as we joyously connect with the community and one another.

Team Lead/Champion:  Rosalie Bain

This Project involves using our gifts by making toques to donate them to the needy. Participants donate yarn, roll the yarn, hook the toques and deliver them to over 25 different groups in need. Lessons to learn the simple skills to become a HAPPY HOOKER are provided monthly in person at the Center.  Also, two short introduction Videos on basic hooking skills are provided below.  Simply click on the video to active.   The Loops of Joy have donated well over 2500 toques. They are greatly appreciated by all the recipients.

MEMORY BAGS

Memory Bags are designed and donated to most hospices in southern Alberta. They are for families who have lost a loved one, so they can take home their belongings in something other than a plastic garbage bag. They are greatly appreciated.  If you would like to help out making the bags, help to deliver them or provide donated material, pls contact us by becoming a volunteer of outreach (volunteer button above) and letting us know in the comments section or message us at c4c@calgarycsl.org with your interest.

Your donations: We are always glad to receive yarn or material. They can be dropped off at the bin at CCSL.

Yarn Donations Please

Have yarn at home that you no longer want? Consider donating it to the Loops of Joy project and we will turn it into a cozy hat for charity. Your yarn donations can be dropped off at the Calgary Centre for Spiritual Living. Thanks for your support!

Learn how to make a toque part 1

Loops of Joy Part 2

Previous Project : WINTER COATS R US

 

 

Team Lead/Champion:  Shelley DeCoste

WANTED: Gently used, clean winter coats
COLLECTING FOR: “Calgary Drop-in Center”  and  “Making Changes”
This project ended with over 135 Winter coats collected!
Thank you Calgary Centre for Spiritual Living Community!!

Past Events : Calgary Drop In Centre

Team Lead/Champion:  Dee Bardsley

Volunteers conducted a BLANKET AND TOWEL DRIVE that collected 114 towels and 71 blankets! They also collected over 1100 items and 85 backpacks to make 100 FROSTY BITES KITS and extra items! Volunteers counted, bagged, labelled and delivered items to the Calgary Drop In Centre. They had 29 volunteers who worked at the DONATION CENTRE SORTING clothing, books, kitchen supplies, etc. that were donated by the general public the Calgary Drop In Centre. Thank you to the over 70 volunteers who participated in Calgary Drop In Centre events, from the Funday school children making cards to go into the kits, to the Teens/Tweens who carried donations up into the loft and, to all of the adult volunteers.

Food for the Soul

Team Lead/ Champion: Leslie Gardner

Providing sandwiches, prepared with love, for less privileged.

We gathered together for several years and created lunchtime favorite healthy sandwiches – a perfect vehicle for complex carbohydrates, good-for-you fats, fiber-packed veggies, and lean protein. These sandwiches were donated to partner charity-CUPS.

“To be in loving service of humanity while strengthening the community with like-minded beings.”

Easter Seals Camp Horizon

Team Lead/Champion:  Cathy Prohl

C4C volunteers partnered with Camp Horizon at Bragg Creek to help with the season-end clean up. Camp Horizon provides summer camps and respite that fosters inclusion, independence and recreation for Albertans, youth and adults, with disabilities and medical conditions. Our volunteers detail-cleaned camp vehicles and dorms, and sorted and stored equipment used for physical activities and crafts. It felt wonderful to be able to help out! Let’s do it again!

Calgary Pride

The Calgary Centre for Spiritual Living Pride Committee, in alignment with living by our principle of Inclusivity, works on ways we can participate with Calgary Pride. The CCSL Pride Logo contest was a great success with 15 entries and one winning logo, currently shown above our stage on Sundays. Stay tuned for continued developments.

How You Can Help

Outreach Volunteers Opportunities

If you are interested in volunteering for the Outreach Program consider the following:

Outreach champions

Volunteer to spearhead one of our outreach programs or bring forward a suggestion for something you would like to see the Center undertake (according to the project criteria provided above).

Outreach Project Volunteer

Each of the projects we are now running needs volunteer assistance.  The time commitment is up to you, from a few hours a month to a few hours a week.  Let us know by email at c4c@calgarycsl.org which project interests you and we will find something that fits your interest and schedule.

Outreach Steering Committee Member

Several times a year, a committee meeting is announced and anyone from the community may attend.  You become a committee member by your presence and willingness to participate.  You may also volunteer to be on the steering committee by emailing c4c@calgarycsl.org.

Have A Project Suggestion?

Would you like to spearhead a project or make a suggestion? Please access and complete the project form by clicking the button below. Outline your idea with as much detail as possible.

Project Criteria

Projects will be assessed to see if they meet the following 4 basic criteria:

  1. The Project will be Local and with a definite beginning and end point.
  2. The project will incorporate an opportunity for our members to invest their time and energy, their talents and their treasures.
  3. The project will have sufficient support of the membership and the recipient organization to be successful.
  4. The activities to be undertaken will provide life affirming support and/or assist individuals to reveal their wholeness and personal power/magnificence.

“Hope is being able to see there is light despite all the darkness.”

- Desmond Tutu