At the Calgary Drop-In Centre, we welcome adults at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Working collaboratively with community partners, we offer a broad spectrum of care including emergency shelter, health programs and housing options – all geared to help people find their way home.
Every person’s story is as unique as the situation that brings them to our doors. For many, homelessness is the only option when affordable housing is out of reach, or income has been lost due to illness or having to flee an unsafe situation. Often, experiences of trauma, especially in early childhood, leave a lasting impact on a person’s mental or physical health. Regardless of what led a person to the DI, our goal is to make their time with us as brief as possible.
Experiencing homelessness and lacking the basic necessities of life leads to disproportionately high rates of health issues, like substance use. As the drug crisis continues to escalate, we have added additional supports including a drug poisoning response program, detox and recovery transitioning programs, which together provide new pathways to treatment, recovery, and ultimately housing.
from April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023
6,839 people accessed shelter; 552,600 meals were served per day; 505 people slept in shelter per day
We responded to 1,856 drug poisonings and administered 4,173 doses of naloxone
Our health team supported 44,099 appointments; an average of 20 visits per person
We housed 553 people; we helped 232 people avoid homelessness by early intervention
Our Free Goods Program served 10,846 and distributed 275,069 items; there were 22,393 visits to our Clothing Room