Dignity

A one-night snapshot in the City of Calgary’s latest homeless count revealed 2,597 people with no permanent roof over their heads. Most of them found shelter in the many facilities scattered throughout the downtown core but that night 127 people slept on the streets. The actual number would most likely be much higher.

Homelessness is not going away and, as is the case with most metropolitan areas in North America, the problem is growing. The Calgary numbers represent an overall growth rate of 49 percent in just two years. Fortunately the number of facilities and service agencies has increased to deal with these issues.

One of those facilities is the Calgary Dream Centre (CDC), which originated as a vision of First Assembly Church for the city of Calgary.

Today the Dream Centre is home for 87 residents who are either in an educational stream or are working and earning a living.

"The one-year educational stream at the Dream Centre involves career life-skills training, conflict management and high school upgrades," said Jim Moore, Executive Director of the Centre. "Then they graduate. We have a number of modular courses – seamless educational starts."

The next stream of clients at the CDC are employed in full-time jobs but are able to take modular educational courses along with their jobs.

"Our clients can come into a safe and secure environment," Moore said, "where we focus on dignity, destiny and dreams. We treat them with dignity. We help them to their destiny so they can fulfill their dreams."

Mike Sheppard wasn’t expecting to see any of his dreams fulfilled when, one year ago, he found himself lying in an alley between the Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope and the old King Edward Hotel suffering from a stroke due to crack cocaine use.

In 1976, following the death of his mother, Sheppard began experimenting with intravenous drugs, getting hooked on speed and cocaine as a young teen. "It started there," Sheppard admitted, "and it never stopped until a year ago."

"I met a woman in de-tox and she paid my first month’s rent in the Dream Centre," he smiled. "From that moment on I made a promise to God and myself. I was coming in here (to the CDC) clean and I will go out clean."

Today Sheppard is working as a painter and though he says he gets challenged on a daily basis he’s stayed free from alcohol and drugs for the past year.

He admits his faith in God and the work of the Dream Centre has made a difference in his life. "The one thing I always let go of first was God and I found myself almost dead," he said.

"If anything saved my life it was a conscious decision to say that I’ve had enough pain and to accept what the Dream Centre had to offer. The two things I’ve found here are a support group and God."

Cafeteria in Dream Centre

The CDC is full to capacity for the first time since it opened its doors one and a half years ago.

"As men are graduating and moving on, integrating into society there is a constant number of new people seeking out the Dream Centre wanting to change their lives and going on a waiting list," Moore observed.

"We say thanks to the federal and provincial governments as well as the City of Calgary for their continued support along with churches and the business community through volunteering and providing funds," Moore said. "We couldn’t do this without them."

On September 15 just prior to Calgary’s Homeless Awareness Week (Sept 18-24), the Dream Centre is hosting its 3rd Annual Fundraiser "Radiothon 2005" with Shine 88.9FM.

Beginning at 5:30 am until 8 pm, the day-long fundraiser will feature a car show and shine, live music concerts, BBQ by donation, open house and tours, Starfish Café and Cappuccino Bar.

The Dream Centre is located at 4510 Macleod Trail South. For more information call 243-5598 or visit www.calgarydreamcentre.com