With municipalities around the world grappling with increasingly complex safety challenges, Peace in Our Cities is connecting cities with similar challenges to learn from each other and share best practices. A seven-person delegation from Casper, Wyoming visited Edmonton August 12 to 14 after being paired with Edmonton by Peace in Our Cities.  “The idea is to pair two of our members to connect with shared experiences, challenges and learn from one another,” says Jai-Ayla Suth

Resource Connect, a REACH-led collaborative partnership,  hosted its first mini resource fair, Resource Connect: Taking Action Against Human Trafficking on October 8. The event brought together organizations working with survivors and law enforcement around human trafficking. The event hosted 15 exhibitors and a total of 170 attendees.  “You need everyone at the table and sometimes we might feel it isn’t prevalent because it’s hidden,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “Events like t

The Out of School Time (OST) Collaborative is a partnership of community groups, community leaders, service delivery agencies, and local institutions that have been working together since 2008. The OST Collaborative began in response to concerns raised by immigrant and refugee families and community groups regarding the increased need for specific supports and programs for their children and youth when they are not in school.

Since opening in January of 2025, Edmonton’s Kickstand location in West Edmonton Mall has continued to see rising engagement month-over-month, as information about the centre spreads among youth, primarily through word-of-mouth.

An innovative boxing program from the UK is set to give local at-risk youth a chance to learn essential life skills and access supports from inside the boxing ring.  Empire Fighting Chance  is a one-of-a-kind program designed in partnership with seasoned boxers and sports psychologists, that uses the environment of the boxing gym as a space for working through challenges, and building the mental and emotional skills required to deal with them in a healthy way.  In June, staff

For 15 years,  REACH Edmonton has worked in partnership with service agencies, communities and government to address the ever increasingly complex challenges facing our city. On June 12, partners and stakeholders past and present gathered for REACH Edmonton’s Annual General Meeting and 15th anniversary celebration.  Originally created in 2010, REACH was the product of a task force on community safety that conducted extensive community engagement about how to make the city a s

As Edmonton’s population continues to increase, many organizations are finding themselves redesigning their roles in the community. The Pride Centre is focusing on supporting created and chosen families across the city, which provide essential basic supports in the queer community.   “With queerness, there’s a lot of emphasis on the chosen family,” says Shawndy Kowalchuk, Gender Resource Navigator at the Price Centre.  “At the Pride Centre we’re really trying to hone in on th

Food security is an increasingly widespread issue, but one local business is working to put affordable food on the table while building a sense of community between neighbours on Alberta Avenue.   With the support of a micro-grant from the REACH Neighbourhood Organizing Initiative, The Hive is working to grow affordable food in the city, while spreading education and beautifying public spaces.   “We’re excited to partner on this project with REACH,” says Amelia Altmiks, found

There are many different groups that make the work of REACH possible, from staff to community partners, but one set of people are especially important: volunteers. “Volunteers play a crucial role in supporting the work of REACH and its partners in the community,” says Kelly Holland, Community Engagement Manager at REACH Edmonton.  “They amplify our impact by providing additional people power and so much more.”  REACH volunteers form a diverse group, bringing varied perspectiv

With National Truth and Reconciliation Day approaching Sept. 30, many organizations are asking themselves how they can contribute to the repairing of relations between settlers and Indigenous Peoples.    Marlene Orr, Executive Director at Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA ), took the time to chat with REACH about what sincere reconciliation might look like in the context of organizational actions.   Is your land acknowledgement sincere?  There’s a lot of talk in ou

Urban centres around the world are often facing similar problems when it comes to safety and well-being, which is why Peace In Our Cities gathered in Colombia this summer to share ideas and experiences around reducing violence.  REACH Edmonton’s Executive Director, Jan Fox, attended the symposium, which yielded learnings, ideas and collaborative connections with a global perspective. The gathering, Peace in Our Cities Symposium and Member Workshop: Innovations in Urban-Violen

Alberta is taking the lead on addressing human trafficking with the creation of a first-of-its-kind office to facilitate cross-sector collaboration to address one of Canada’s fastest growing crimes.  Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA) , #NotInMyCity and REACH Edmonton  are partnering with the Government of Alberta to fight human trafficking across the province.  The province is investing $4 million to create the Alberta Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons . Thi

In the wake of unmarked graves, a papal apology and the creation of the National Day of Reconciliation, the issue of repairing relations has been increasingly on Canadians’ minds.  The century-spanning issue of colonization, and what reconciliation could look like, is complex, often leaving community members unsure of where they can start. REACH Edmonton’s 2023 AGM Showcase aims to explore how Edmontonians can contribute to reconciliation in their own lives, through practical

Local agencies and service providers that help survivors of sexual exploitation are working together to bring awareness to their work in the city and across the province during the 2023 Sexual Exploitation Week of Awareness, May 15-19. The Sexual Exploitation Working Group (SEWG) will kick the week off with a live-streamed proclamation event, followed by two educational events during the week. Creating Hope Society,  a community partner, is hosting a walk from the Legislature

An agency networking event that was held in October 2022, has expanded to support year-round connections between community-serving agencies.  Resource Connect is an event that aims to bring Edmontonians and service providers together where both citizens and agencies can find each other in one place. In partnership with Edmonton Public Library, the event was a chance for community members and service providers to connect in a mutually beneficial way.  More than 90 agencies par

As online extremism becomes an increasingly challenging issues for everyone in society, a youth-led project is working to give junior high students tools and strategies for addressing this complex issue. The project has roots in a research project started out in 2020, by 16-year-old Henry Kerr, who was a youth advisor to the REACH Edmonton Board at the time.  Henry’s research inspired the formation of the Don’t Click! Youth Group, which is using the survey results and other r

As temperatures plummet during the winter months, the risk to community members in crisis intensifies. During this time the demand for services like 24/7 Crisis Diversion drastically increases. Crisis Diversion teams help people experiencing non-emergency crises get to a safe place, freeing up police and emergency medical services to respond to more critical events. By doing this work, the 24/7 Crisis Diversion program contributes to addressing issues of poverty, mental healt

The challenges faced by newcomers to Canada can be varied and complex. For 20 years, the Immigrant Family Violence Prevention Committee has been providing awareness, education and advocacy for service providers.  “The committee enhances capacity, collaboration, and coordination of resources and services to prevent family violence in newcomers and diverse ethno-cultural communities,” says committee chair Naheed Amjad-Minhas, IFSSA’s Programs Lead (Islamic Family and Social Ser

“Everything we do as human beings is in relationship to something,” said Lewis Cardinal, in his address to those gathered at Islamic Family on Oct. 4.  The event celebrated and looked back on the 12 years that the REACH Immigrant and Refugee Initiative (RIRI) has operated in the Edmonton newcomer community.  Aimed at preventing family violence, relationships are the centrepiece for the RIRI project.  The project was founded with the belief that if immigrants and refugees have

In its eighth year, the Police and Youth Engagement Program wrapped up another successful year in late-August.  Over the two-week program in August of 2022 six youth coordinators planned the program which was implemented with the help of six volunteers. They worked together to deliver a program by and for racialized youth to 48 participants. PYEP is a youth-led and community-driven summer program. It focuses on relationship building with cultural minority communities and Edmo