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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 Sutherland, Program Officer for Mass Violence and Atrocities at the Stanley Centre for Peace and Security. “In this specific case, we understood that Casper has had increasing violence particularly among youth, including high suicide rates, and we recognized opportunity for Casper to come to Edmonton to see how REACH was created with a mandate from the city, how REACH works, what they do, and how it works with the government.” The way REACH works with multiple stakeholders, and the innovative approach that the City of Edmonton has taken to approaching violence reduction was a point of interest to the visitors, who wanted to hear about how the city developed the Blueprint for Violence Prevention, and what role the city plays to set the strategy for partners to collaborate.  During the visit, the delegation met with various partners around the city as well as municipal officials to share the experiences Edmonton has had in addressing the complex urban issues that are common to Casper, as a blue-collar prairie city with economic reliance on oil and gas. While Casper and Edmonton share a lot of similarities, Casper is much smaller with a total population of about 60,000.  “The basic idea is not reinventing the wheel,” says Jan Fox, Executive Director of REACH Edmonton. We were paired with them because we were seen as having similar challenges. Peace in Our Cities helps advance the agenda of reducing violence by amplifying best practices and facilitating these city exchanges.” One of the largest differences between Casper and Edmonton, aside from size, is the way that social services and safety initiatives are funded in the American context. This is why Leanne Loya, Program Director at Natrona County Health Collective (NCHT) joined the delegation.   “The NCHT is the largest private foundation in Wyoming and it serves Natrona county only, which includes the city of Casper,” says Loya. “We do grantmaking and community engagement within Natrona County. Our whole mission is to better the health and wellbeing of county residents.”  Through the foundation’s community engagement work, Loya often ends up partnering with various organizations in collaboration, similar to the way that REACH works. She sees value in the way REACH collaborates with community groups as well as various levels of government. “The collaboration between all of those entities really stands out to me and also how robust the evaluation process is,” says Loya. “The way REACH has people come in prior to launching to develop an evaluation process for that. That’s a piece that’s really missing;  I love that relationship between REACH and the city. There’s independence but collaboration and benefit for both sides.” “We have found there’s so much bureaucracy and red tape in government systems, if they want to launch something it could take years,” she says.  The partnership with Peace in Our Cities has given REACH the opportunity to share its learnings with organizations around the world who are working collaboratively in the community, and also to bring best (and next) practices back to Edmonton.  “Peace in Our Cities showcases us regularly across the world, allowing us to share what we’ve learned about the essential value of locally-based collaboration,” says Fox. As cities around the world work to build safer communities, relationships and connections that share innovative ideas and approaches are invaluable. “It’s the municipalities that have responsibility for safety,” says Sutherland. “They may not have all the power but they have the motive. Everybody wants to live in a safe city.”

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 this allow us to have that conversation. What gives us hope is there are people working on this: sharing knowledge and information and working together.” Resource Connect  is a bi-annual event that brings together a community of over 70 agencies and service providers from across Edmonton. Resource Connect: Taking Action Against Human Trafficking was organized to bring the group together for a smaller, more focused event before the next large resource fair in 2026. This event was co-hosted by REACH and CEASE to continue to build on the momentum and relationships resulting from the larger event, which is held every other year. “The people in this room are taking action every day to  fight human trafficking in our community,” said MLA Brandon Lunty. “We want to work as a partner to end human trafficking for good.” The event’s main focus was a resource fair that not only connected people serving victims and survivors to supports and services, but brought together a wide variety of stakeholders working on this problem who might not normally meet each other. One of the keynote speakers at the event, Andrea Heinz is an author, survivor and peer-reviewed scholar who presented her academic work on when to offer exit support to people in the commercial sex industry. “I am so encouraged to be here today and see so many people who are doing such important work,” said Heinz. “It’s very rare that we connect because we are all so busy, trying to fight the good fight. So when we can come together and have an event like this that REACH and CEASE have put together, it is just so valuable for us to connect and hear what other people are doing.”    The value of the event as a space to connect and widen professional networks was apparent to Heinz and many other attendees. “Face-to-face interaction is really unparalleled. It’s one thing to know who people are but it’s another to get to really connect,” said Heinz. “Resource Connect is just such a beautiful name because it really embodies the spirit of us coming together collectively as a team. I really feel like my own personal network is expanding, and some of the resources here I didn’t even know existed and I’ve been doing this work for 13 years. When we come together we do better.” The event closed out with keynote speaker Angela Morris sharing her expertise and highlighting the essential nature of survivor-led approaches.  “Survivors create the room. Everything that’s being done is based on our trauma, what we’ve been through. So, it’s definitely important that things are survivor-led and and survivor-focused,” said Morris. “It’s a must that leaders take the time to educate themselves, and sit with us and hear us. Because that’s where the healing starts - that's where the true impact comes from. It starts with us. We are not just a checkbox but experts, and we are worth investing in.”

An Edmonton-wide collaborative circle of community partners is working to boost resiliency among vulnerable children and youth through quality, accessible programming during the critical hours that children are out of school.  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. The OST has evolved and expanded its focus to include out of school time programs and supports for immigrant and refugee children and youth as well as all children and youth experiencing social vulnerability. One way that the Collaborative supports community groups is through the 14th annual OST Conference , which was held on June 26 this year.  “It’s a collection of learnings and teachings that we have brought together here that we hope will help support folks who are delivering programming to vulnerable children and youth,” says Sofia Alani, Program Manager for OST Collaborative. “It’s a one-day opportunity to gain skills, gain knowledge, and hopefully take that back to their programs for the summer and have a really incredible, successful summer program.” While many community groups run programs during the summer, OST partners are serving vulnerable Edmonton children and youth all year round.  “I think what’s so important about OST is that it’s addressing that critical time after kids are out of school, whether summer or during the school year when their parents are at work or looking for employment. Our community partners are providing a positive and safe environment for these kids to connect with peers, positive role models, and academic support,” says Brandy Basisty, Project Coordinator for OST Collaborative. The academic support can be especially valuable to newcomer kids that have had gaps in schooling, or are unfamiliar with expectations in a Canadian classroom.  “A lot of our partners serve newcomer families,” says Basisty. “Because of funding cuts that came this year, many of these organizations have had drastic cuts to their staffing and it hasn’t stemmed the number of referrals they’re getting. They get all kinds of referrals from schools–even ones that they cannot claim under federal funding.” “We support our partners with capacity-building, such as service coordination, resource provision and navigation. For example, we provide free or very low cost training for staff,” says Brandy. “We’re able to be very intentional about how we support the groups, and it's based on the feedback they’re giving us.” Sometimes even small supports can make a big difference, because the close relationships mean OST is able to target specific gaps that systems can miss or are unable to address on an individual agency level. For example, providing resource support to cover food and transportation costs. “Food, transportation, insurance– those kinds of things can be really tricky to get help with. A lot of funding streams won’t let them expense those things,” explains Basisty.  For example, OST Collaborative’s targeted support of summer program microgrants for its members. These grants are funded by the City of Edmonton and Butler Family Foundation, in partnership with United Way Alberta Capital Region. REACH OST is the steward, coordinating distribution, reporting and budget coaching to grant applicants–helping to increase capacities in those areas.  For more information about the OST Collaborative, click here .

In its first year of operation, a new integrated services hub for Edmonton youth is creating spaces for young people to access services, peer-support, and a community that knows they have something to contribute.   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.   Kickstand Edmonton offers mental health support, substance use support, peer support, groups and workshops, family and caregiver support and Indigenous services.   What this looks like in action is a space designed by youth, for youth, that provides access to medical care, mental health care, and a growing community all in one place.  Integrated Youth Services  is a model that is being implemented in every province and territory, as well as all over the world.   “By the end of April 2026, we’ll have 11 physical locations in Alberta as well as ongoing expansion of the virtual clinic called Kickstand Connect,” says Katherine Hay, Executive Director of Kickstand Alberta.   Each community location brings together partners from the community to offer services to youth collaboratively in one place, with one local organization acting as the lead. In Edmonton, Kickstand is led by the YMCA of Northern Alberta, who were selected by the community partners during the consultation process   Edmonton’s Kickstand location is not just youth centred but youth designed – from the lighting and colour scheme, to the inclusion of braille on signage, the youth advisory council had a hand in guiding the creation of a welcoming, comforting space that youth meets their needs.   “If it’s not youth-centred the services are not consistent, they're not navigating the barriers, making it a safe space, if it’s not safe why would you go there? The core team, they’ve been very supportive and aware of the barriers and wanting to work towards something better,” says Christine Wincentaylo, a 23-year-old member of the local Youth Advisory Council.  “Kickstand’s team has been willing to listen, make the changes, and listen without speaking on our behalf. A lot of services are not doing that it shows in how the services are run, and whether youth are using them. If youth aren’t showing up, it speaks for itself.” The site’s busiest stream is the mental health stream, with an average of 90 appointments a month. Youth coming through the space have totaled around 360 unique individuals and 1300 visits since the Centre opened at the end of January 2025, but numbers continue to rise as word-of-mouth knowledge about the centre spreads.   Making the space inviting to youth and welcoming for all goes far beyond soft lighting and comfortable chairs. There are semi-private cubbies for youth to charge their phones, a communal area with easily moved furniture centred around a television with multiple video game platforms. There is a room for spiritual practice for all faiths, with smudging materials, prayer mats and a Qiblah, which is an indicator of the direction to which muslims pray, as well as Bibles, Qurans and even tarot cards. This room, named Wolf Den in ceremony by Elder Rose from Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, ensures that youth have a space to connect to their own spiritual practice to support their ongoing health.   “You don’t have to have a reason to come in, you can just be in the space,” says Aaron Teel, Operations Manager for Edmonton Kickstand. “That’s completely acceptable, they can access services in their own way. It’s not a top-down process,  we’re walking alongside them.”   To this end, the centre aligns its hours to the times that make sense for the youth, rather than 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The presence of multiple streams of care in one place takes the onus off the youth to tell their stories over and over again and navigate between different professionals who aren’t in contact with each other.   With seven sound-proofed talking rooms, and two clinical exam rooms, professionals who work with youth are able to provide their services in a centralized and private environment.   “We had one youth tell us they were so grateful to have these talking rooms because previously they had to meet with their social worker at a Tim Horton’s to receive private test results,” says Aaron. “Now with these private spaces they have that dignity while receiving care.”   In addition to accessing services, youth at Kickstand are creating their own community, taking ownership of the space, and taking responsibility for creating the community that they know they need. From building their own food library to address food insecurity, to giving presentations about how to pass the Alberta written driver’s test, youth are using the space to identify gaps and lean on each other to fill them.   “They’re so committed and passionate about it being easier for other people,” says Katherine. “They all have experience with things being difficult.”   In building the space as a hub for community and wellness, youth have a space to feel like they belong, and a place to go when feeling isolated or alone. In a recent example of this, youth took an afternoon to watch a movie in the large multi-purpose room in the back on a hot summer day.   “We had snacks and like 40 kids back there, and the counsellors were saying ‘hey there’s no line up for drop-in sessions right now if anyone needs one’,” says Aaron. “But of course they didn’t need one in that moment. Their needs were being met.” For more information about Kickstand Edmonto n, visit https://mykickstand.ca/ . The Edmonton centre is located in West Edmonton Mall at Entrance 23, on level 2, next to The Brick.

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 and youth from partner agencies gathered in both classrooms and the ring for a four-day training course in providing this programming, in order to bring the initiative to Edmonton, with the Winchester Amateur Boxing Club generously offering its space at a discount.   “Empire Fighting Chance came about because I was a coach and running the Empire Boxing gym in Bristol, England,” says Martin Bisp, co-founder and CEO of the program. “It was a Friday evening, and I saw two young people that I vaguely knew dealing drugs in the local park. My co-founder, Jamie, and I went over and said look, this has to stop. We can’t have this anymore. We had a long conversation about how nobody cared about them and there was nothing to do, we were like ‘we care.’ So we dragged them back to the gym, did a pad session. They came back on Monday with two friends,  Tuesday with two more, and within six weeks we had 50 young people coming five days a week.”  “That went on for about six months and then we started working with schools,” says Bisp. The program grew to include advocating for youth within the school system, and connecting them to the supports they need in the environment of the boxing gym.   Over time, the program evolved to have a core curriculum called Box Champions, designed by sports psychologist Sam Kotadia.  “The whole program is not a psychological ‘fix-it’ program. It’s not about coming here to feel better, it’s about knowing that however you’re feeling is absolutely fine. And when we feel comfortable with the uncomfortable, then we actually are able to go out into the world and do more,” says Kotadia.  This really resonates with the youth in the program, who have often been moved around from various schools, psychologists, therapists or justice programs aiming to address their issues.  “This allows community workers to share important knowledge in psychology, but in a non-clinical setting, so it really lands those points home,” says Kotadia. “So rather than feeling like we’re imposing ourselves on young people, we’re allowing them to find space, find stability, where they are.” The program has seen such success in Bristol, that other cities in England wanted to offer it as well, which led to the creation of the training program that was recently hosted here in Edmonton.  “We really want to share this program with as many organizations as possible,” says Kotadia. “But we don’t want to disrupt their amazing work, we want to add to what they’re already doing.” In 2022, Martin Bisp met REACH Executive Director Jan Fox at the Peace in Our Cities conference in Colombia, and immediately started brainstorming about how the two organizations could work together.  Thanks to a local private donation of $200,000, REACH was able to bring Empire Fighting Chance staff to Edmonton to train local partners interested in collaborating to offer this programming here.  “As an agency, we have multiple programs for youth, with a focus on youth with high barriers and gang connections, so we’re trying to find pathways out of that lifestyle,”  says Kaela Hendra, Director with Encompass Community Safety Agency . “With this program, we see an opportunity to build relationships with youth that are hard to build relationships with. This is an in to get them on site, working with our staff, building that relationship and being able to have those conversations that are really difficult without focusing on the barriers that the youth are facing. It’s positive.” By giving the youth a physical activity to focus on, Hendra says it’s easier to get them engaged in building healthy lifestyles.  “They’re doing things that they want to do, while dealing with what’s going on with them. It’s this soft way of helping them. Ensuring that the folks around them are creating a community of support,” she says. “Our hopes are to see this program just kind of skyrocket. We know that through exercise and fitness, it’s another way for them to build a healthy life. So if we can get as many kids as possible involved in this,  the opportunities are endless.”  _____ Partners currently working with REACH Edmonton to bring this project to local youth include the Africa Centre, Empire Fighting Chance UK, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters (BGCBigs), Bravé MMA and Fitness, the City of Edmonton, Encompass, Native Counselling Services of Alberta, the YMCA, YOUCAN Youth Services, and the YWCA.

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 safer place for everyone.  “Community safety requires grassroots engagement,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, who was a city councillor during the task force’s work, and later served as the first Council representative on REACH’s Board. “I learned so much from being a part of those initial conversations where REACH began. My understanding of the community was broadened.”  “Safety is not just enforcement, but addressing root causes,” said Sohi. “Without that, we’ll never be able to build the communities we want to see. That’s what it takes to build a safer community for all of us.” Addressing root causes has been the focus of REACH’s work for 15 years, working with partners across the city, the province and the country in bringing diverse stakeholders together to tackle complex problems in practical ways.  Over the years, collaboration has been the bread and butter of the work of REACH. From bringing together youth agencies to provide wraparound services to at-risk youth through WrapED, to collaborating with police, social agencies and emergency responders on the 24/7 Crisis Diversion program, the work of REACH is always the work of partnerships. “We do things differently,” says Jan Fox, current Executive Director of REACH. “This means honouring the strengths of each partner, and recognizing we can work towards common goals to improve well-being” The 15th anniversary event was a chance to bring together people who were foundational to the founding of REACH, with present partners and leaders to recognize how far the organization has come and the valuable work that continues to be done.  “Fifteen years of REACH Edmonton is truly a major milestone worth celebrating,” said Kate Gunn, who served as REACH’s first Executive Director in 2010. “From the initial visionary role of Lindsay Kelly and Fred Rayner during the task force, to the dynamic and driven leadership of Jan Fox, the success of REACH has been its reach. Its reach out to engage Edmontonians in building connections that underpin a safe community. Its reach for new approaches to the complex challenges of addressing the root causes of crime and preventing them. So let's take a moment to celebrate with pride this made-in-Edmonton creation and a unique Canadian organization forging new paths forward in community safety.” While the collaborative way REACH works was cutting edge in 2010, it’s becoming more and more the norm as communities across the country and around the world face increasingly complex challenges that can only be effectively addressed by working together.  “I think we can say that in the last 15 years, we’ve become mainstream,” says Jan Fox. “People have come to see us as really significantly adding value to the community.”  The added benefit of dedication to collaboration is that over time, this way of doing things becomes contagious. Each partnership is an educational experience that results in better knowledge of how to collaborate effectively, which leads to all participants taking that knowledge back into their work at their own organizations.  This has had effects across Edmonton and Canada, and around the world. Through the Peace in Our Cities Network, REACH has started making global connections with organizations that are working to find creative ways to build safer communities. As a result of these relationships, REACH is now assisting a group from the city of Bristol in the UK, led by Martin Bisp, in creating an entity similar to REACH, to help create a culture of collaboration there.  “We’re proud to be a partner with REACH, they’re often held up across the world as one of the best violence prevention offices,” says Bisp. “For us, it’s made a massive difference to what we’re trying to do here.” To watch a video commemorating REACH’s 15-year journey, click here .

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 that right now.”.  Previously there were a lot of questions from people wanting to know how they can support their queer family members, but it has transitioned to being a hub for information and services in the community rather than a sole provider. “You can still send those inquiries to us, but people can come to us and we'll tell them where they can find what they need in the community.  “Maintaining the physical space that we have as a place where people can come, be safe and express queer joy,” says Kowalchuk.  Community members can come into the space during drop in hours or attend community programming.  “Sometimes a drop in day will be a bunch of people who decided to do a drum circle, other days it’s a community support circle,” says Kowalchuk. “ We’re starting to move away from structured programming.”  The centre’s facility features a community kitchen that sometimes hosts meals, a community closet, single session counselling and a queer library to name just a few.  The organization has operated under a variety of different names since 1971, rebranding as The Pride Centre in 2004.   “The Pride Centre has been around for a long time, but about 2 years ago we started to see a lot of newcomers,” she says. “Additionally, two years ago, we had this giant onslaught of people and a huge climb in demand because of political issues here.”  While newcomers were one factor, there are multiple streams to the additional demands for community support.  “The pandemic definitely changed a lot of stuff. Folks had time to sit with themselves, and think maybe I’m neurodivergent or gender diverse, and there’s a lot of crossover between those two,” says Kowalchuk. “Many people developed an Increased awareness of things. We’re still seeing a big spike from that still. Also, a lot of the legislation that has come out has had impacts - people who didn’t know we existed are reaching out to help.”  In addition to all these factors, Edmonton’s swiftly growing population continues to affect community groups across the city.  “What do we do with very little resources, which is why we’re transitioning toward connecting people to the community rather than trying to provide services to this enormous group of people.  At the end of the day, Kowalchuk says the Pride Centre’s goal is to create a space where everyone feels safe, and support the spread of safe and inclusive spaces throughout the community as well.  “Safe spaces are important and it’s not available for everybody yet,” she says. “I would love to work myself out of a job. Until that’s possible things like this need to be here.”  For more information about the work of the Pride Centre, and to find out how to celebrate Pride Month in June, click here .

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, founder of The Hive Urban Community Agriculture.   The Hive hosts workshops and courses aimed at improving the community’s relationship with the environment, from urban beekeeping to food systems.   “The idea, in its grandest form, would be to partner with a large office building tenant, like a bank, and work with them to grow food indoors in these kinds of public spaces,” says Amelia. “It’s a great way to beautify community spaces while also providing affordable, locally-sourced food to our neighbours.”   While larger partnerships are still being sought out, budding partnerships with spaces that involve children have created excitement among all involved, says Nathanael Traversie, Project Director at The Hive.   “They wanted to work with us and have a garden for educational purposes, and the food that is grown in that garden is then used in the kitchen,” he says. “This is education through practice, not just theory. They’re watching seeds grow, then they put that food in the kitchen so they can eat it right away.”   The Hive also partnered in creating an indoor garden box with Crystal Kids Youth Centre, with the enthusiastic help of the kids.   The aim of the Neighbourhoods initiative supporting this project was to create an integrated way to beautify the areas of Alberta Avenue, by creating welcoming spaces and building community, while connecting with vulnerable residents on the issue of food security.   “This introduces a holistic activity designed to encourage community collaboration,” says Maricruz Barba, Manager of the Neighbourhood Organizing Initiative at REACH. “The goal is to support this pilot project in engaging neighbourhood residents, particularly those facing social vulnerabilities, in building a stronger community. This vision extends to encouraging businesses, residents, and other groups to build on these activities. This project also aims to share the produce with the community, involving more residents and strengthening the relationships being fostered in the Alberta Avenue area.”   “Our role in this project is being the glue that brings it all together. People want to grow things indoors, but maybe you don’t know what to do, you don’t have room, or you need volunteers,” says Amelia. “We’re looking for more partners to grow this activity as a way to create beautiful spaces and build relationships in the neighbourhood, while putting food on local tables.”   The Hive is actively looking for businesses and community groups to partner with on this initiative. To reach out to them for more information, please email [email protected]  or visit   www.thehiveuca.ca .

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 perspectives, experiences and skills that enhance the organization’s ability to support hands-on work in the community.  Joseph Rubay is just one example of the impact that volunteers have on REACH and the community.  “I was inspired to volunteer with REACH because I saw an opportunity to directly impact the lives of the less fortunate and unhoused members of the community,” says Joseph, who was instrumental in the formation of an ongoing effort to provide meals to Edmonton’s unhoused community members. “The chance to arrange events, collect donations, prepare food and provide support filled me with joy and a sense of purpose.” In addition to helping feed community members in need, Joseph says he gained from the experience of volunteering as well.  “Volunteering with REACH has enriched both my personal and professional life in numerous ways. On a personal level, it has given me a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose, knowing that I’m making a tangible difference in the lives of others,” he said. “Professionally, it has allowed me to develop valuable skills in event planning, fundraising, community outreach and mentorship while increasing my confidence.” Joseph hopes that others will consider volunteering in the community as well, not just for their own benefit, but to help create the kind of neighbourhoods we want to live in.  “Volunteering is crucial, especially with organizations like REACH because it allows individuals to directly impact the lives of those in need within their community,” he says. “By volunteering our time, skills  and resources we can create a supportive environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.” Since 2011, REACH volunteers have served as ambassadors, fostering positive relationships and trust within the community. Through their interactions in various neighbourhoods, volunteers facilitate dialogue and strengthen connections between different stakeholders. REACH volunteers contribute valuable time, energy and experience to our programs and initiatives, complementing and supplementing the efforts of paid staff, enabling REACH Outreach to have a greater impact.

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 our communities about reconciliation and a little bit of resentment. For example: land acknowledgements, what do they do? You acknowledge this is our land but then nothing changes.    Whoever is doing the land acknowledgement needs to do their own learning about the history of this land and write the acknowledgement themselves. Whatever you do, don’t create a standard land acknowledgement that everyone at the organization uses every time. Be authentic, invest in researching who the people of this land are.   How are you affecting cultural accessibility? There’s a fine line between allyship and co-opting our culture.  There’s an intention with a lot of individuals and groups that really want to understand, be good allies.  But there’s a line, that line looks like this: in the rush to be good allies our elders are being asked to do a lot of work in the non-Indigenous community. This is good, there should be education that can be provided to settlers. However, I’m hard pressed to find any Indigenous organization that isn’t struggling to bring in cultural people because of the demand on our elders' time from settlers who have more financial resources than indigenous organizations.    Are those same opportunities being offered to Indigenous people? We’re in the process of change, and we still have many people who are disenfranchised culturally, especially in urban areas. So our elders are trying to provide those teachings and the people they serve are struggling because our elders need to take care of themselves financially as well. So our elders will provide teachings and ceremonies to non-Indigenous groups.   If your organization is creating cultural opportunities for staff, ask yourself how you can extend those opportunities to Indigenous people in the community as well.  Are you inviting our people from outside your organization, from the community, to attend? How are you ensuring indigenous people who maybe have never been given that opportunity have the same access that you have?   In your eagerness to understand, are you actually taking away from the opportunity for healing of that intergenerational trauma?   Are you trying to control the culture? If a non-Indigenous organization  decides they’re going to provide services to Indigenous people that are culturally based, who is managing that? We can have programs, ceremonies, but if that is being controlled by a non-Indigenous person or organization there’s a risk of bastardizing our culture.    For example: there was a national organization that felt that they were in the best position to manage Indigenous cultural programs, so they hired elders, and the elders brought ceremonies and teachings. Over time, the organization began to impact cultural practices. There was a tight budget, so that feast that follows a ceremony, they wouldn’t pay for that anymore. They didn’t understand why we have a feast attached to the ceremony and the fundamental importance of that. Did you ask the elder what they think about that? There are reasons why things are done the way they are done. That feast was a pivotal part of the ceremony.   If you are offering cultural programming, do you know how to determine who is a cultural elder and who is not? Do you know what to look for, what to ask and how to verify a person’s standing as an elder in the community? Does that individual carry teachings from the traditional area you are looking to have that elder work in?   For our people, if they start following someone who wasn't verified correctly and then realize they don’t actually have the knowledge, when that moment comes it causes a lot of harm and often our people will fall off the cultural healing track because of it. From our perspective, on a spiritual level, there’s tremendous harm that’s caused when people aren’t authentic.   Are you helping build capacity?   We have very limited capacity at our organizations. NCSA is one of only two provincial Indigenous organizations in Alberta and we’re the biggest. We’ve been around for 53 years but we still have capacity struggles.    For example, most indigenous organizations do not have a grant writer and do not have a fund development program. Why? Often, funding will go from being given to Indigenous organizations to work with Indigenous people in our way, to a non-Indigenous organization working with Indigenous people in their way, because we don’t have capacity. Intentional or not, this furthers the colonial aim of assimilation. If Indigenous organizations don’t have the capacity, we need to ask how we can give them that capacity instead of moving those contracts to settler organizations.   If you are an ally as an organization, what are you doing to grow our capacity? Being a true ally could look like saying to funders, listen, we know that capacity doesn’t exist in Indigenous communities. Rather than deliver this service ourselves, we’re going to partner with an Indigenous organization and help them grow their capacity because they're the experts in working with their own people.  Are you offering equal economic opportunities to Indigenous contractors?  When it comes to business in the community, Indigenous businesses are often overlooked or discriminated against.    Are you giving access to the same opportunities to Indigenous contractors as you are to settler businesses? And I’ll give kudos to the City of Edmonton, because they’re moving on this. Our businesses don’t have the same access to contracts. Too often, they only get opportunities when it’s specifically earmarked for the Indigenous community. Often on day-to-day transactions, Indigenous people are consistently excluded.   Are you being inclusive or exclusive?    Many settler organizations want to get work and do their part, but may not know where to start. In their rush to take action, they may sometimes be doing more harm than good.    I don’t think people think ‘how can we exclude Indigenous people?’ But by not including indigenous people in the development of processes and policies you might be doing that anyways.   In any settler organization, there are many perspective differences in worldview that are often invisible to the organization. This is why it is essential to consider worldview, and have an honest conversation with Indigenous communities before taking actions to address reconciliation in policies, practices or programs.   Ask yourself these questions. Good intentions can often cause harm. Let’s think about this.

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-Violence Reduction, was held in Medellin and Palmira, Colombia in June.  “Edmonton is a signatory on the Peace in Our Cities agreement, and in order to do that you need to have a civil society partner, and that is REACH,” says Fox.  Mayor Sohi supports REACH’s work with the network, knowing that collaboration leads to novel new approaches to solving problems. “Edmonton has always been a city that strives to be innovative,” says Sohi. “We know that working together with partners around the world will result in new ways of addressing community safety here at home. This is why we’ve decided to be leaders in Canada by partnering with Peace In Our Cities .” Peace in Our Cities (PiOC)  is a diverse network of cities and organizations around the world driven by its members’ need to address the most severe forms of violence. PiOC believes cities that are safe, just, and peaceful for all are possible with sustained commitment. PiOC invited Fox to attend and covered expenses for the trip.  “We went to Colombia because they were able to significantly reduce violence because of their work in addressing gang violence,” says Fox.  The gathering included municipalities and civil agencies from all over the world, with REACH the only representative from Canada. “Every morning we were sitting at a university campus and groups would be sharing their best practices. In the afternoon they would take us to witness some of the things they had done,” she says.  In Medellin, the city was made safer by addressing the poverty that often pushes people into lives of violent crime for survival. The city faces dramatic geographic challenges, as mountainous regions separate the poorer parts of the city from the economic hub where employment is available. By creating an efficient metro system, which includes a gondola service  across impassable areas, and transfer tickets that grant access to e-bikes, the city made it easier for people living in poorer neighbourhoods to access employment. This investment was a major factor in Medellin moving from being known as one of the most dangerous cities in the world in the 1990s, to being named the  world’s most innovative city  in 2013. Another group in Medellin shared their work reducing gang violence in the city by empowering local youth.  From programs like Empire Fighting Chance , which offers non-contact boxing for at-risk youth, to the process of teaching gang-involved youth to be Violence Interrupters, the city has seen success from investing in their youth.  “Oftentimes people on the wrong side of the law have incredible leadership skills,” says Fox. “They identify these strong youth gang leaders and teach them non-violent conflict resolution skills.” This process, over time, spreads out conflict resolution skills into the wider community, law-abiding or otherwise. These projects could possibly have contributed to the city’s recent entry into disarmament talks with gang leaders. Back in Edmonton, Fox is enthusiastic about the collaborative potential of having networks with organizations working for safer cities around the world.  “Edmonton is a global city. There are people here from all over the world,” she says. “We need to learn from each other. For example, we have kids who have come from war torn countries, kids that have come to live in Canada and often we’re trying to meet their needs by imposing western solutions.  In connecting with a not-for-profit in Nigeria, the experiences and needs of African youth were provided greater context. “That really struck me,” said Fox. “What are their issues and challenges? Because they bring those with them to Canada. And they’re still able to stay connected to friends back home because of the internet, so it’s incumbent upon us to learn how to work with them in the global perspective of their life experiences.” Moving forward, Fox is hopeful that as cities around the world share what they’ve learned, innovative approaches can spread.  “It’s important for us to look at what’s possible,” she says. “The violence interrupters idea in particular, we have the right agencies that could do it in Edmonton, they just need support.”

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 . This office will work to improve supports for victims and survivors, as well as invest in prevention. The funding will support the office over two years.  Following the Alberta government’s nine-point Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking , the Alberta Human Trafficking Task Force submitted its final report  in August, 2021.The primary recommendation of the task force was the creation of this office, which will facilitate the implementation of the remaining recommendations. Award-winning country singer Paul Brandt spearheaded much of this work as founder and president of #NotInMyCity  and chaired the task force.  “This milestone wouldn’t be possible without the countless organizations and individuals who shared their experiences and expertise in our journey with Alberta’s Human Trafficking Task Force ,” says Brandt. “Combating human trafficking requires collective action, and we applaud the province for taking a collaborative approach with the community.” For more than a decade, REACH has worked as a backbone organization, supporting the work of partners on the ground, which enables them to focus on the issues at hand. REACH’s strength is engaging and convening diverse community partners to inform, pilot and accelerate solutions for complex challenges.  “Human trafficking is a complex problem that requires a collective approach to tackle, with multiple partners working in unison and leveraging our collective strengths and expertise,” says Jan Fox, Executive Director of REACH Edmonton, who was also a member of the task force.  “REACH is looking forward to helping build up and operate the new office to help make Alberta a safer place for everyone.” Partnerships in the community are key to ensuring the office is able to engage the vulnerable communities that are most affected by this issue. Statistics show that Indigenous women and girls are at significantly higher risk of being trafficked than other groups. This makes partnership with Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA)  essential, as it has a strong history of tackling complex issues while empowering Indigenous people.  This further supports the office’s commitment to empowering survivors  and ensuring their voices are central to everything the office does.  “We are advocating for Indigenous people in Alberta and committed to educating others on the important issues of exploitation and human trafficking,” says Marlene Orr, CEO of NCSA. “Understanding the Indigenous worldview and the resilience of Indigenous individuals, families and communities is a gift of learning. We are here to help, and hear, the people.” With community partners selected, work is underway to set up, organize and staff the office in the coming months.