About homelessness & poverty 

The YWCA of Calgary provides homeless women and their children with a place to stay when they’re in crisis or transition.

In 2009, the YWCA of Calgary had to turn away 778 women from its housing program due to a lack of funds. The RBC Keep a Roof Over Their Heads event is challenging people to raise $1,000 to sleep homeless for one night, on April 30, 2010 in the YWCA gymnasium.
Register and start fundraising today to represent one of the 778 women turned away in 2009.

The YWCA housing program is an 80-bed transitional home that offers safe, affordable and supportive housing to women and their children. We also offer on-site counselling, referrals and advocacy in an environment that promotes positive change.

In addition, we have six emergency bunk beds for single women, which accommodate the overflow from other shelters, including the YWCA Sheriff King Home. These beds are for single women only; the maximum stay is 14 days and they are provided at no cost to the guest occupant.

What is homelessness:

  • absence of a shelter or living in a location not suited for sleeping
  • not having a permanent place to stay
  • moving from one place to another with a lack of stability
  • being asked to leave somewhere, with nowhere else to go
  • can be viewed as “houselessness”
  • it is not belonging, physically, emotionally and socially

Why do people become homeless?

There are many reasons people become homeless...

  • job loss and high unemployment rates
  • lack of affordable housing
  • long wait lists for subsidized housing
  • family crisis or breakdown - divorce/separation, single parents attempting to meet needs of the family alone
  • family conflict and abuse - forced to escape an abusive or unsafe home environment

For more details please visit the YWCA of Calgary

Register today for the RBC Keep a Roof Over Their Heads fundraiser.