Albertans dig deep for Sign of Hope campaign

Sign of Hope monies fund a plethora of crucial, community health projects

Special to the WCR
Edmonton

Catholic Social Services' Sign of Hope campaign has exceeded its objective for the 24th consecutive year.

The 2007 Sign of Hope raised $2,324,000 for CSS, exceeding the campaign goal of $2.12 million by 10 per cent.

"Despite an extremely competitive charitable fundraising environment, once again the community came through for us," said Joan Carr, chairperson of the campaign.

"Edmontonians are remarkably generous and possess an exemplary social conscience and I thank them for their loyal support for the Sign of Hope and Catholic Social Services," she said.

Carr, also superintendent of Edmonton Catholic Schools, was particularly proud of the efforts of those in the school system.

Christopher Leung

Contributors through the schools gave $130,000, beating their target by 75 per cent. That includes the Kids Care Challenge, where students raised $63,150, more than doubling last year's results.

Christopher Leung, chief executive officer for CSS, said because of the success of the Sign of Hope money will be invested in the Rotary Centre for New Canadians.

The centre will address the housing and support services needed by refugees and immigrants with special needs.

The centre also offers services such as business mentorship, job training in the health care field, employment counselling, intercultural education, basic Canadian living skills training, services for immigrant children.

"Although there are many needs facing the community and the agency at this time, we are hoping to use the additional Sign of Hope monies to address the homeless issue, and to provide additional services to children and families in crisis," Leung said.

CSS runs more than 100 community-based programs, all of which receive some funding from the Sign of Hope.

But some programs, he said, rely heavily on the campaign for their funding.

They include:

• First Steps and Step by Step programs for mothers and children affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
• Kairos programs for people living with HIV/AIDS.
• Parent Teen Mediation services.
• Individual and family counselling.
• Elderly Adult Resource Service, including CSS' elder abuse response team.

More than 60,000 people of all faiths received services from CSS in 2007. Catholic Social Services is the largest agency of its kind in Canada, with more than 1,200 staff and 1,800 volunteers.

It offers services throughout central and northeast Alberta, with offices in Edmonton, Bonnyville, Lloydminster, Red Deer, Wainwright and Wetaskiwin. The agency was founded by the late Msgr. Bill Irwin in 1961.

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