A few weeks ago Jenn and Adam Douglas decided to host a dinner party. Their dinner party had a unique goal of engaging discussion on philanthropy, homelessness, and mental health, while also enjoying a group of friends, and a great meal!
“We’ve been very fortunate in our brief time in Calgary to have made such a large and diverse group of friends, and you all have been a huge part of making our new city feel like a home already. Jenn and I want to take this opportunity to invite you to our home for a family style meal, which we will hopefully turn into a good old-fashioned house party as the night develops. We’d also like to share with you our passion for an issue that’s very close to our hearts, mental health and homelessness. To support this, we’ll have some details from the Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) on the situation of homelessness in Calgary, and how individuals like ourselves can help. We will be accepting donations to CHF as part of this evening, however it’s absolutely not necessary to make a donation to attend”
Adam Douglas works for FLUOR Canada Ltd. and has a special interest in homelessness. He sits on CHF’s Community Engagement and Fundraising Committee, and luckily for CHF he is a community leader and advocate eager to spread knowledge and information about homelessness to his inner circle. He shed some light on how the event went:
The evening was a huge success with $1640 raised for CHF, and a group of friends left full and happy knowing their evening was a special night that accomplished something really amazing. Actions such as the Douglas’ have a trickle-down effect of greatness: The Douglas’ and their guests left the evening knowing they had accomplished something amazing; CHF benefitted from the money they raised; CHF is able to work more liberally thus allowing them to do more for the homeless-serving system of care; the information that has been spread about homelessness has broken some stigma with guests around people experiencing homelessness; the list really goes on and on.
Throwing a dinner party is a fun and unique way to give back to our community. If you are interested in throwing a dinner party we encourage you to partner with CHF just like the Douglas’ did. CHF will provide you with the tools to make your evening both educational and fun. Ending homelessness is a community effort, and education and awareness is the first step. Gather friends, share a meal, and make a difference in your community today!
