A local not-for-profit’s outreach efforts are now back up and fully operational after several of its vans were vandalized and left flat on the pavement in a northeast Calgary parking lot last weekend.
Alpha House Society says an unknown number of people slashed the tires on 13 of its leased and owned vehicles overnight Friday, forcing them to make temporary changes.
“For us to have to pull vans from other programs to compensate for the loss of vehicles in our outreach program, and we’ve managed for the last few days, but we’re really excited to have all of our operations back as normal with our vans back in operation,” Shaundra Bruvall, Alpha House Society’s director of communications, told Global News.
As of Tuesday, all vans were back on the streets of Calgary thanks to financial help from local community members who, according to Bruvall, saw their story aired by local media.
“We had a lot of generous support from community members who donated monetary funds.”
Bruvall says the organization received $5,000 which was spent to replace the tires on seven of its vans. The other six vans are now back on the road as well because of the generosity of Fountain Tire Shepard located in southeast Calgary.
“We were watching the news and we saw there was a little incident with Alpha House so we thought we should probably pitch in,” said Fountain Tire administration assistant Shelagh Edye.
Fountain Tire donated 24 tires as well as the installation cost, a total contribution of approximately $10,000.
Edye says the company is no stranger to helping local charities and not-for-profits in any way that it can. They often raise money by holding raffles for the Alberta Children’s Hospital, and was one of the sponsors of this year’s Cerebral Palsy Alberta’s Golf Without Limits tournament.
The company says it was worth every penny to get Alpha House’s outreach team back on to the streets of Calgary to help the city’s most vulnerable.
“Oh exactly, they can get out and do the good they’re out there for,” said Edye.
“It’s honestly incredible,” said Bruvall of the outpouring of community support. “I think it really speaks to the fact that Calgarians want to help. They see folks who are vulnerable and they want to be supportive and they don’t always know how.
“So when opportunities like this arise they step up.”
Alpha House Society runs a shelter and detox programs which helps up to 7,000 people each year get off the streets and into safe places.