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50 Stories Part 21: Saving a life – Judy’s story
June 3, 2020Client confidentiality has always been foundational to Distress Centre’s work. Occasionally caller...
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4 ways to be a better ally
June 1, 2020All over the world, people are coming together in support of the black community and in protest of o...
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May 27 Update: Distress Centre’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Our office remains closed but all of our services are open and available by phone or online, includi...
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50 Stories Part 20: You Just Felt Honoured – Counselling in the ’90s
May 26, 2020Counselling and public education continued to be a significant part of the Distress Centre/Drug Cent...
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50 Stories Part 19: Know When to Fold ‘Em – The Gambling Line
May 19, 2020In January of 1994, AADAC added a province-wide Gambling Line to their services. The government had ...
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Donor Spotlight: Simryn and Praveen Thind
May 14, 2020Guest Post: Simryn Thind Mental health is often a topic that is neglected or not prioritized, when i...
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2019 Report to the Community
May 13, 2020Every second counts when you’re in crisis. That’s why we’re always here to listen....
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50 Stories Part 18: High Hopes – The Youth Drug Line
May 12, 2020With its roots as a Drug Information Centre, Distress Centre has always had addiction support as a m...
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Distress Centre Calgary sees spike in crisis contacts due to COVID-19
May 6, 2020CALGARY – Distress Centre Calgary is reporting a rising number of crisis contacts related to...
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50 Stories Part 17: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary
May 5, 2020Happy Anniversary! Twenty years after its beginnings as the Drug Information Centre, Calgary Mayor A...
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Q1 Update from our Executive Director, Jerilyn Dressler
May 4, 2020See this update as a video! This is not the quarterly update I planned on writing. When I thought of...
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How does Distress Centre manage a fully remote contact centre?
April 30, 2020Image: Dakota Douglas, Crisis Team Lead, working remotely from home. As the severity of the COVID-19...
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50 Stories Part 16: More Than a Warm Heart: Counselling in the 80s
April 28, 2020Counselling continued to be a key aspect of the Distress Centre/Drug Centre services. At the 10th an...
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April 24 Update: Distress Centre’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
April 24, 2020Our office remains closed but all of our services are still available by phone or online, including ...
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50 Stories Part Story 15: Taking care of business
April 21, 2020Image: Volunteer in a 1982 newspaper. During the 80s, The Board of Directors was able to move slowly...
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April 17 Update: Distress Centre’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
April 17, 2020On March 17th, for the safety of our staff and volunteers, we closed our office. Within a week, we ...
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Distress Centre turns 50 TODAY!
Happy birthday Distress Centre! We first opened our doors 50 years ago on April 14th, 1970. We’ve ...
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50 Stories Part 14: Lending an Ear in the 80s
April 7, 2020Image: This image of volunteers appeared in our 20 year anniversary publication in 1990. At the 1980...
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Distress Centre is here for Calgarians during the COVID-19 pandemic
Distress Centre Calgary has provided 24 hour crisis support to our community for 50 years. We have...
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50 Stories Part 13: Bye bye Old Y
March 31, 2020Image: Appeared in our 20 year anniversary publication in 1990. By 1980, the first location of the D...
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50 Stories Part 12: Just Between Teens
March 24, 2020In the early 70’s, most Drug Information Centre callers were adolescent. By the early 80’...
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March 19 Update: Distress Centre’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
March 19, 2020Distress Centre closed our doors on March 17th, but we continue to provide 24 hour phone and email c...
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50 Stories Part 11: A time to grow, Distress Centre in the 80s
March 17, 20201980 marked the 10th anniversary of the Distress Centre/Drug Centre. At the Annual General Meeting...
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UPDATE: Distress Centre’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
March 16, 2020CALGARY, Alta, March 16, 2020 – At Distress Centre Calgary, we’re closely monitoring the COVID-1...
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Distress Centre Calgary’s response to COVID-19
March 13, 2020At Distress Centre Calgary, we’re closely monitoring the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) situation. T...
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50 Stories Part 10: A force of nature – Jeanette McEachern’s time as Executive Director
March 10, 2020In 1979, Board Chair Hilde Houlding proclaimed the departure of Dr. Stew Clark as Executive Direct...
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50 Stories Part 9: Money, money, money
March 3, 2020Throughout the 70s, funding was an ongoing challenge. Ken Low noted that generally: “Funding is a ...
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50 Stories Part 8: Day and Night, They Were the Ones
February 25, 2020From the first days of the Drug Information Centre, volunteers have been key to its success. Since m...
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Donate through Birdies for Kids and have your donation matched up to 50%!
February 20, 2020We are excited to announce that we have been selected to be a part of Shaw Birdies for Kids presente...
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50 Stories Part 7: Moving towards the 80s
February 18, 2020Image: A contact card from 1979. Some information removed to protect confidentiality. Compared to th...
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50 Stories Part 6: Venturing out
February 11, 2020In the early 1970s, outreach to clients, to the local community and to other professionals formed si...
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50 Stories Part 5: From drugs to distress
February 4, 2020At the end of 1971, the Drug Information Centre (DIC) continued at its original location, operating ...
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Self-care tips from crisis line volunteers
January 28, 2020Self-care is any activity that we intentionally do in order to take care of our physical, mental and...
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50 Stories Part 4: Rocky Mountain High(lights)
January 28, 2020While smoking dope and ‘finding themselves,’ Canadian youth were crossing the country in large n...
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50 Stories Part 3: Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll
January 21, 2020Although it was the general concern for youth encountering the drug culture that prompted the origin...
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50 Stories Part 2: In the beginning… there were drugs
January 14, 2020Pictured: The Drug Information Centre logo. Distress Centre got its start in 1970 as the Drug Inform...
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Distress Centre is moving!
January 13, 2020We are moving! As of February 1st, our new address will be: Suite 500, 999 8th Street SW, Calgary, A...
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50 Stories for 50 Years: Exploring the history of Distress Centre Calgary from 1969 to present
January 7, 2020Welcome to 50 stories for 50 years, the history of Distress Centre Calgary from 1969 to the present....
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Q4 Update from our Executive Director, Jerilyn Dressler
December 18, 2019See this update as a video! As 2019 comes to a close, we look back on the year’s successes and cha...
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Staff Spotlight: Natasha Dharshi
November 20, 2019Natasha Dharshi began volunteering on the Distress Centre crisis lines in 2014. The experience she g...
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Over $24,000 raised for teens in distress at Outrun the Stigma
November 7, 2019Pictured: The Distress Centre team at Outrun the Stigma 2019. This year marked the 7th annual Outrun...
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Keynote speaker shares his struggles and his triumphs
September 13, 2019Bob Wilkie, a native Calgarian, fell in love with playing hockey as soon as his dad introduced him t...
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World Suicide Prevention Day: More people comfortable talking about suicide online versus on the phone
September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day and Distress Centre wants anyone experiencing suicida...
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Q3 Update from our Executive Director, Jerilyn Dressler
August 6, 2019See this update as a video! After a rainy start to the season, it feels like summer is finally here....
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Distress Centre’s Impact Part 2: Stories from our service users
July 30, 2019Distress Centre has responded to over 38,000 crisis calls, chats, texts and emails so far in 2019 (a...
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Indigenous people in need of support can contact 211 to connect to services
June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada, a day to celebrate the heritage, diverse cul...
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Volunteers honoured at our semi-annual appreciation night
May 30, 2019Twice a year, Distress Centre holds an evening to show appreciation for the amazing volunteers that ...
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2018 Report to the Community
May 9, 2019We’re here for you when things seem dark. Everyone has dark days, dark thoughts and dark moods...
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Walk with us at Darkness Into Light Calgary
April 25, 2019At the early hour of 5am on May 11, 2019, hundreds of Calgarians will gather in the darkness at Prin...
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Volunteer Spotlight: Dee Bardsley
April 8, 2019Dee Bardsley, a retired schoolteacher, began volunteering on our crisis lines in 2013. She still rem...
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Q1 Update from our Executive Director, Jerilyn Dressler
April 1, 2019See this update as a video! It was a very long winter for all of us here in Calgary and across Alber...
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Distress Centre’s Impact: Stories from our service users
Each month, we receive around 10,000 calls to our crisis line. Here are three stories highlighting t...
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What to do when you’re worried about someone’s mental health
January 29, 2019According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experie...
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Distress Centre takes over City of Calgary Information Centre’s database
Despite the large number of social services available in Calgary, people who need help often don’t...
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How the very busy Karen, from Stresscase, builds self-care into her day
January 8, 2019Karen Pickles first called Distress Centre’s crisis line six years ago. As a single mother of two ...
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Why Distress Centre Matters: “Calling this line helps me feel less isolated.”
December 27, 2018“Distress Centre, Gwen speaking.” “Hello, my name is Mary*,” said a soft voice on the other ...
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Why Distress Centre Matters: “I just filed for bankruptcy. I want to thank you.”
December 20, 2018“Distress Centre, Omar speaking.” “Hello, my name is Adam*,” said the voice on the other end...
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A message from our Executive Director, Jerilyn Dressler
December 18, 20182018 has been another challenging year for both Calgarians and our agency, due to the economy and th...
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Why Distress Centre Matters: “I’m trying to call shelters, pack my stuff and tend to my son – it’s all too much.”
“211, Marcus speaking. How can I help you?” “I’m trying to get into a women’s shelter,” ...
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Why Distress Centre Matters: “I’m writing a suicide note to my sister right now.”
November 27, 2018“Distress Centre, Mei speaking.” “I am worthless,” said a low voice on the other end of the ...
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Why Distress Centre Matters: “I’m having a panic attack right now.”
November 21, 2018“Thank you for contacting Distress Centre. This is Anne.” “I’m having a panic attack right n...
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$94,650 raised for teens in distress at Outrun the Stigma
November 15, 2018This year marked the 6th annual Outrun the Stigma, a walk/run in support of mental health awareness ...
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Jerilyn Dressler named Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2018
October 29, 2018Congratulations to our Executive Director, Jerilyn Dressler, who was named in Avenue Magazine‘...
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Michael Kirui: From Kenya to the Distress Centre crisis lines
October 16, 2018In loving memory of Martha. “My grandma was so loving and caring. She always said to me ‘Do ...
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A call to Distress Centre Calgary saved my life: Lee Horbachewski
October 10, 2018In October 2004, Lee Horbachewski was without hope. She was suffering from untreated postpartum depr...
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Thank you for coming to Lend An Ear!
September 28, 2018Lend An Ear 2018 took place on September 20th, 2018. For our 8th annual fundraiser, we tried a new f...
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Physical fitness as a tool to promote addiction recovery
Guest post by Caleb Anderson. People with drug and alcohol addictions are generally not the healthie...
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Volunteer Impact Event: Building the Distress Centre community
July 31, 2018Distress Centre’s first ever Volunteer Impact Event took place on July 25th, 2018. Like Volunteer ...
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Distress Centre Today – See our latest newsletter
July 12, 2018Check out our latest newsletter to stay updated on all things happening at Distress Centre. In this ...
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Celebrating 10 years of fund development with Distress Centre’s Roxanne Cote
June 26, 2018In tribute to Carol Oliver. For Distress Centre, the development and on-going successes of the fund ...
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Tickets for Lend An Ear 2018 are now on sale!
June 11, 2018We hope you will join us for our 8th annual Lend An Ear event! Our MC this year is the very entertai...
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Senior’s Week: What should you do if you see a missing senior?
In Calgary, approximately 180 vulnerable seniors are reported missing each year. These incidents pla...
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Demands for Distress Centre Services Continues to Rise Year-Over-Year
May 29, 2018Distress Centre Calgary’s 2017 Annual Report Findings Released (CALGARY, AB) –Distress Centre Ca...
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2017 Report to the Community
May 16, 2018We are all connected. Today, our world is more connected than ever by things like social media, text...
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SROI shows that DC creates $7.42 in value for every $1 invested
We are pleased to announce that a recent social return on investment case study has shown that every...
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Kate Billett: A passion for helping others
May 1, 2018When Kate Billett was 16-years-old she made a decision to pursue social work. “I wanted a career w...
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As demand for services increases, our volunteers need your support
This week is National Volunteer Week, a week to show appreciation for the hundreds of volunteers who...
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Crisis line volunteer, Peter Oxland’s story: ‘Distress Centre’s vision is one that is deeply meaningful to me’
March 20, 2018A few months ago, Peter Oxland, a crisis line volunteer at Distress Centre Calgary, answered a call ...
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Calgary Hitmen and ConnecTeen celebrate 9 year partnership
February 24, 2018On Sunday, February 18, 2018, the Calgary Hitmen faced the Saskatoon Blades at the Scotiabank Saddle...
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Make the Right Call: Contact 211, not 911, for non-emergency help and information
February 12, 2018Calgary, February 11, 2018 – 211 Alberta, the number to call to connect to government, communi...
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7 Things that Happen When You Contact a Crisis Line
January 30, 2018We know reaching out to a crisis line takes a great deal of courage. That courage comes from admitti...
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Increased demand for Distress Centre services in 2017
January 11, 20182017 was another challenging year for Calgarians, as we faced an economy that has been slow to recov...
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Recovery and Reconnection: The Best Holiday Gift You Can Share
Author: Teresa Greenhill The holidays can be especially difficult for seniors in recovery. You might...
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Listening Saves Lives
With the holiday season just around the corner, you can make a difference for Calgarians in distress...
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The holidays can be tough – 211 is here to help
The holiday season is a time for Calgarians to do some of the things they love most – spending...
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Edwin: The Path of Perspective
November 18, 2017There are many ways to describe Distress Centre Calgary counsellor, Edwin Morales. Most people would...
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Outrun the Stigma raises a record $33,000 for Distress Centre!
October 25, 2017Outrun the Stigma is an annual 5k walk/10k run that was founded by two University of Calgary student...
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RBC donates $30,000 to ConnecTeen
As Canada’s largest bank, RBC is one of the largest corporate donors not only in Canada but around...
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What do you carry with you?
October 10, 2017In 2016, Distress Centre Calgary responded to 113,975 phone calls, emails, chats, texts and requests...
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7th annual Lend An Ear Breakfast a success!
September 27, 2017David Granirer, a comedian, counsellor, speaker and author, headlined our Lend An Ear Breakfast. On ...
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Introducing David Granirer: This year’s headliner for our Lend An Ear Breakfast
September 19, 2017“If you give someone with a mental illness something they really want to do, they will make it hap...
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For World Suicide Prevention Day: 19% of Distress Centre’s online contacts are suicide related
September 11, 2017Last year Distress Centre Calgary responded to 113,975 calls, emails, chats, texts and counselling r...
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ConnecTeen launches new refreshed brand – just in time for back-to-school
September 5, 2017The teen years are a stressful and challenging time. Teens deal with a lot. They have heavy school w...
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Finding Jasper
August 25, 201718-year-old Jasper has conquered more boundaries in one year than he ever thought was possible. Jasp...
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Volunteering led Carol to finding her true passion
July 19, 2017Carol Markusse, a successful business professional, was enjoying life with her husband and two child...
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Meet Jerilyn Dressler, our new Executive Director
July 3, 2017On June 1st, 2017, we introduced Jerilyn Dressler as our new Executive Director at Distress Centre. ...
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Ian’s Story
June 15, 2017Ian* lost his job in early 2016 and has been unable to secure long-term employment since then. Addin...
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Our Impact Funders:
