Inn from the Cold - Calgary

Great place for volunteering, I'll try to go back anytime soon

My families needs were not met here. Staff does not care about the people in shelter or their needs. Staff is disrespectful. It takes a long time to get anything accomplished so you can move forward.

I stayed here & was told "No Child or family goes homeless" Yet my kids & family did. Only after voicing my concerns about staff to the director Amanda my family was asked to leave IFTC. We have 2 small children & because I voiced concerns about witnessing staff picking gifts out of Christmas donations staff calling a client a "savage", staff peeking in my room at me while I changed. I thought going to the upper management something would be done but instead Amanda asked me and my husband and our 2 kids to leave. I was asked to call Alberta Works & lie to them and say the shelter was full & IFTC would vouch for that. I was told by Amanda that I was a lier before even finishing my concerns. The whole place was outraged including my advocate who Amanda told me I verbally abused & attack. The next day my advocate text me expressing her deepest sympathy and confirming Amanda's lies. Now after being told I had no right to voice my concerns and that staff was a priority then petty clients was sickening.Now my whole family sits in a hotel room. This is so wrong & I hope the right ppl see this & change is made in this place. They kick back yard out that are sick because the place is so diry. My children, every child was sick the whole time they where in there. My heart goes out to the pp, who stay at INN FROM THE COLD. This place needso a major overhaul and because I spoke up I got kicked out and because I spoke up I had the ppl coming to me to complain, why? Because management was so unapproachable cold and cruel.... I pray someone changes the fake profile these ppl put up! I guess you need to stay there to know what I talking about. God bless anyone who stays there

God bless Inn from the Cold. Wonderful in services especially Tania the family advocate. Nurse Maggie is awesome, Ann,the wellness advocate is also great. Peter is a very kind person, they serve wonderful meals and it's relatively peaceful.

Families spend way too long here while other families in need need help as well. The proper resourses to find a home are not privided which in turn leaves the less than educated there for longer than needed. Ive met people there over 6+ months. I was in and out in 3 and a half weeks if I can do it theres no reason anyone else can if Inn From The Cold made some simple changes. Youd think educated people who work there would know this but they dont. In my time there ive helped more people find landlords than the actual staff. In from the cold cuts people off from income support, and landlords need proof of income so when youre there you have no income to even show a landlord which also leaves people there longer than needed unless you find a landlord willing to comprimise and trust me thats way harder than it sounds. Income support needs an adress to help you with rent and you have no adress while youre at inn from the cold so what are people supposed to do when both landlord and income support needs vital information from one another to continue your process of finding a spot to live? Landords want your income proof first yet income support wants your adress proof first boom catch 22. Someone needs to comprimise and if inn from the cold wants to make this mission bigger they need to look past cutting off peoples income so they can get out faster. Poor friggin families looked so shocked when theyre tellin me they were there for 8 months and wondering how I got out in weeks. I dont blame them! Someone needs to have a heart. Make that comprimise and youll be moving people in and out super quick. After all, isnt that supposedly your mission? To help as many as possible? Onto the staff, a lot of favortism is shown to different ethnicitys over others. I know, bold statement eh? Take it from someone whos lived it. Ive witnessed things that child welfare would have a field day with at that place and the staff keeps it quiet. The staff doesnt give a flying F pardon my french. While other families who dont do half of what some people do get kicked out for next to nothing. Dont get me wrong thanks for bunking us up for the few weeks we were there, but more training is needed on the staffs behalf. Seems like they'l hire anyone and it seems like some staff have been there so long they feel entitled to be a d*ck. I said it in my note, families coming there are often coming from a stressful situation(obviously, they are homeless and ended up there) and staff should have a heart for that and proper training to deal with it instead of looking at it as their 7:30 to 7:30 job. You work in a stressful environment for many families. Would it kill you to have a heart for the depressed and stressed ones over showing favortism to people whos minds are better equipt to handle it? If I worked there on god id have families in and out in a month. Ive helped a few families find landlords willing to sign their rent forms in my time there. Probably more than half your staff combined has helped with their whole time working there. Think what you want of me, I got people out of there and thats why god had me there for that short period. Bless you all and I hope you change some stuff. Unreal. One last time. A smile is contagious Roger, Frank, purple haired tattoed "lead" lady, and NO family should be there for 6 damn months with all the money you guys get handed through donation. Bless.

This place is amazing!!! They gave me hope when I had none. They made me and my family felt worthy. I am eternally indebted to this people with loving heart. And to my advocate, Tania you are awesome. Thanks for holding my hands when I needed it most.

With no family out here I been here trying to get off these streets. It's been years and only to find a great help with somewhere warm to go. Really hope I can get into housing. Very thankful to this place.

This place is Ridiculous they gave me the run around and didn't accept me and my 2 kids. We are homeless atm and they wouldn't take us in because I wasn't getting abused. Yet its for homeless and woman leaving abused homes. 1 of the workers Even said wow you are really indeed and the boss won't accept us. Wouldn't recommend calling they won't help you gotta lie and say your getting abused in order to help from them and any other shelter here.