Our leaders were featured in several articles and news stories related to COVID-19. Here are some examples. 

The SPAWL wrote an article on how the Common Good is becoming are new common Sense

https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/common-sense-for-uncommon-times

Our Board Chair was featured in two articles about how we can respond during COVID-19. 

https://livewirecalgary.com/2020/03/17/free-calgary-transit-during-coronavirus-pandemic-councillor-suggests/

https://globalnews.ca/news/6687228/calgary-food-bank-closes-temporarily-to-shore-up-covid-19-procedures/

Our Lead Organizer wrote a piece on our need to respond to our fear by turning to each other: 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-covid-19-social-distancing-1.5499045

Time: 10hours/week (This may increase over time)

Wage: $20-$23/hour (plus 10% in leu of pension and benefits) 

Vacation: 3 Weeks vacation, 1 week sick leave per year.

Overtime: Taken as time in lieu. 

Accountability: Reports to Lead Organizer. Will meet regularly with the lead organizer to develop a work plan and prioritize items from the below list.  

Responsibilities:

The Administrative Coordinator will either carry out or work with volunteers/staff to support the Calgary Alliance for the Common Good in the following areas:

Coordinate Communications - Work with volunteers to do the following: 

• Social media posts, editing, responding and formatting. 
• Assist with/edit newsletter and email blasts
• Send out press releases and media relations
• Update website

Fundraising and Event Support

• Support event planning and coordination.
• Manage registrations.
• Assist in managing individual donors.

Operations

• Bookkeeping
• Meeting planning and preparation
• Manage events/meeting calendar
• Invoicing and membership management
• Data entry
• Support for projects

Lead Organizer support

• Email management
• Calendar management
• Document editing, preparation, and organizing
• Expense reporting
• Assist with proposal writing 

Skills required or willing to learn: 

1. An ability to use Nation Builder website platform
2. An ability to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media
3. Editing and writing
4. QuickBooks and basic bookkeeping
5. Microsoft Office and Google suite programs
6. Email and calendar management
7. Organization and coordination of volunteers. 
8. A basic understanding of community organizing 

Application: Please send a resume and cover letter to info@calgarycommongood.org. If you have any questions, please use the same email address.

Deadline: Please apply by March 15, 2020

We are pleased to welcome the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1169 (CUPE 1169) which represents Calgary and Cochrane Library workers. They are excited to join in our shared work especially in the area of social isolation.  Librarians interact with a broad cross-section of our city daily.  Welcome!

The Environment Team is looking at the possibility of focusing on making the new major civic building project be net-zero buildings. The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) is asking Calgarians for our input on the design of the new Events Centre to replace the Saddledome. This is our chance to ask for a net-zero, water-wise building and grounds that will host zero-waste events.

1. We are asking you to respond to the survey before March 27. To fill out the survey go to  https://www.calgarymlc.ca/ecengage and click on the red survey button. 
2. Note that the survey does not ask about sustainability. You will need to fill in your thoughts on net-zero using the “Other” and open-ended question options. Some ideas of what you can add include:

• “100% renewable power”
• “Carbon-Capture composite concrete and other reused or renewable materials”
• “return for deposit cups/zero-waste building”
• “greenest building in Canada”
• Zero waste events
• Net-zero building

One of the issues that have arisen from our mental health focus is the importance of early intervention and teaching positive mental health skills through the education system. Alberta Education is conducting a curriculum review process, and we want to make sure that our priorities are considered.

1. We are asking you to fill out the survey, which can be found at: https://www.alberta.ca/vision-for-student-learning-engagement.aspx
2. Fill out the survey as you choose, but on questions 14, 17 and/or 19 we are asking that you make two points (Please modify to put in your own words) these are:
   1. That the curriculum teaches about mental health, positive mental health skills, and that this is integrated throughout the curriculum.
   2. For there to be a positive learning environment and to overcome barriers to learning that each school has access to adequate psychological counseling services and family support workers. 

So, what sort of Impact are we having?  Approximately $77 Million Dollars! 

When we do our best to approximate what we helped preserve with our KeepCalgaryStrong campaign, it comes out to around $77 million dollars. This is based on preserving the city’s mental health strategy, preserving the low-income transit pass and preventing deeper cuts during the November Budget discussions.

This is an approximation (so if anyone wants to research a more accurate number you are quite welcome to), but it gives us a sense of what we have accomplished together. So, has your time building relationships, developing your leadership, turning people out for actions, contacting your city councillors and sharing your story had an impact?  

The simple answer is yes.  A big impact.

The Calgary Alliance for the Common Good is pleased to welcome the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 38 (CUPE) as members of our organization.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 38 (CUPE) represents 5,100 Administrative and Technical employees at the City of Calgary, ENMAX and the Calgary Parking Authority.  As an affiliate local of the largest union in Canada, CUPE is committed to improving the economic and social well-being of its members and Calgarians.  CUPE Local 38 is a proud member of the Alberta Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress.  Solidarity is the core belief of the labour movement. Together they lobby, organize and campaign for social justice on behalf of working families for a better quality of life in our society.  By negotiating fair wages and working conditions for its members, through to working with its national union on social justice campaigns both in Canada and abroad for all families, CUPE is committed to building a more just society.

In early January it came to light that the city was going to change a $2.50 fee for online ordering of low income transit passes. To again ask low income people to pay more or alternatively to ask people with disabilities to make a trip to city hall and stand in a long line to avoid the fee makes little sense. Because of the relationships we have built with media – they reached out to us to respond – and we did. Councillor Chahal also spoke out again this fee, then Councillor Farrell raised the issues with administration. The result is that the fee how now been reversed, keeping transit affordable for our city’s most vulnerable residents.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/new-online-convenience-fee-disappoints-subsidized-transit-advocate

https://livewirecalgary.com/2020/01/13/calgary-transit-to-reimburse-convenience-fee-for-low-income-transit-users/

During the fall of 2019 as City Council was looking to make more cuts and to increase the cost of the low-income transit pass by 250%, we mobilized #KeepCalgaryStrong a second time. 

Our Founding Assembly got some great coverage in the new. Below are some links to some of our media coverage. Take a look at some of the coverage.