Friendship Centre Advocacy: Your Voice Matters
Hello, friends and allies! The Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary (AFCC) is a proud member of a vital national network of over 100 local Friendship Centres, collectively known as the Friendship Centre Movement. We are amplifying an urgent message from the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) and inviting you to join our Friendship Centre Advocacy efforts.
Your voice is needed now more than ever. The NAFC has shared a critical update: our core funding concluded on March 31, 2025, with no certainty of renewal. This puts vital services and thousands of Indigenous jobs at risk across the country. By raising our voices together, we can ensure a stable future for the vital work we do.
Why This Advocacy is Crucial
Friendship Centres like ours are a lifeline for urban Indigenous communities. We provide essential, holistic services across the entire lifespan, from infancy to end of life. The services we provide directly support:
- 47 of the 94 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action.
- 76 of the 231 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (MMIWG2S+) Calls for Justice.
- 21 of the 46 articles in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
The Friendship Centre Movement is an expert at leveraging dollars to create a major impact. For every one dollar of core funding we receive, we bring in an average of nine additional dollars.
Take Action with AFCC
Your voice is powerful, and it is crucial to ensuring the longevity of our services. We encourage all community members, partners, and funders to help us amplify the message about the importance of the work we do here at the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary. By taking action, you are helping to secure a stable future for the vital services that support our community.
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Connect with Your MP: Contact your local Member of Parliament (MP) to share your story about how the AFCC has positively impacted your life. Highlight our programs and services and explain why they are so important to you and your family.
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Share Our Story: Help us spread the word on social media platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram. By sharing our posts and your own experiences, you can raise awareness about the essential work we do every day.
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Be an Advocate: You can also contact your local news outlets, including newspapers, TV, and radio, to share your support for the AFCC. Your personal testimony about the value of our work is the most powerful tool we have.
Your support helps us continue to be a lifeline for the urban Indigenous community. By raising our collective voice, we can ensure that our essential services and our community’s well-being are protected for generations to come.