Inn from the Cold
Inn from the Cold (the Inn) is Calgary’s original and largest emergency family shelter. The Inn began out of a community concern for the growing number of people facing homelessness during the bitterly cold winter of 1996/97. Volunteers from several local churches met to discuss how they could help.
On May 2, 1997, St. Stephen’s Anglican Church opened its doors to provide shelter and hope to Calgary’s homeless families and others in need. Since then, a number of inter-denominational churches, synagogues, mosques, community associations and organizations have come together to provide emergency shelter and resources for Calgary’s homeless. These Community Inns continue to operate on a rotating basis, 365 days a year, and are located in communities across Calgary.
A New Chapter
In October 2008, Inn from the Cold opened Calgary’s first Emergency Family Shelter, located in the heart of the Beltline community.
Today, families stay in our downtown shelter and in our Community Inns, both of which operate with the help of over 2,700 committed volunteers.