Newcomers to Calgary like Kingdom Okoro said having access to clothing like a new suit is giving people a shot a realizing a dream.
The annual Give a Suit, Change a Life program, which collects and provides people in need with suits or men’s dress clothes, had record numbers of donations, with well over 7,000 articles of clothing in support of newcomers to Calgary. The program is a collaboration between the Centre for Newcomers (CFN) and the Calgary Police Service (CPS).
“The important thing about this program for me is the sort of help, to the asylum seekers, it’s help for the newcomers, helping them to actualize their dream,” said Okoro.
“They are not going home with them (clothes) to pack them somewhere, they are going home with them to wear them. They’ll clean it up, iron them, and then it would be good for them, and I like that a lot.”
The clothes were collected at CFN as well as all of the city’s eight police district offices. The program started in 2018 and created a space where those in need can go to CFN and pick and choose the desired outfits available.
Campaign co-founder, CPS Detective Hal Quaidoo, started the donation support program after he and his former patrol partner came across an unhoused individual feeling that there was no hope of getting a job based on the clothes that they were wearing
“He was dressed in just the clothes that he had on the street, and he had no other clothes that would help support him, nobody would even let him walk through a door, let alone sit down for an interview,” said Quaidoo.
“This was created in a way to help support our vulnerable population, newcomers, and people in need.”
The supportive process helps both newcomers to the city and the men in need population regardless of the circumstances that any individual comes from, said Quaidoo.
Although the campaign started with requesting dress shirts, dress pants, suits, ties, and shoes, the campaign is now requesting any men’s clothing.
“Being able to have day-to-day clothing is also something that I decided that I want to look at pursuing, helping people get into their day-to-day living and feel confident when you go for a job that you can sit down and feel comfortable with the way you look,” said Quaidoo.
The program had more than 1,000 recipients registered for the event, if leftovers are still available the remains may be offered again in the coming week.
“We have maximum of 4 to 5 items per person and the intention is if we still have some leftovers, we will hold this event one more time sometime next week,” said CFN Vulnerable Population Services Director, Nahid Keramati.
The program is there to provide another avenue of support for those Calgarians in need.
“We are here to help and that’s the whole goal of this is to help the community, and as a police officer, we recognize that people are in tough times. We just want to help you and that’s what we’re here for,” said Quaidoo.
