Wood’s Homes was proud to be a part of the 25^th annual Pride Week by joining the largest Gay Pride Parade turnout in Calgary’s history.

Despite the rain and cold on Sept. 6, organizers welcomed an estimated 50,000 supporters to the Gay Pride parade and post-parade gathering at Shaw Millennium Park. Thousands marched along 9th Ave. S.W., while thousands more looked on, cheering and showing their support for the LGBTQ2 community.

Among the participants were a number of our Street Services staff and volunteers who held our banner proudly.

All Wood’s programs are LGBTQ2 friendly. Our Calgary Adolescent Treatment Services Clinic (C.A.T.S.) offers free, confidential on-site medical support for high-risk adolescents, many of whom haven’t had the chance to receive medical attention in years. These services are offered to young people, age 12-23, three days a week on a walk-in or appointment basis.

Our Street Services team at EXIT Youth Shelter provides accommodation, medical assessment, advocacy and crisis counselling in a safe environment, while EXIT Community Outreach provides support for youth who have run away or are at risk of self-harm, sexual exploitation or other risks that come from life on Calgary streets.

Adam Flegel, supervisor at EXIT, participated in the Pride Celebrations and was interviewed on Global Calgary about our agency’s longstanding support of the LGBTQ2 community and the positive impact we can have on youth struggling with their sexuality or gender issues.