BCO's Spring Clothing Drive is officially underway in Lethbridge!

Are you busy decluttering to see what still sparks joy in your home? Maybe tackling a little spring cleaning? Pair your closet refresh with an act of kindness to help those in need! 

How to Donate

Donations can be dropped off at any of our partner Ashcroft and Stranville Living show home locations until May 24. We are asking for donations of new or gently used clothing, laundered and bagged to keep every one safe and comply with current public health rules.

​Community Partners

Special thanks to Ashcroft Master Builder and Stranville Living for providing us easy-to-access drop-off locations this year! We are beyond grateful for their help- and for all of the support we have received from the community so far. Let's keep it going Lethbridge!

​Big news! We are delighted to announce that Natura Soylights, one of our outstanding local businesses here in Okotoks, has chosen BCO for their first ever community candle collaboration.

New Community Collaboration with Small Business in Okotoks to Raise Funds and Awareness

Candles have always symbolized the magic of home, hearth and the warmth of being surrounded by ones we love. Natura's stunning BCO Community candle truly shines a light in the darkness, and $10 from every sale will go to help us prevent homelessness in Canada and offer a hand up to those in need. The candle officially launched in March 2021, and there are still some available- just visit bit.ly/BCOCandle to bring one home today!

Building Community, Sharing Our Story, and Looking to the Future

Want to learn more? Check out this beautiful video and discover the deeper meaning this collaboration holds for our founder Pamela Morgan and her soulful vision for BCO! 

We enjoyed a BEAUTIFUL day on Saturday, February 20 for our second annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser in Okotoks. The sun was shining and everyone was feeling the love as teams journeyed around town in their brightly coloured CNOY toques for this year’s socially distanced event.

Community Spirit and Social Distancing 

We are so very grateful for the generous support we received from lovely souls all around our AMAZING community, including many wonderful local celebrities who helped us raise awareness for this important event during the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone from foothills country singer George Canyon to local councillor Ed Sands, our MLA R.J. Sigurdson and his wife Leanne, our MP John Barlow,  and local businesses including Acreage Development Solutions, Century 21 Foothills Real Estate and CIR Realty Okotoks. We also want to give a special shout-out to RBC in Okotoks for leading the way as our community sponsor- their generous support was appreciated even more at a time when we know so many local businesses are struggling with restrictions caused by extended public health measures during the pandemic.

CNOY 2021 by the Numbers

​In this year like no other, we are so grateful to everyone who contributed whatever they were able. A total of 61 walkers and 25 teams hustled to raise over $14,000 for BCO and the Okotoks Food Bank! 

Building a Legacy of Compassion and Hope
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Although we deeply missed being able to walk together to raise awareness for those experiencing cold, hurt and hunger across Canada, we couldn’t be more excited for CNOY next year! In the meantime, we will pay forward all of the kind support we received with warm meals and essentials for people who are struggling in our community. Together, we are creating a truly resilient legacy of compassion and hope, and we just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who got involved from the bottom of our hearts. Until next year Okotoks!

#CNOY21 #fundraiser

BCO is delighted to announce the official launch of our groundbreaking HeadStrong Program. This brand new mental health initiative is aimed at helping small business owners and entrepreneurs in the foothills of southern Alberta who may be struggling as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact emotional and mental wellness in all aspects of our lives.

Improving Accessibility to Mental Health Services in our Community

Our goal is to help the incredible people behind businesses at the heart of our community develop resiliency and coping skills to manage stress, and to empower them to lead the way forward to a healthier future for us all. 

The HeadStrong program is funded in part by the Government of Alberta, focused on supporting the mental and emotional health and wellbeing of rural Albertans who are in small or medium sized businesses or nonprofits. 

What Services Does the HeadStrong Program Provide and Who Qualifies?

Led by the Baby It's Cold Outside in partnership with Wellness Innovate, HeadStrong will provide counselling services free of charge to local business owners and entrepreneurs in the Foothills and Highwood constituencies. Services include group and one-on-one coaching programs, as well as individual psychological services available upon request.

How Do I Access Mental Health Services Through the HeadStrong Program?

To learn more visit www.headstrongprogram.com
To book a session, email us at hello@headstrong.com 
For immediate help, call 403-266-HELP

Team BCO is dusting off our parkas and winter boots, and getting ready to hit the pavement to help those in need. On February 20, we will be co-hosting our second annual Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) fundraiser with the Okotoks Food Bank Association.

What is CNOY?
CNOY is a family-friendly walk that raises money for local charities working to help people experiencing homelessness, hurt and hunger across Canada.

COVID-19 and Public Health Restrictions
This year more than ever, CNOY is all about community- how we can work together (even when we can’t physically be together,) to help those in need. Due to current public health restrictions, CNOY 2021 will be held virtually in Okotoks, with all participants choosing their own routes to walk in town, either individually or in socially distanced teams.

A Legacy of Kindness and Charitable Giving
Last year, our inaugural CNOY event inspired over 120 participants to come together, demonstrating the resilience and compassionate spirit that makes our community such an amazing place to live. They walked a mile or two in the shoes of the hungry, homeless, and vulnerable, and in doing so raised over $15, 000.00 for local charitable initiatives led by BCO and the Okotoks Food Bank. This year we are building on that amazing success, increasing our fundraising goal to $30,000.00, with 11 teams registered so far and more joining every day.

How Can I Get Involved?
Visit www.cnoy.org to donate, register to walk or start your own team to join in some good-natured competition!

Together, we can make sure nobody gets left out in the cold!

Supporting Local Families in Need During the Holidays

Our hearts are still glowing with the warmth we were able to share with those in need this holiday season! BCO's 2020 Christmas Feast was a truly amazing expression of the spirit of giving that defines what community is all about. At a time when so many people are facing uncertainty and unprecedented challenges in their every day lives, we received an incredible outpouring of help from local businesses, BCO partners and some very special Christmas angels who gifted us everything from homemade ornaments and baked goods to helping hands when we needed them the most.
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On the day of delivery in Okotoks, over 30 volunteers braved a terrible snowstorm, starting at 6:30 am and finishing around 5 pm. Almost every volunteer got stuck in the 40+ cm of snow that accumulated that day, but we were blessed with many kindhearted folks around town who helped dig our volunteers out. The resilience and compassion our team shared with the community was so genuine and heartfelt. We also want to give a special shoutout to our very own Christmas Angel Tamara Boivin, who steered this amazing project from beginning to end.

Christmas Meals Delivered in Okotoks and Lethbridge

In total, we delivered feasts to 49 families in the Okotoks area, bringing joy to 204 individuals, including 108 children. Our BCO elves also made sure every child we met along the way was going to find a toy under their tree! 2020 also marked a fantastic success story for BCO's first ever Lethbridge Christmas Feast, which was able to provide for 5 families, keeping the holidays bright for a total of 55 individuals, including 14 children. Our Lethbridge team included 7 volunteers who worked tirelessly together to deliver meals to people in need within the community. Working with the Lethbridge Food Bank, we also delivered meals to 10 seniors facing the holidays alone, and to 2 men’s group homes with Streets Alive Mission, bringing holiday cheer to another 24 individuals.

Holiday Fundraising with BCO Reached New Heights!

Thanks to the generosity of all the wonderful people who donated, our 2020 Christmas Feast fundraising efforts totalled an outstanding $13, 716.00! These resources will go far to help many people throughout our communities who will continue to face uncertainty in 2021.

We want to offer a huge, heartfelt thank you to all of the incredible volunteers and donors who helped make our 2020 Christmas Feast such an incredible success. We are so very grateful to begin 2021 with such a strong foundation of support. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who helped us make a difference in our communities this holiday season!

Baby it’s Cold Outside is pleased to announce that Easy Next Steps has chosen us as their Charity of Choice for their "Giving Back Program"! Easy Next Steps is a Canada-based company that provides Canadians with a wide variety of options in health care, lifestyle, career and money management by connecting them with the right people in the right fields, whether they’re an individual, a family or a business.
 
Easy Next Steps is dedicated to championing Canada’s 235,000 homeless. Through their partnership we hope to increase our efforts to supply vulnerable citizens in Southern Alberta with the support they need and work toward our goal of transitional housing. We’re so grateful for this exciting partnership with Easy Next Steps and their clients!
 
https://www.easynextsteps.com/