Calgary NeighbourLink charity back on track with debt forgiveness
Not-for-profit helping young families and flood victims was on brink of closure
Back in the spring, NeighbourLink was in big trouble.
Corporate Calgary's cash donations had dried up and the charity could barely make rent. It was at that point that Nikki Golnik seriously considered moving the entire operation into her garage.
"It just didn't seem like the right thing to do to close the doors, not after all the work everyone had put in," said the manager of operations for the Calgary group. "We just weren't able to make ends meet."
At the time, 13 paid staff had been laid off and Golnik was the only employee. It was only a matter of time before NeighbourLink closed it doors.
But the services the group offers: helping young families in need by providing them with formula, diapers, cribs and clothing — was still in high demand.
And after the 2013 Alberta flood, the need for their services grew enormously in Morley and High River. Donations poured in, and NeighbourLink moved into a bigger space. It was soon after, the group found itself in trouble.
Creditors forgive debt
Despite having no money left to pay them, Golnik says many former employees and volunteers continued to show up for work everyday.
That, along with the help of a member of the charity's board of directors, helped turn things around.
"Everytime I saw Nikki there was sweat on her brow, dirt on her clothes," said Chris Jost, who is now the new executive director of NeighbourLink.
Over a five month period, Jost worked with the organization's creditors and landlord — Howard Heninger — to forgive its debt.
"It was six figures. It's incredible," said Jost. "He said, 'You guys need to do what you do,' and he was the beginning of all the other creditors coming in line."
But because many Calgarians thought NeighbourLink had shut its doors, Golnik says the charity's warehouse shelves are pretty empty right now and are in need of baby formula and diapers.