news.
taking flight in calgary.
In the summer of 2023, the Government of Alberta issued a Service Request for agencies like REDI to expand services in Southern Alberta to address the waitlist and to develop additional capacity for the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program. REDI submitted a proposal, and we were ranked number two across all applicants and number one across applicants able to provide residential support services.
We were invited to commence offering services in the city of Calgary and after careful consideration REDI’s Board of Directors approved REDI to expand into Calgary.
The benefits to REDI and our existing clients are many. First, there is a funding increase for REDI to offset the additional administrative costs which will help to build additional capacity in our systems and will also benefit the people we currently support. Second, having a location in Calgary will be of great benefit to our existing clients in several ways. Being in Calgary will give us better access to the services and supports available in Calgary which our clients often need to access, but to which REDI is not connected. REDI is now a member of the Community Rehabilitation Service Provider Council of Calgary, and this allows us to share and collaborate directly with the many agencies in Calgary. Finally, we would be expanding our pool of human talent in the agency and be able to draw upon qualified staff in Calgary to help support and develop REDI’s programming. We have hired a program manager for the Calgary region who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. The initial team of support workers who have started with REDI have a great amount of experience, training, and enthusiasm.
REDI’s initial services in Calgary is a 24/7 residence in the Baker Park area of northwest Calgary. The house is owned by the Government of Alberta. We will be supporting up to six individuals who will begin moving into their new home on March 1, 2024. This will be just a start as we work to expand services in Calgary and through-out Southern Alberta.
This is an exciting new chapter for REDI that builds upon our foundation as being innovators and leaders in the disability services sector. From our humble beginnings in Medicine Hat over 72 years ago, we have evolved our services and expanded our service delivery into Brooks, Lethbridge and now Calgary. As we continue to grow and develop, we will keep true to our founding principles and our mission of enabling individuals to attain respect, opportunity, and responsibility.
