Jeff Dyer, CEO of Trellis Society, leads an organization dedicated to fostering community well-being and addressing housing insecurity, focusing on preventing youth and family homelessness. Trellis aims to support vulnerable individuals by helping them build lasting connections and access essential services. Since joining in 2017, Dyer has overseen the organization’s growth, including its recent merger and a strengthened focus on addressing the growing housing crisis. As the need for affordable housing rises, Dyer emphasizes the importance of community involvement and support to help families secure safe and stable homes.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences:
Trellis Society is an organization that imagines a future where everyone can flourish. To make that happen, we support growth across generations with a focus on housing and community well-being.
What problem does it aim to solve?
Many in our community struggle to meet their basic needs and, because they’re in crisis mode, cannot even imagine dreaming about a future. They do their best, but often experience vulnerability, social isolation and marginalization. So, we do everything we can to help them flourish, largely focused on growing lasting, positive connections within their own communities and providing access to the right supports at the right time. A major focus for us is also ending and preventing youth and family homelessness, a growing issue because so many are experiencing housing insecurity simply due to the massive shortage of affordable housing.
When did you start/join it?
I started at Trellis in January 2017.
What made you want to get involved?
I saw Trellis as the perfect place to serve. They were well known for being on the leading edge of youth and family homelessness work, which is so crucially important for me. They were bold, they were trying new things and open to learning from both successes and failures. I’d long wanted to be a part of the team, so jumped at the chance when the opportunity opened up.
What was the situation like when you started?
I started when we were two separate agencies, and before a pandemic! So much has changed since then. We are now a merged agency, that is tackling challenges we never thought possible. We have a bigger, clearer voice in community, and we can now support people with both their housing and community needs, across generations. Essentially, no matter what door you walk through at Trellis, you’ll have access to almost unlimited ways to flourish.
How has it changed since?
Beyond this, the housing crisis has really impacted the people we serve. Last year alone, we had 27 families come through the doors of one of our locations, needing immediate housing. That wasn’t the case back in 2017. It is so hard to find housing, and what typically was a homelessness problem is now a challenge for families who never imagined they’d be homeless. Single parents are moving their kids into their cars because their rents have gone up by 30 and 40%. They are deciding between groceries and rent, between childcare and working. These are people who would do anything for their families, and they are, but they need help they never imagined.
What more needs to be done?
We need affordable housing in every area of our city. We’re doing our small part to address it by building 50 units in Bowness, a community we’ve served for almost 50 years. Buildings like this don’t happen without a lot of support and community conversations, and we’re not naïve to think that everyone will be in favour of it. But, at the end of the day, people deserve a safe and affordable place to call home. Our hope is that more can be done in the hearts and minds of our neighbours to say YIMBY (yes in my backyard) so that all communities are welcoming and vibrant places for families to live in for the long term.
How can our readers help?
You can help by supporting affordable housing initiatives in your neighbourhood and donating to organizations like Trellis who are offering a multi-service approach to helping families and people in our communities. If you want, you can find out more, speak up and give to our efforts at www.growwithtrellis.ca.
Do you have any events coming up?
Our Soiree is our most important public event. It’s a fundraiser where a volunteer team raises over $1M towards our work to prevent and end homelessness in our city. And, thanks to the generosity of 10 families, all donations are matched! Join us www.growwithtrellis.ca/soiree for Calgary’s best party with a purpose!
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
We are so thankful for the incredible partner agencies we serve alongside, but today I’d love to highlight the Centre for Sexuality. Pam and her team are doing such important for our city, as advocates, allies and teachers.
