Our History
C5 was founded in 2015. It was created from the vision of five leaders in the social sector who were tired of working in silos and watching people try to navigate an increasingly complex system.
Decision-makers from Terra Centre for Teen Parents, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, Boyle Street Community Services, Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers and Norwood Child & Family Resource Centre envisioned a different working method for the betterment of the vulnerable people of Edmonton. They saw the correlation between a lack of comprehensive support for families and the number of children requiring intervention and ending up in the system. To show up for these families in more meaningful ways, C5 applied for and successfully created the Ubuntu program in partnership with Children’s Services.
UBUNTU
The Ubuntu CSD (Collaborative Service Delivery) Program operates next door to the Northeast Hub and leverages a network of partner agencies and Children’s Services to create customized support for Edmontonians. The program provides access to the full range of services for all C5 agencies to provide genuine wrap-around support for families involved in the child intervention system to help families safely stay together.
The Power of Collaboration
Following the successful partnership on the Ubuntu program, C5 recognized the true power of integrated service delivery and set their sights on a new project. They needed to further their collaboration and identified a need to establish a collocated facility attached to Ubuntu. Families involved with Ubuntu could access as much support as possible in one place, even when they were no longer involved with Children's Services. Whether that be access to employment, child-minding, a space for family visits or simply a safe place to build community and feel connected, the Northeast Community Hub was born.
Success and Expansion
The Hub further expanded in 2020 when it became a successful proponent in the new provincial Family Resource Network (FRN). As an FRN Hub, the C5 Community Hub provides a range of services and supports that focus on strengthening parenting and caregiving knowledge, social support, coping and problem-solving skills, access to community supports and resources, improving child and youth development, building resiliency and fostering well-being. The Hub further expanded again in 2021 with the creation of the Community Market, and the result of a partnership through the City of Edmonton with the Clareview Recreation Centre to further round out the programs and supports that our community members can access. To this day, the Hub continues to respond to the emerging needs for support from our community members, advocating for the issues that matter to those we serve and innovating to solve ongoing social problems.
