“Like tiny seeds with potent power to push through tough ground and become mighty trees, we hold innate reserves of unimaginable strength. We are resilient.”
― Catherine DeVrye, The Gift of Nature: Inspiring Hope and Resilience
Thank you for your support.
Our wish for you is that you’ve found your footing through the challenging times. Knowing that vulnerable Calgarians need our help now more than ever, we hope you will show your support for Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary.
Your support today will help kids and families find their footing through the difficulties they face, including homelessness, poverty, and social isolation.
Your generosity brings silver linings to children and youth.
In addition to increasing our health and safety protocols, our pandemic response included the redeployment of staff to assist at group homes and the Avenue 15 emergency shelter. As a result, staff like Jessica, who were accustomed to caring for excitable pre-schoolers found themselves face-to-face with high-needs, street-entrenched youth. One evening in April, Jessica made kits for each of the Avenue 15 kids, including all the necessary household ingredients to make “slime.” As you can imagine, this is an activity that usually amuses much younger children. And yet, for the rest of that evening, the teens at Avenue 15 sat in their individual doorways and, guided by Jessica, happily made and played with their slime.
Their collective creativity built a corridor community!
The experience of homelessness can force kids to be so focused on survival and worried where their next meal or warm bed is coming from; they often forget what it’s like to be kids.
By providing an opportunity to mix our talented and diverse staff teams, the pandemic created an unexpected silver lining. For a little while, the vulnerable youth at Avenue 15 forgot about COVID-19 and their basic survival. They remembered what it was like to just play and be kids again. We hope that you too have found silver linings throughout this challenging time, and that you’ve also found ways to play.
Jessica’s Slime Recipe
Join the goopy fun!
Ingredients
- 2 (4-ounce) bottles washable school glue, such as Elmer’s
- 1 to 2 drops liquid food coloring (optional)
- 1/4 cup glitter (optional)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 to 3 tablespoons saline solution (i.e. contact lens solution), divided
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Glass or plastic mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Airtight container for storage
Instructions
- (Optional): Pour the glue into a medium bowl. Stir in the food coloring and glitter, if desired.
- Add the baking soda to the glue mixture and stir until smooth.
- Add the contact lens solution: Pour in 2 tablespoons of the contact lens solution and stir slowly. The mixture should begin to harden, becoming stringy.
- Mix until a ball forms: Continue mixing slowly until a ball of slime forms.
- Pick up the slime and work between your hands until smooth. If the slime is too slimy, work in another 1/2 tablespoon of contact lens solution as needed.
Have fun playing!
