Create Change

The flip side of the call to Defund the Police is the imperative to invest in community. This means directing resources like time, effort, and money towards community-based initiatives that build stronger communities - things like housing for all, access to healthy food and clean drinking water, harm reduction strategies, mental health supports, restorative justice, and more. By (re)investing in the well-being of our communities, we can target the root causes of many issues rather than using the police as a solution for every problem. This ever-growing list of groups, organizations, and initiatives are just some of the ways that you can become involved in the fight to end the harm and violence many experience and create safer and more equitable communities.

Here we've put together some ideas for ways you can get involved in Edmonton. If you or an organization you work with have an idea to add to our list, contact us at info@savedmonton.com.
​Sexual violence
Domestic Violence
  • Share The Today Booklet with anyone who might be looking for more information about domestic violence
  • Book a training with the Today Centre for your group or workplace
  • Read & Share this toolkit for intimate partner violence survivors from a prison abolitionist standpoint & learn about non-carceral responses to domestic violence
  • ​​Learn to recognize the signs of domestic violence and serve as a non-judgmental support.
  • ​Believe survivors.
Workers' Rights/Labor Movements
  • Know your rights as an employee and help your coworkers learn theirs. The Alberta Federation of Labor is a good place to start learning
  • ANSWERS Society offers a "Sex Work is Work" Bias Prevention training - share it with others in your community
Housing
  • Become a YIMBY - Yes in My Backyard. Ask your elected leaders what they're doing to support the development of affordable housing in your area, and work with your local community league to build support for affordable, subsidized, and supportive housing in your neighbourhood.
  • Volunteer with organizations like Habitat for Humanity
  • Talk to your neighbours, housed and unhoused, about ways to build a more inclusive community. Be aware that programs like the City of Edmonton's Encampment Response Team often result in police forcibly removing people and their belongings.
reconciliation
  • Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and talk with your family, friends, and coworkers about how you can implement the calls in your own communities
racial justice
food security
community safety & Mutual Aid
  • Community safety is a collective responsibility and it is up to each of us to reach out and make connections. Get to know your neighbours and make time to connect. This also includes looking out for the safety and well-being of unhoused and vulnerable people in our communities. Think about ways that you and your community can be inclusive and welcoming for diverse groups of people, which could include partnering with and supporting affordable/low-income housing projects and social services in your area.
  • Join and/or donate to a community safety organization such as:
  • Follow and support Black Lives Matter Edmonton and Black Lives Matter Canada
  • You can call the 24/7 Crisis Diversion Team at 211 in the following situations:
    • A person is intoxicated or otherwise impaired
    • A person is sleeping in a lobby, or unsafe space
    • A person is dressed inappropriately for the weather
    • A person feels unsafe, but no threat of violence is present
    • A person is confused, disoriented, or may be experiencing a mental health crisis
  • ​REACH Edmonton offers free training workshops on topics like supporting through trauma, working with diverse populations, and more.

mental health
  • Participate in a mental health first aid training program
  • Participate in a suicide prevention training program
  • You can call the 24/7 Crisis Diversion Team at 211 in the following situations:
    • A person is intoxicated or otherwise impaired
    • A person is sleeping in a lobby, or unsafe space
    • A person is dressed inappropriately for the weather
    • A person feels unsafe, but no threat of violence is present
    • A person is confused, disoriented, or may be experiencing a mental health crisis
​2SLGBTQ+ rights
POlice & Prison Abolition​
poverty reduction
climate justice​
Harm Reduction & Drug use
  • Get a Naloxone (Narcan) kit free from your local pharmacy and carry it with you (note that Naloxone should not be left in a cold vehicle or elsewhere outside as it reduces the efficacy)
  • Contact your elected representatives to share your support of harm reduction measures and supervised consumption sites
  • Support Moms Stop the Harm and their work to change government policies around harm reduction
  • Volunteer with StreetWorks or 4B Harm Reduction Society
  • If you have lived experience with hard drugs, join AAWEAR