Communicating on the streets

Adam Melnyk, Outreach Coordinator for the Calgary Urban Project Society.Like many university students, if you would have asked Adam Melnyk, BA'03 Communication Studies, during school what he planned to do with his degree, his answer would have been uncertain.

Shy and reserved, he would have never pictured himself working to support those struggling with challenges, ranging from addiction to unemployment. Yet for the past five years, he has been an employee of the Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS) doing just that.

"I didn't go into the field of communications knowing exactly what I wanted to do. Honestly, I had no idea what I wanted to do afterward!" Adam admits. "In a way, I feel like I kind of lucked out with where I have ended up. I really enjoy what I do."

The Calgary Urban Project Society is a not-for-profit organization in Calgary's downtown core which offers holistic, collaborative services in the areas of health care, education, and social services for the homeless and impoverished population.

Adam began volunteering at CUPS during his last semester at U of C. The volunteer work got him hooked and slowly he began making his way up the organizational ladder-from volunteer, to part-time, to full-time position.

Currently, Adam's title is Outreach Coordinator which encompasses his role in leading the CUPS' Outreach Team. The Outreach Team is often the first point of contact for people in crisis and in need of access to CUPS. They play a critical role in building trust with those in need which can lead to positive change.

"We basically do everything under the sun," Adam explains. "We drive around the street checking on people; we give out food, condoms, socks, basic need sort of stuff; we transport people; we provide crisis conselling...we handle a lot of different situations."

Although, at first thought Adam's background in Communication Studies may not seem relevant to his current occupation, he is constantly communicating, whether it be with fellow non-profit agencies, the media, or people on the street. "I write, I public speak; both are skills that you'll find an asset in any job," Adam affirms.

Going to university overall really helped Adam to grow up and begin thinking more analytically. "I particularly enjoyed General Studies 300, because for me it helped to expand my consciousness and change my thought processes. It really opened my eyes to things in society that most people have no clue about."

Adam has no plans to change occupations in the near future, if anything, he would like to someday run his own non-profit organization. "I certainly enjoy the people I work with and for. The environment has opened my eyes to a lot of things. I have really learnt how to get to know people as people, not as homeless or not, but as individuals."

By Chelsey Hiller