Emergency Shelter Worker - Relief

Job Description

At the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre (the DI), we’re looking for passionate, community-minded people who know that kindness can change lives.

Whether you’re helping guests find housing, supporting their recovery journey, or keeping our operations running strong, your work here truly matters. Every role at the DI is about creating possibilities for others, and for yourself.

The Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre (the DI) is a low-barrier, housing-focused organization serving some of Calgary’s most vulnerable community members.

We believe everyone deserves dignity, safety, and the opportunity to thrive. Every day, our team meets people where they’re at — offering basic needs, compassion, and connection while helping them move toward stable, permanent housing.

Our work is guided by the principles of housing first, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and recovery-oriented practice. But above all, we’re guided by people — their stories, their strengths, and their potential.

When you join the DI, you’re joining a team built on respect, collaboration, and heart.

Position Title: Emergency Shelter Worker
Reports To: Coordinator, Emergency Shelter – Afternoons
Employment Type: Casual
Schedule: As Relief staff, you will help support staffing coverage for vacations, sick leave, and other absences. Relief shifts are assigned on an as-needed basis, offering flexibility while supporting the needs of the organization. We offer three shift options, and employees are assigned to a single shift to support consistency for both staff and the people we serve. Afternoons shifts are: 2PM/5PM to 10PM

Our Housing-Focused Emergency Shelters provide 24-hour, low-barrier shelter and essential supports for adults experiencing homelessness in Calgary. The shelters are designed to be accessible and inclusive. Individuals are not turned away due to substance use, mental health challenges, or lack of identification. This low-barrier approach helps ensure that people facing the greatest risks can access warmth, safety, and necessities when they need them most.

Every role at the DI makes a difference. In this position, you will:

• Create meaningful connections with clients, community members, volunteers, emergency responders, and DI staff by engaging with professionalism, compassion, and respect, while providing trauma-informed, client-centered support that honours each individual’s unique experiences, strengths, and goals.
• Serve as a visible and approachable ambassador for the DI, engaging with clients and stakeholders while promoting and reinforcing Centre guidelines in a respectful and supportive manner.
• Champion positive housing outcomes by engaging clients in solution-focused conversations, and connecting them with the resources needed to achieve housing stability.
• Thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment that requires the ability to lift, push, and pull up to 50 lbs, move quickly in response to emerging situations, bend, kneel, reach overhead, climb stairs or ladders, and remain seated or standing for extended periods as needed.
• Support the day-to-day success of the program by completing a variety of operational and client-focused tasks, including facility upkeep, laundry duties, wellness checks, location monitoring, and other duties outlined in procedures or assigned by the Coordinator.
• Foster positive health outcomes by partnering with the medical team to communicate client health needs and support effective medication distribution.

We know that great people come from all kinds of backgrounds. You don’t have to check every single box! If you’re passionate about helping others and share our values, we want to hear from you.

• Knowledge of community resources for homelessness, health, mental health and substance use
• Understanding of the needs of marginalized adults and homelessness issues
• Must be acceptable of industry risks, including coming into contact with bodily fluids
• Ability to provide a satisfactory vulnerable sector clearance check
• A genuine commitment to the mission, vision, values, and work of the agency.

• Completion…