Abbi M. Singh

Abbi M. Singh is a phenomenon: a one-man tour de force drawing others into service. It’s almost as if he has his own gravitational field.

It all began in the fall of 1996 when Singh first organized fellow members of the Guyana Canada Cultural Association to serve meals at the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre.

The effort was a success, and 12 years later the organization’s members still volunteer once a month. That sort of run is rare, but not for Singh, who has also been the catalyst to set other local groups on a similar path.

He got members of the Hindu Society of Calgary involved at the Drop-In Centre in 1998 with the suggestion that they serve regular meals as part of their desire to do charitable work in the city. They did. Around the same time, he brought his co-workers from the City of Calgary into the fold, and he has even organized smaller groups to serve meals on a one-time basis.

Employees of Calgary advertising agency Wax Partnership Incorporated received a crash course in Singh’s commitment when they volunteered at the Drop-In Centre last fall.

Wax account manager Jennifer MacKay says Singh made a lasting impression. “We were blown away by his energy, enthusiasm and passion,” she says. “Abbi made the entire experience very easy. He planned the whole meal and taught us how to prepare it. He’s a really great teacher.”

Now retired, the 62-year-old grandfather says from the first time he visited the Drop-In Centre he was struck by the need for volunteers. When Singh began volunteering, the centre served between 200 and 250 clients at each meal; today, that number is between 800 and 1,000. In addition, the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre offers housing, meals, job placement, health services, computer training and counselling services.

Singh says he is impressed that they accept anybody who needs help, regardless of their personal challenges, be they alcoholism or even drug addiction. He is also quick to downplay his own success in inspiring others to give their time.

“People are willing to give,” he says. “It’s just how you approach them.”

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