The Calgary Food Bank is expanding its services with a new downtown branch, set to open to clients this summer.
The new location will be in the Neoma building at 706 Seventh Ave. S.W. and will serve 200 households a day, on top of the 800 households currently served at the food bank’s main hub on 11 Street S.E.
“We realize as our city has grown, operating the Food Bank out of a single location out of one corner of the city has some accessibility limitations, so we’re really excited to be here on the CTrain line in the heart of downtown to serve our community better,” said Melissa From, president and CEO of the Calgary Food Bank.
From said the downtown core and Beltline are two of communities that access the Calgary Food Bank the most.
In addition, 25 percent of people who use the Calgary Food Bank use public transit daily, so the branch’s location along the CTrain line on Seventh Avenue will further increase people’s accessibility.
“You can imagine being a single parent with a small child and 10 days’ worth of groceries and riding the bus and taking multiple transfers coming from far corners of the city. If we can just eliminate some of those barriers and some of those challenges, I think that will create a better experience and more dignity for everyone involved.”
The new downtown branch will operate in a facility managed by Home Space, a non-profit that houses clients from Inn from the Cold.
“We know that food insecurity and housing instability go hand in hand, so when families have the security of a warm meal and know and where their next meal is coming from, they’re better able to focus on employment, housing and all the things that they need,” said Heather Morley, CEO from Inn from the Cold.
Morley said 32 families are offered emergency shelter at the Neoma building and around 72 other individuals access affordable housing, all of whom will benefit from proximity to the Food Bank.
“Transportation is a huge barrier, so this location is ideal. Being on the CTrain, close to transit, people are able to come in access the food that they need, and it will save them probably a 45-minute trip to the other location or somewhere else to access food,” she said.
“Time is such a precious commodity for all of us, particularly for families that are in crisis, so this is brilliant.”
New location lets clients ‘shop’
The Calgary Food Bank’s new downtown branch will function differently than the main location.
It will be set up like a regular grocery store, allowing people to come and shop for their groceries.
“Our clients are going to be able to come in like any other Calgarians on a normal weeknight who goes grocery shopping and be able to pick their own food and decide for themselves what’s important for their family, how they want to eat, meet their cultural and dietary needs without the intervention of someone else choosing their food for them,” From said.
Demand for the Calgary Food Bank is growing, up from serving 400 households to 800 a day from two years ago.
Nineteen per cent are full-time workers, and additional 20 percent have additional part time or seasonal work, From said.
“There’s a lot of folks that by all intents and purposes are doing everything right, and yet by the time they pay the mortgage and the heat and the car payments and those other primary budget lines in the budget, there’s just not enough money left for the food budget,” said From.
Inn from the Cold is facing similar increases for its services, which have tripled since the COVID-19 pandemic from around 500 families five years ago, to now 1,500 a year.
“The demand for shelter and housing has been so significant,” Morley said.
The Calgary Food Bank’s downtown branch is a first and will be a test ground for potential future locations in other parts of the city.
