When community members come to the Community Kitchen Program of Calgary for support, they are given a hand-up, not just a hand-out. This principle guides the organization’s programs, which span nearly every neighbourhood in Calgary through a network of over 217 non-profit partners.
We run our After School Program every day during the week. Most of our rescued food goes to this program to support the children and families. We run this program in a neighbourhood with a high risk of food insecurity. The children love this program and very much appreciate the extra food items they can enjoy and bring back to their families.
Rescued food, particularly from Second Harvest, is essential to our efforts throughout the year and becomes especially valuable during the holidays. Second Harvest provides us with non-perishable items, which helps stretch our resources further. With these donations covering basic staples, we’re able to allocate more of our budget toward fresh produce and proteins, allowing us to offer families a wider range of nutritious options.
Food is the centre of everything we do at Covenant House. It is the first thing we offer a youth when they come through our doors, and it’s what fuels our young people as they work hard for a brighter future.