Calgary Food Bank makes changes as demand continues to increase

Food is sorted at the Calgary Food Bank. (File)

The Calgary Food Bank has discontinued its mobile food hamper partnerships with some outreach groups to more broadly address the growing need of feeding the city's unhoused population.

In a new strategic direction, the charity's CEO Melissa From notes that the food bank is focusing on more deeper partnerships with a few organizations that can better provide a broader spectrum of care.

It comes as the Calgary Food Bank has seen its demand increase 250 per cent since 2019 and now serves upwards of 750 households per day.

"At the end of the day, I think every charity in the community is in the same spot where we're trying to do more with less, that's just the reality of where we're at and sometimes that leads to tough decisions," said From.

"So, we took a step back, looked at those partnerships, and we're just making the decision to work with specific partners on a deeper level."

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The Calgary Food Bank has seen it mobile food hamper program, which is separate from the emergency food hamper program the food bank is best known for, grow significantly in demand over just the past six months.

Some of the food bank partnerships still being maintained however include the Drop-In Centre, Alpha House.

From pointed to those groups being able to support more broadly in the areas of medical health, mental health, substance abuse, short-term and long-term housing options.

"Another one of the partnerships I love is with Calgary Transit and transit police. Food just plays an incredible role in conflict de-escalation when they have challenges on the CTrain line or on public transit that those officers are equipped with food and resources that they can provide to those people in need," said From.

"So, yes, just in the last six months, we've seen sort of a 15 to 20 per cent growth in the food provisions that we're giving to the unhoused population, but we did take a step back to look at those partnerships."

Change affects BeTheChangeYYC

One of those outreach groups feeling the immediate impact of losing its partnership with the Calgary Food Bank is BeTheChangeYYC.

The local non-profit provides food and housing referrals for some of the most vulnerable Calgarians in the downtown core.

It had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Calgary Food Bank in 2020 to receive mobile hamper deliveries, but that agreement was not renewed.

BeTheChangeYYC had been receiving bi-weekly care packages from the Food Bank which included a laundry list of requests: 75 cans of canned meat, 150 cans of soup, 150 soup pouches, 150 fruit cups, 150 bottles of fruit juice, four cases of water, 150 packets of oatmeal, four boxes of snacks and 100 pieces of fresh fruit.

Founder Chaz Smith says his non-profit is now facing challenges in meeting the increased need for pre-packaged non-perishable food items.

"This partnership meant a lot to us, it helped supplement those bag lunches so that we could connect with people. For Many folks, we were their only way of getting food, especially at nighttime when other services have shut down," Smith said.

"It's really difficult to engage with people when they're that hungry so first and foremost, we have to meet the basic needs of a person, food, water, clothing, hygiene, and then we're able to have further conversations about programming such as housing, detox, mental health supports."

Smith notes that his organization served more than 16,000 unhoused Calgarians last year and hit its goal of referring 10 per cent of those clients to receive housing supports.

He can't seem to understand why his non-profit doesn't qualify in the eyes of the Calgary Food Banks as not having as broad of a reach as other larger agencies.

"You know, I'm very shocked and surprised at the decision. It doesn't really make sense to me, especially with the reach that we have."

BeTheChangeYYC team lead Garth Paynter says he served 138 people alone during his outreach shift on Wednesday evening.

"We didn't have as much food as we usually do for our snack bags, so we're taking out a couple granola bars and some crackers, maybe a sandwich, if we're lucky," he said.

"The clients are really noticing, and it's been hard on them."

The Calgary Food Bank says it did provide 30 days of notice to BeTheChangeYYC as part of their contractual obligation under the MOU and that the decision isn't a reflection of a desire to step away from providing service to unhoused individuals.

"I think one of the things that's really important to note, with that population and the agencies that we do partner with who are working with that specific demographic of the unhoused population, is that we have actually grown our provision with them," From said.

"We're working really hard to make sure that there aren't folks who aren't being fed, and it's really a wraparound approach. There's so many incredible agencies and partners doing work with that population in our community, and I have no doubt that they're doing a really great job of making sure no one's being left behind."