Relief
Hope
Freedom
Stability
Connection
Resilience
Dignity
Relief
Hope
Freedom
Stability
Connection
Resilience
Dignity
Relief
Hope
Freedom
Stability
Connection
Resilience
Dignity
is on the table.
When families can’t afford food, kids pay the price.
Nearly 1.5 million Albertans now live in food-insecure households. They simply don’t have enough income to put healthy food on the table, every meal, every day. This crisis means that nearly 2 in 5 kids in our province – about 400,000 children – are growing up without reliable access to adequate nutrition. Food insecurity harms every part of a child’s life.
Physical health
Food-insecure children require more frequent hospital visits and emergency care and are at higher risk for developing chronic conditions.
MENTAL HEALTH
Repeated experiences of food insecurity lead to more struggles with hyperactivity, depression, and anxiety.
Learning
Food-insecure kids are more likely to miss school, receive lower test scores, and struggle with reading, writing, and math.
Friendships
Food-insecure kids feel shame and low self-esteem that can affect friendships and lead to social isolation.
Grocery gift cards restore dignity.
Food insecurity is not about a lack of food. It’s about a lack of income to meet essential needs.
That’s why we don’t hand out free food hampers. Instead, we empower food-insecure families with grocery gift cards distributed through our network of trusted agencies and community partners. It’s a simple, research-backed model for families to access the food they need, their way – putting dignity back on the table.
Your support empowers thousands of families in Calgary and rural Alberta .
Families who receive grocery gift cards get more than just food. They get the power to plan, purchase, and provide fresh and healthy meals for their kids, on their own terms.
in grocery gift cards have gone to food-insecure families since 2020 – helping to alleviate the serious harms caused by a lack of income.
communities have accessed grocery gift cards through participation in over 55 unique programs offered by more than 25 frontline partners.
food-insecure kids received our support last year – enhancing their overall health, wellbeing, and future success.
“Most of my clients struggle to provide food for their families, necessities like diapers and formula, and nutritious options like fruits and vegetables. One client is a single parent of a toddler and often sacrifices her own needs to prioritize the baby’s nutrition. She will eat lentils, gifted eggs, rice, and beans for days on end so that her baby can have healthy foods such as yogurt, fruit, vegetables, and milk. A single grocery gift card allows her to purchase nutritious foods for both herself and baby.”
“I don’t miss standing in a line waiting for a hamper at the food bank because it’s embarrassing. It’s so much easier when I can go the store and get what my kids really need with a grocery gift card.”
What’s new
Food-insecure kids and families need more than food
Alberta’s food insecurity crisis is growing – with the highest rate of food insecurity of all 10 provinces. It’s clear we need to get beyond the food bank model to provide more than “just food”.
Our partnership with Mosaic PCN reaches vulnerable families through public healthcare
We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with Mosaic Primary Care Network (PCN). This enables us to reach more vulnerable children and families in Calgary through the public healthcare system.
Calgary charities cut food hampers in favour of gift cards
New approach reduces waste, lets residents choose what they actually need, and restores dignity to food-insecure families. Story by Elise Stolte, CBC Calgary.
Our champions
Thank you to our generous donors who support our evidence-based model to alleviate childhood food insecurity in Alberta.
Together, we can take food insecurity off the table.
Grocery gift cards improve the lives of children and families in ways that traditional food banks and food programs do not. While the reach of our program is growing, many more families need our help – and the waitlist of agencies wanting to partner with us is long. When you support I Can for Kids you are creating a future where more Albertans live free from food insecurity and have equal opportunities to thrive.
