Featured in the Calgary Herald
From the outside, Alberta’s rural landscape looks idyllic. But’s it’s hiding a heartbreaking reality in many communities. Limited job opportunities, fewer services, and higher basic living costs make it incredibly hard for some parents to keep food on the table for their kids.
That’s why I Can for Kids is partnering with McMan Central Region (McMan) and Nutrien to tackle this issue. They operate a unique program that leaves the traditional food bank model behind. Instead of food hampers, I Can for Kids distributes grocery gift cards.
This three-way partnership helps rural families facing big challenges – single parents raising kids alone, large families stretched thin by soaring rents, and moms juggling disabilities, trauma, or medical crises.
“The vast majority of our clients also face food insecurity,” says Jennifer Sutherland, Senior Practice Specialist, McMan. “This often forces them to choose between paying bills and buying groceries. The constant worry about where the next meal is coming from overshadows everything else.”
“Grocery gift cards allow families to access food in a supportive, dignified way,” says Sutherland. “They ease the stress, pressures, and stigma of food insecurity. This helps them stabilize enough to take the next step – whether that means attending school, applying for work, managing a budget, or simply getting through the week.”
