Names have been changed to protect privacy.
“In just a few days, my whole life changed.”
Condessa arrived in Canada in 2023 as a political refugee from Angola, in Western Africa.
She came with her teenaged son, George, just a few personal belongings, and the hope of finding safety.
Condessa had built a successful life in her home country. She worked as a Human Rights activist and had established a home, career, and financial stability. Everything changed when she attended a peaceful and legal protest and was arrested. While in custody, she experienced abuse at the hands of police. After paying a substantial bribe to secure her release, she knew she could no longer remain in Angola.
With the help of family and friends, she quickly decided to leave.
Unable to access her savings back home, she and her son arrived in Calgary with approximately $500 and the few belongings they could carry.
“In just a few days, my whole life changed,” Condessa recalls. “I had lost my home, my career, my country, and my sense of safety.”
Connecting with emergency support
As their limited funds dwindled, Condessa began searching for resources. Like many newcomers, she found herself navigating an unfamiliar social support system while simultaneously trying to secure housing, food, legal supports, and refugee documentation.
Over the following months, Condessa accessed emergency resources, lived in temporary housing, and spent nearly seven months working through complex refugee processes.
She eventually connected with CUPS, a non-profit community health centre focused on providing accessible, wrap-around support to vulnerable Calgarians. They are also one of I Can for Kids’ frontline partners. CUPS supported Condessa with an affordable housing unit, community-building activities, and programming that helped her and George build a new life in Canada.
Facing the realities of food insecurity
Even after reaching safety, the challenges continued.
Condessa continues to face barriers to meaningful employment – despite holding degrees in international relations and diplomacy, having international work experience, qualifications as an executive assistant, and speaking four languages.
“People often assume that if someone is struggling financially, they haven’t worked hard enough or don’t have the skills,” she says. “That isn’t always the reality.”
Like many parents facing financial insecurity, Condessa regularly sacrifices her own needs to ensure her highly active teenager has enough to eat. She often skips meals or limits her own diet so that George can have the foods he enjoys and needs most.
“When you have a limited income, you have limited choices,” she explains. “Every day becomes a decision. Do I pay rent, other bills, or buy food? Everybody needs food. There is no option, you have to eat.”
Seeing her urgent need for support, CUPS provided grocery gift cards from I Can for Kids’ program. The grocery gift cards provide relief from the daily financial strain, and help to ensure her rapidly growing boy gets enough fresh, healthy food, and adequate protein.
Grocery gift cards provide flexible support
For Condessa, the flexibility of grocery gift cards has been transformative.
Unlike traditional food assistance, grocery gift cards allow her to shop in a regular grocery store. She is able to choose the foods her family needs, when they need them, from the vast selection that’s always on the shelves.
Condessa explains that while food banks can provide critical support, they do not always offer the fresh produce, protein-rich foods, and culturally preferred items her family relies on.
“I can eat the lentils we receive from the food bank,” she says. “But my son doesn’t enjoy them and needs more protein. He needs foods like chicken and beef that support his growth and activities.”
“The support from iCAN is so impactful because I receive help immediately and can buy the things I know my family needs.”
More than just food on the table
Condessa also reflects on the lasting impacts of trauma and resilience.
“When you grow up in a developing country, you learn how to be resilient,” she says. “I try to protect George from many things, but as he gets older, he sees that I haven’t fully processed everything that happened. Sometimes I feel like I need to keep moving or I’ll fall apart. My son notices when I’m taking on too much and helps bring me back down. He helps ground me.”
Despite the challenges they have faced, George has adapted to life in Canada, learned English, excels in school, and continues to pursue his passions of football, soccer, and basketball. Condessa has found temporary work, but continues to look for something more permanent.
Looking back on their journey, Condessa wants donors and community members to understand that most people seeking food support are simply doing their best to survive difficult circumstances.
“Most people are not trying to abuse the system. They are trying to make impossible choices with limited resources. Every bit of support matters.”
She credits iCAN and its donors with helping reduce stress, create stability, and provide opportunities to plan for the future.
“This support helps put food on the table. It helps reduce my stress. It helps me pay my bills and manage my budget. It gives me a chance to prepare for emergencies instead of constantly living in crisis.”
For Condessa, access to flexible, income-based food support is about more than groceries – it’s about dignity, choice, stability, and the opportunity to continue rebuilding a life that was unexpectedly left behind.
