Indigenous families, newcomers to Canada, and people living with disabilities face unique barriers that increase their risk of food insecurity and have deep impacts to their mental well-being.
Is a box of mac and cheese a feel-good comfort food – or a last resort at the end of the month? This infamous Canadian study examined the different perspectives of food-secure and food-insecure families. The results may surprise you.
In families we support through our grocery gift card program, about 45% of parents and kids struggle with poor mental health. When families regain the power to buy the food they need, it quickly improves their mental health and well-being.
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”.
Multiple research studies have found that traditional food-based interventions fail to reduce food insecurity. That’s why I Can for Kids takes a different approach. Our grocery gift card program improves access to food – simply through shopping at the local store.
At I Can for Kids, we follow third-party research closely to ensure that our program uses an evidence-backed approach. We were very interested to dig into a recent systematic review of research compiled by the Public Health Agency of Canada – assessing the effectiveness of food-based interventions to mitigate household food insecurity.
Step by Step provides exceptional early childhood education and supports for developmentally delayed and disabled children and their families. Their teachers and staff see firsthand the link between nutrition and learning.
Families living with food insecurity make continual trade-offs to stretch limited dollars. They use grocery gift cards to supplement their food budgets thoughtfully and strategically, enabling them to better afford other essentials, like rent and utilities.
A devastating food insecurity crisis is gripping Alberta. A staggering 1.46 million Albertans – nearly 2 in 5 kids – now live in food-insecure households. Parents are forced to choose between feeding their children and paying for rent, utilities, or medications.
