Our grocery
gift card program
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, I Can for Kids empowers food-insecure families with grocery gift cards, distributed through our network of trusted social service agencies, public healthcare programs, and other community organizations.
It’s a dignified, income-based approach.
Grocery gift cards quickly and directly address the underlying financial strain that prevents families from accessing enough healthy food.
Parents have the freedom to plan, purchase, and provide fresh, healthy meals for their families – simply by shopping at their local grocery store. It’s a practical, research-backed way for families to access the food they need, their way.
How grocery gift cards work
Invest wisely.
We use your generous donations to buy grocery gift cards at discounted rates from the stores families request the most.
Collaborate with frontline partners.
We distribute our grocery gift cards through frontline social service agencies and community partners who provide critical support to address other complex life challenges.
Empower families in greatest need.
Through our partner network, frontline staff get to know families and target the cards to those in greatest need.
Provide access to food – at the local grocery store.
Parents use grocery gift cards to supplement and stretch their household food budgets. They have the freedom to choose the foods that best meet their cultural, dietary, and personal needs.
Enable more children to thrive.
Families stock their refrigerators and cupboards with quality foods. Children may participate in food preparation, enjoy meals with family and friends, and experience life-long positive impacts.
A proven model, backed by research
We’ve done our homework. We conducted research with the University of Calgary and the O’Brien Institute for Public Health that validated the effectiveness of our innovative grocery gift card model.
Freedom and Choice
Parents shop in their local store and buy quality foods their kids will eat, reflecting their culture, dietary needs, and preferences.
Convenient and personalized
Families receive grocery gift cards alongside other community services they are already accessing. Support is tailored to their unique situation.
Private and discreet
No embarrassment, no stigma, no complex eligibility requirements. Just a respectful way to support the family’s essential needs.
Immediate relief
Participants receive immediate support in a time of crisis, reducing emotional and financial stress and creating breathing room to afford other essentials.
Efficient and effective
Grocery stores are the best place for groceries. No need for costly warehouses, transport trucks, complex logistics, or waste.
“Thank you for your generous donation of grocery gift cards to our family. Your kindness came at a time when it was truly needed, and it made such a difference. We were able to fill our fridge and pantry with fresh, healthy food, and ease the stress and worry about our next grocery trip. You brought practical help, relief, and hope to our home – it means more than words can express.”
Why traditional food programs fall short
Traditional food-based programs are a well-intentioned response to hunger, but they often miss what food-insecure families need most – dignity, autonomy, and the means to access the food that truly fits their lives.
Stigma and embarrassment
Collecting food publicly can be uncomfortable and create feelings of shame. Grocery gift cards discreet and offer dignity through a normal shopping experience.
Barriers to access
Traditional food programs can have complex eligibility requirements, waiting periods, and transportation challenges to food locations. Grocery gift cards offer convenient access, where recipients prefer to shop.
Lack of choice and flexibility
Free food programs offer limited selections – and may not meet a family’s cultural or dietary needs. Grocery gift cards provide autonomy to decide for themselves.
Time and resources
Traditional food programs require food storage, transport trucks, and many volunteers. Gift cards make support faster, simpler, and more efficient for everyone.
“It’s still hard for me to speak about the moment I realised there simply wasn’t enough food in the pantry, or money get us through the week. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more ashamed. I swallowed my pride and went down to the Family Resource Centre. I was able to connect with staff, ask for help, and go lunch shopping with grocery gift cards.”
A simple shift with powerful impact.
Your support empowers thousands of food insecure families in Calgary, Airdrie, Red Deer, and rural Alberta.
$4M+
in grocery gift cards have gone to food-insecure families in the last five years – helping to alleviate the serious harms caused by a lack of income.
200+
communities have accessed grocery gift cards through participation in over 55 unique programs, offered by more than 25 frontline partners.
41,500+
food-insecure kids received our support last year – enhancing their overall health, wellbeing, and future success.
Dive deeper
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”.
Essentials not extras: How food-insecure families use grocery gift cards
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 new paradigm to tackle the growing food insecurity crisis in Calgary and beyond
Amid the disruption of the global pandemic, I Can for Kids transitioned from a traditional food provision model to an innovative income-based approach. Targeting grocery gift cards to food-insecure families boosts their emotional, financial, and physical well-being.
“We live in a low-cost housing unit on a fixed income. My husband lost his job and there is no work. Our biggest concern is: Do we have enough money to make lunches for our children or give them a decent breakfast? It is hard to access services for food, but with I Can for Kids, we are now able to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables for our children. It can be the difference between food on our table or skipping another meal.”
Your generous support empowers thousands of families with the dignity and confidence to plan, purchase, and provide fresh and healthy food that meets their kids’ unique needs.
None of that can happen without donors like you.
