Community Support

Building partnerships with charitable organizations is a significant way the Calgary Food Bank helps to make food accessible to everyone in our city.

One of the many partnerships the Calgary Food Bank has is with The Salvation Army— one of the largest non-governmental providers of social services in Canada. Their client base is broad, and their services are far-reaching. By partnering with a charity like this, the Calgary Food Bank can reach more people, more meaningfully.

Between September 2024 and February 2025, the Calgary Food Bank provided The Salvation Army:

• 90,850 pounds of food for use in their Centre of Hope men’s shelter programs.
• 39,890 pounds of food for use through their Community and Family Services programs.
• 9,371 pounds of food for their Outreach program and Mobile Warming Stations.

This food is used to make hot meals, provide take-home support, and is distributed to the unhoused population. The Salvation Army also operates two Satellite locations. These are alternative distribution spots for Emergency Food Hampers that offer clients a chance to pick up their hampers closer to home.       

James Wheeler, Director of Community and Family Services says food is an essential starting point in reaching many of The Salvation Army’s clients.

“[Food] gets people in the door going, ‘we need support, we need help,’ yeah, you need immediate help but what about thinking about long term; next week, next month, what is your long-term plan for food?”

He explains that when help is offered in a way that is respectful and meaningful, the door is open to work on some of the more complex issues in a client’s life.

“Dignity is so important, if we are just giving food without dignity, it’s the lowest level of addressing that need. At the end of the day, we all need friendship, we need encouragement, we need support, and that’s the same no matter the circumstances.”

Wheeler explains that part of fostering dignity is ensuring people are eating healthy and appropriate food. For example, clients who have newly arrived in Canada, can experience barriers around a culturally appropriate diet. The types of food they used to prepare back home may not be readily available here, so The Salvation Army takes steps to bridge the gap with food literacy programs. These programs celebrate cultural differences and take a non-judgmental approach to educating people about food they may not be familiar with.

“We want to help people get what they need to get through the month, but we also want to encourage literacy and help clients make the most out of the food received.” “If we didn’t have food we couldn’t have a starting point with people. It’s so cool the way that food opens that door. We are very grateful for the [Calgary] Food Bank.”

If you would like to learn more about our Food Link program or find out if your organization is eligible for support, click here.