about us

Our Mission and Vision

Cherries in Hand

Mission: Together, we fight hunger and its root causes because no one should go hungry.

Vision: A hunger-free community. 

The Calgary Food Bank is the first line of emergency food support for families and individuals facing crisis. As the city’s main charitable food hub and the most accessible food bank we have the capacity to serve families, individuals and organizations to fight hunger. We rely solely on the generous support of the community and people like you!

 

Strategic Priorities

FEED

Relieve hunger and provide support for clients who are experiencing food insecurity.

LEAD

Expand our role as a catalyst in inspiring, engaging, and empowering community to build a food-secure future.

CONNECT

Continue to strengthen our network to address root causes of food insecurity.

Our Values

CLIENT-CENTRICITY

We provide quality food with compassion, dignity, efficiency, and respect. We build resiliency in clients through the sharing of food. We centre our attention on our clients’ experiences, feedback, and needs so that our clients are treated with dignity and respect.

COMMUNITY

Our community comes together to help people in crisis. Our community’s contributions of food, funds, and time are our primary resources. Every contribution makes an impact.

CLARITY

All stakeholders understand their roles and how they help us meet our vision and mission. We are effective, transparent, and accountable stewards of our community’s resources.

COLLABORATION

We partner with others to address the root causes of food insecurity. We are one important part of a bigger solution.

Fresh Garden Carrots

“The Food Bank has helped me immensely. Being on social assistance, my budget is extremely tight. The Food Bank does an excellent job of covering all the food groups and offers a good variety as well; milk, cereal, eggs, bread, potatoes, fresh vegetables, fruit, and snack items.”

Calgary Food Bank Client

Numbers reflect our fiscal year, September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023.

Visits

Volunteer Hours a year

hampers distributed

Food Link Partners

Our History

 Over the years, The Calgary Food Bank has grown from a small not-for-profit in a church basement run by 4 volunteers, into a million dollar charitable organization with two warehouses with over 160 volunteers a day. It all started in 1982 when different religious leaders in the community were already collecting food and giving to those in need. They decided to join forces to make the most impact within their community and the Calgary Food Bank was born.

At the same time the enormous economic downturn in Alberta as a direct result of the National Energy Program forced thousands of oil industry workers into unemployment. Many declared bankruptcy and also remained unemployed or underemployed for five years. The need for a food bank was greater than ever.

During this time, the Calgary Food Bank also began to partner with manufacturers, transportation companies and distributors to redirect usable but unwanted food. Food shipments that may be turned down by retailers for many reasons such as outdated packaging; unsold product due to consumer shortfalls; as well as items past their best-before dates. This food was usable, fit for consumption and allowed us to fill pantries, not landfills, from the very beginning.

Since the early days, partnerships were established with trucking companies and distribution centres to divert refused trailers of food from the landfill to the Calgary Food Bank. Then in 2007, the Calgary Food Bank formed a Food Industry Advisory Committee, consisting of industry senior management and owners. An infrastructure was created to redirect products that cannot be sold due to short date, damage, refusal, overstock, packaging issues, end of run or seasonal issues, at the same time maintaining a safe supply of nutritious food for clients and charities. By 2013, 82% of the food collected came from the food industry partnerships.

Working Together

We are a proud member of Food Banks Canada, the national charitable organization dedicated to helping Canadians living with hunger by supporting food banks across the country. The Calgary Food Bank is also part of the provincial association Food Banks Alberta.

Provincial Initiatives

The Calgary Food Bank is part of the 93 member network of food banks that is the provincial association Food Banks Alberta. Provincial initiatives we are involved with include Farm to School and London Drugs.

National Initiatives

Food Banks Canada is a national charitable organization dedicated to helping Canadians living with hunger by supporting more than 500 food banks across the country. Food Banks Canada initiates numerous food and fundraisers to help food banks meet the needs of their communities. When you see these events, know that your participation will make a difference right here at home!

National initiatives we are involved with include: Every Plate Full, Catelli Feed the Hope, Corus Feeds Kids, Hunger Awareness Week, Walmart Fight Hunger, Spark Change, Loblaw’s, Subway, After the Bell, and Campbells Help Hunger Disappear.

Food Bank Fresh

A Fresh Take On Collaboration

​Food banks work hard to provide a variety of fresh foods such as vegetables, fruit, dairy, protein and eggs to their clients. Increasing the quantity of fresh and whole foods in each client’s food bank hamper shows we care about their health and path to resiliency.

With that in mind, we are excited to partner with Food Bank FRESH Alberta, a collaborative project with Calgary Food Bank, Edmonton’s Food Bank, Food Banks Alberta and Food Banks Canada to secure increased amounts of nutritious food for the food bank network in Alberta. The goal is to build strong programs with Alberta food producers to glean and distribute quality fresh food to everyone accessing food banks.

While some food banks in Alberta have connections with their local agricultural producers, it can be difficult to accommodate and move fresh food easily across the whole province. This project will work to eliminate barriers and increase a food bank’s ability to capitalize on the generosity of food producers, as well as to collaborate with producers to identify new areas to procure wholesome, fresh, and nutritious food. The food procurement team in Alberta is being led by Amy McKee, the Western Canada Procurement Manager for Food Banks Canada.

How You Can Help

Donate Food

Help create a healthy meal by donating our most needed items.

Donate Funds

Donate funds securely online, by mail or in person.

Volunteer

Donate your time. Volunteers are our lifeblood.

Host an event

Get creative and engage your community, host a fundraiser.

In the spirit of reconciliation, the Calgary Food Bank acknowledges that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

Calgary Food Bank
MAIN LOCATION (WAREHOUSE)

5000 11 Street SE
Calgary, AB T2H 2Y5

FOOD LINK

By appointment only
Monday to Friday: 8:00 am – 11:00 am

Donation Centre, Door 7

Monday to Thursday: 8:00 am – 7:30 pm
Friday and Saturday: 8:00 am – 3:00 pm

CALL TO REQUEST A HAMPER
403-253-2055

Monday to Thursday: 8:15 am – 7:00 pm
Friday: 8:15 am – 4:00 pm

Or book online

 

Administration
ANNEX HOURS

Monday to Thursday: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Friday: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm

ANNEX LOCATION

5020 12A Street SE
Calgary, AB T2G 5K9

CONTACT

Reception: 403-253-2059
info@calgaryfoodbank.com

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© 2020 Calgary Food Bank. All rights reserved. | Charitable # 130 167 349 RR0001

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