For many Calgarians, food insecurity is a round-the-clock worry. With their new downtown location, the Calgary Food Bank hopes to ease those worries and make quality nourishment accessible.
The new location, in the Neoma building right between the 6th and 7th street Calgary Transit LRT stations, is part of the Food Bank’s five-year strategic plan to make food accessible to everyone in Calgary.
Melissa From, President and CEO of Calgary Food Bank, said that the main food bank warehouse distributes 7-10 days worth of food to 800 households every day, and this new location will be no different.
“We cannot do this work in isolation. At the Calgary Food Bank, we know we are a part of a much, much broader ecosystem of support. We were started by community for community and we have great friends and neighbors who make up that community. It is an incredible privilege to be joining the community here at the Neoma building,” From said.
Jay Gohill, Chairman of the Board of the Calgary Food Bank, said that the announcement is important news, but more effort is always to come.
“Celebrates is a tricky word and while we are grateful that the community has supported and donated funds to help make this new space possible, we’re reminded that every day, many of our neighbors are struggling to make ends meet,” he said.
“As the city grows, the need grows, and as a result, the Calgary Food Bank must also grow. This location in the heart of Calgary will make it easier for people who don’t have access to personal transportation to come and get food.”
Forty years after the Food Bank was founded by community, for community, Gohill said the grand impacts of volunteers and donors cannot be put into words. He said the newest chapter in the Food Bank’s history is beginning with collaboration.
Powered by the HomeSpace Society, in the Neoma building, the name of which means ‘new moon’, the food bank joins partners like Inn from the Cold.
Bernadette Majdell, the CEO of HomeSpace Society, said that the organization was very intentional when choosing the tenets of the space and could not imagine a better partner than the Food Bank.
“The Food Bank has long been a reliable source of support for people across our city, and we are thrilled to help make access to their services even easier and more dependable for those who live and work downtown,” she said.
“It’s what makes today so meaningful.”
Food insecurity has been a growing issue city-wide and when families are escaping toxic situations or doing their best to get back on their feet, feeding hungry tummies is extremely tough, said Inn from the Cold CEO Heather Morley, whose organization occupies nine floors of the Neoma building with their family emergency shelter, offices, transitional shelter and wraparound supports and permanent supportive housing.
“Ensuring families have enough to eat allows parents to focus on rebuilding their lives and children can focus on learning and growing. Healthier families mean stronger communities. We believe that housing and food should be both affordable and accessible,” she said.
