A $650,000 provincial grant will help Calgary Meals on Wheels expand its capacity to deliver an additional 180,000 meals a year to Calgarians who rely on its services.
The funding is part of more than $38 million announced Tuesday for two long-standing Alberta grant programs supporting community organizations across the province.
The Community Facility Enhancement Program, or CFEP, helps organizations build, improve and maintain public spaces, while the Community Initiatives Program, or CIP, supports projects and activities that respond to local needs.
For Calgary Meals on Wheels, the CFEP funding is being used to expand its facility with a 1,300-square-foot freezer and a 700-square-foot cooler.
Esther Elder, CEO of Calgary Meals on Wheels, said the expansion will allow the organization to prepare, store and distribute more food while removing bottlenecks in its operations.
“It is a capacity multiplier,” Elder said.
The organization currently serves more than 9,000 unique clients in Calgary through its programs, including home delivery and school-based meal programs.
Elder said the additional capacity could translate into about 180,000 more meals annually for seniors aging in place, families facing financial strain, people recovering from illness and students who rely on school meal programs.
The organization said the exact number of additional people served will vary because some clients require two or three meals a day.
The provincial investment comes as community organizations continue to respond to different needs across Calgary, from food insecurity to accessibility.
Funding aimed at strengthening community spaces
While Meals on Wheels is using its grant to increase food capacity, another Calgary organization is using provincial funding to improve access to a major community hub.
The Genesis Centre received a $125,000 CFEP grant in 2025-26 to replace an elevator at its Northeast Calgary facility.
The elevator replacement is intended to improve safety and accessibility for people who rely on the centre for services and programs.
Sherry King, president of the Genesis Centre, said the facility sees about 2.5 million visitors each year and serves as a hub for northeast Calgary.
The centre hosts services including immunization clinics, language classes, cultural and spiritual events and other community programming.
King said replacing the elevator is about more than infrastructure — it is about making sure people of different ages and abilities can access those services.
She pointed to parents navigating the centre with young children and strollers as one example of how a functioning elevator can make a difference.
The provincial government said CFEP grants require matching funds, with an average of $3 in additional funding contributed from other sources for every provincial dollar invested through the program.
Tanya Fir, Alberta’s minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women, said the grants are intended to help non-profits strengthen their ability to respond to community needs.
“Non-profits are the angels of compassion and creativity in Alberta,” Fir said during the announcement.
The two programs have historically supported more than 700 projects each year across the province, according to the province.
For Calgary organizations, the funding comes as community groups continue to expand services while trying to meet growing demand.
Elder said the Meals on Wheels expansion will allow the organization to bring on new schools and community partners more quickly while strengthening its ability to respond to community needs.
Fir said the provincial government will continue balancing support for community organizations with responsible budget decisions when asked whether more should be done to support Albertans facing financial pressures.
The funding announcement also comes ahead of Alberta Day celebrations planned for Aug. 30, which Fir said will include events at Heritage Park in Calgary and throughout the province.
The minister said the focus of the celebrations will remain on Alberta’s culture, heritage and communities.
