Alberta
Calgary Meals on Wheels Community Demand Grows 30% amid COVID-19
Local non-profit organization Calgary Meals on Wheels will celebrate 56 years of providing nutritious, accessible meals to Calgarians this November after a year of unprecedented demand and growth.
Calgary Meals on Wheels originated in 1965 as the Calgary Church Women’s Community Care organization, which launched with the goal of providing meals to senior citizens who had been released from hospital and required additional support. The organization was renamed Calgary Meals on Wheels in 1975, and has since expanded enormously within Calgary, extending its customer base to serve any and all Calgarians in need, regardless of circumstance.
According to Calgary Meals on Wheels, “Whether it’s navigating life with a new baby, an unexpected or chronic illness, living with a disability, the loss of a loved one, divorce, or simply the natural effects of aging, we’re here to provide the comfort of healthy, delicious meals.”
“We want people to feel comfortable coming to us, no matter what challenges they face.” Says Robyn Weatherly, Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Calgary Meals on Wheels.
The non-profit is now located in the Great Plains Industrial Park, having moved a number of times over the years to accommodate the growing demand across Calgary. Their current facility features a custom built, 15,000 square foot production area that allowed them to produce more than 3,000 meals per day in 2019.
Like so many others, the organization was struck hard by COVID-19 in 2020, and was forced to pivot quickly to ensure no meals went undelivered. “COVID challenged literally every operational procedure we have,” says Stephanie Ralph, Philanthropy and Communications Manager for Calgary Meals on Wheels, “but we have been able to adapt. We did not miss a single day of service.”
According to Ralph, the impacts of COVID-19 led to a 30% increase in demand from 2019 to 2020 as more Calgarians remained at home. As a result, the organization served close to 800,000 meals last year.
It is the ongoing and incredible support they receive from the community and their volunteers that makes it possible, according to the team. “It just couldn’t be done without the community,” says Ralph, “at one point, we actually had a waiting list for volunteers. Our oldest was in her 90’s, and she just retired this year, after 50 years of volunteering with us.”
In addition to supporting individuals, Calgary Meals on Wheels also partners with a number of organizations to cater to community groups and students in need through initiatives like their Hot Soup Program and Going Home Program. A major challenge the organization faced in 2020 was ensuring community members and students still had reliable access to food during the closures that kept everyone at home. In partnership with The Calgary Food Bank, South Centre Mall, Calgary Co-Op and The Genesis Centre, Calgary Meals on Wheels was able to effectively redirect non-perishable food items to those still in need throughout the duration of the lockdown measures that forced schools and community centres to close.
As we head into 2021, Calgary Meals on Wheels remains committed to serving Calgarians and providing support for any member of the community who needs it, regardless of circumstance. To learn more about Calgary Meals on Wheels or how you can support this organization, visit https://www.mealsonwheels.com.
For more stories, visit Todayville Calgary.
Show your Alberta side. Buy Local. |
When the going gets tough, Albertans stick together. That’s why Alberta’s government is launching a new campaign to benefit hard-working Albertans.
Global uncertainty is threatening the livelihoods of hard-working Alberta farmers, ranchers, processors and their families. The ‘Buy Local’ campaign, recently launched by Alberta’s government, encourages consumers to eat, drink and buy local to show our unified support for the province’s agriculture and food industry.
The government’s ‘Buy Local’ campaign encourages consumers to buy products from Alberta’s hard-working farmers, ranchers and food processors that produce safe, nutritious food for Albertans, Canadians and the world.
“It’s time to let these hard-working Albertans know we have their back. Now, more than ever, we need to shop local and buy made-in-Alberta products. The next time you are grocery shopping or go out for dinner or a drink with your friends or family, support local to demonstrate your Alberta pride. We are pleased tariffs don’t impact the ag industry right now and will keep advocating for our ag industry.”
Alberta’s government supports consumer choice. We are providing tools to help folks easily identify Alberta- and Canadian-made foods and products. Choosing local products keeps Albertans’ hard-earned dollars in our province. Whether it is farm-fresh vegetables, potatoes, honey, craft beer, frozen food or our world-renowned beef, Alberta has an abundance of fresh foods produced right on our doorstep.
Quick facts
- This summer, Albertans can support local at more than 150 farmers’ markets across the province and meet the folks who make, bake and grow our food.
- In March 2023, the Alberta government launched the ‘Made in Alberta’ voluntary food and beverage labelling program to support local agriculture and food sectors.
- Through direct connections with processors, the program has created the momentum to continue expanding consumer awareness about the ‘Made in Alberta’ label to help shoppers quickly identify foods and beverages produced in our province.
- Made in Alberta product catalogue website
Related information
- Buy Local Alberta
- Made in Alberta Product Catalogue
- Alberta Agri-Food Products and Services Export Catalogue
Alberta
Province to expand services provided by Alberta Sheriffs: New policing option for municipalities
Expanding municipal police service options |
Proposed amendments would help ensure Alberta’s evolving public safety needs are met while also giving municipalities more options for local policing.
As first announced with the introduction of the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, Alberta’s government is considering creating a new independent agency police service to assume the police-like duties currently performed by Alberta Sheriffs. If passed, Bill 49 would lay additional groundwork for the new police service.
Proposed amendments to the Police Act recognize the unique challenges faced by different communities and seek to empower local governments to adopt strategies that effectively respond to their specific safety concerns, enhancing overall public safety across the province.
If passed, Bill 49 would specify that the new agency would be a Crown corporation with an independent board of directors to oversee its day-to-day operations. The new agency would be operationally independent from the government, consistent with all police services in Alberta. Unlike the Alberta Sheriffs, officers in the new police service would be directly employed by the police service rather than by the government.
“With this bill, we are taking the necessary steps to address the unique public safety concerns in communities across Alberta. As we work towards creating an independent agency police service, we are providing an essential component of Alberta’s police framework for years to come. Our aim is for the new agency is to ensure that Albertans are safe in their communities and receive the best possible service when they need it most.”
Additional amendments would allow municipalities to select the new agency as their local police service once it becomes fully operational and the necessary standards, capacity and frameworks are in place. Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring the new agency works collaboratively with all police services to meet the province’s evolving public safety needs and improve law enforcement response times, particularly in rural communities. While the RCMP would remain the official provincial police service, municipalities would have a new option for their local policing needs.
Once established, the agency would strengthen Alberta’s existing policing model and complement the province’s current police services, which include the RCMP, Indigenous police services and municipal police. It would help fill gaps and ensure law enforcement resources are deployed efficiently across the province.
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