This Thanksgiving, as families gather around the table to share a meal, nearly 30% of Albertans will face food insecurity. This number starkly highlights the precarious situation many people in Calgary face.
The Power Behind a Meal: Our Kitchen Team
Paul, Inn from the Cold’s manager of meal services, has seen firsthand the impact of food insecurity. As the meal services manager, Paul knows that the power of a meal brings families together. Focusing on a family’s nutritional needs, Paul works diligently to ensure that families can concentrate on building strong family connections and on their path to housing stability.
“When we look at making a menu, or we look at providing a meal, [We think] ‘what is something extra that we can do to make this meal special for a family?'”
– Paul A., Manager, Meal Services.
This past year, our kitchen team has prepared and served 74,700 meals to families staying in our emergency shelter and delivered almost 900 food hampers to families in our housing program. Every time Paul plans the shelter’s menu, he thinks about nutrition, variety, and dignity. Another consideration for our kitchen team is cultural diversity. Food is deeply tied to belonging, and the menus we create must reflect the backgrounds of the families we serve.
How Can You Support This Thanksgiving?
Your gift will help us provide thoughtful, nutritious meals for families in our family shelter. These meals will help children thrive and give parents space to focus on their family’s next steps.
Together, with your donation this Thanksgiving, we can create these shared meals that strengthen family bonds and show children and their families experiencing homelessness that a meal can be more than just food. It’s care, connection, and hope for the future ahead.
Your donation will bring the Power of a Meal to families staying at Inn from the Cold.
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- $6.49 will provide one meal for a child staying in our shelter.
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- $25.96 will allow us to provide meals for one family staying in a shelter for one day.
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- $181.72 will allow us to provide meals for one family staying in a shelter for one week.
Your support will help us serve over 74,000 meals each year at Inn from the Cold.
Check out the video below to hear more from Paul.
