Food insecurity, poverty surging in Calgary as demand for WINS services doubles

Demand for services at WINS—a Calgary charity supporting women and families—has more than doubled in the past year, coinciding with rising food insecurity and financial strain as the school year begins and cooler weather settles in.

Half of Calgary's single mothers are now experiencing food insecurity, according to the organization. Having a job is often no longer enough to cover the costs of raising a family. Research from Vibrant Communities Calgary found that the working poor in Calgary more than doubled in the years following the pandemic.

Women seeking WINS support face increasingly complex challenges: balancing costs of food, housing, and unexpected expenses like changes to work schedules that disrupt childcare arrangements. Karen Ramchuk, WINS president and CEO, said: "We have a massive problem in our city. The need for our services at WINS has more than doubled over last year, and people really need help and support."

Ramchuk noted that even employed clients struggle with cascading costs. "They still need help with transportation so they can get to that job. They might have secured a job, but sometimes an unexpected shift in the work schedule means they can no longer make daycare payments."

Michelle James, director of policy with Vibrant Communities Calgary, said: "Earning a wage right now might not be enough actually to get by, to actually meet your basic needs." Peggy Mocarquer, community impact director at WINS, warned of a broader concern: "There's so much going on in the world and in the city and in our province that we have a fear at WINS that people are gonna forget how much people need help right now." WINS is encouraging Calgarians to consider the challenges neighbors face as Thanksgiving approaches.