Social Policy Trends: Calgary Food Bank Clients and Social Assistance Caseloads

Authors

  • Ronald D. Kneebone University of Calgary
  • Margarita (Gres) Wilkins University of Calgary

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/sppp.v10i0.43228

Abstract

CALGARY FOOD BANK CLIENTS AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE CASELOADS

 

The social safety net consists of various government programs as well as services funded and provided through different private organizations. The social safety net includes health and employment insurance, the Canada and Quebec pension plans, old age security, workers compensation, and provincial social-assistance programs. It also consists of the contributions of family, friends, and a great number of charities and faith-based organizations that seek to serve needs not directly met by government programs. In Calgary, part of the non-government sector that caters to those in need is the Calgary Food Bank.

 

The points in the following graph, identify the number of social assistance caseloads (classified as Expected to Work - ETW) in the Calgary region, and the number of clients of the Calgary Food Bank for each month, beginning in January 2012 and ending in May 2017. The influence of the December holiday season on the number of clients served by the Food Bank is evident. Each December, the Food Bank serves, on average, the needs of an additional 6,700 clients relative to other months.

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Published

2017-12-13

Issue

Section

Communiqués