Affording Thanksgiving: How some Calgarians are stepping up

Fifty free turkeys were given away Sunday to low income families with at-risk kids by the Youth Empowerment and Skills Centre (YESC) at the Forest Lawn Community Centre.

The centre says this will help some people celebrate Thanksgiving with their families for the first time after the COVID-19 restrictions.

Thanksgiving is typically based around food and family, but for Canadians struggling with food insecurity, it can be stressful.

“I think a lot of people have reconsidered having that traditional Thanksgiving meal this year, just because of the cost,” said Meaghon Reid, executive director of Vibrant Communities Calgary.

“The emotions that causes for people are really difficult, so you might be on social media and seeing other people have their family dinners, and being really sad that you can’t. I think it also brings up a lot of distress.”

Grocery prices have continued to rise, making the essentials of Thanksgiving hard to get, so some Calgarians came together to provide meals for people who need it.

“We aimed for 25 to 50 families, but we have around 150 families that applied,” said Gar Gar, executive director of YESC.

The Forest Lawn community centre became a Thanksgiving hub Sunday, where they handed out everything from stuffing to turkey seasonings.

They stared by purchasing 50 turkeys, but soon realized the demand was much higher — a stark reminder of a massive issue affecting communities across the province.

“It shows the magnitude of problems,” added Gar.

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Although Reid says the outcome was fantastic, “it’s also just a real signal of just how poorly we’re doing,” she said.

“Alberta is Canada’s most food insecure province, and 50 turkeys given away at Thanksgiving is great, but its not going to come close to scratching the surface of the bigger problem.”

Gar adds in times such as these, it’s the strength and generosity of Calgarians that help people.

The distribution event took place Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.