Pay or don’t: Calgary food stand seeks to address food insecurity
Posted Jun 29, 2023 7:56 pm.
Last Updated Jun 30, 2023 1:20 pm.
A Calgarian’s business venture is ensuring everyone has a place to eat, whether they can pay for it or not.
If you head into Calgary’s East Village this summer, you’ll find Tyler Melnyk serving hot and nutritious food.
He runs No Fixed Address, feeding Calgarians whether they can pay for it or not.
“I use something called a Huggabowl, and a Huggabowl token just sits there in the front, and anybody can come by and use these. If there’s a token in the bowl, then that means that there’s a meal,” he told CityNews.
“So today, about 15 have been purchased. They can be added on to a regularly priced meal, or they can be bought outright.”
It’s a unique business model prioritizing people, the planet, and profit. The food comes from local businesses, diverting it from becoming food waste.
His goal is to continually expand across the country with a dream of having a stand operate in Hamilton, Ont, the city where his father passed away while living on the streets.
“I always knew where to find him, but then there was a period of time when we couldn’t, and we found out why,” Melnyk said.
“So that was like looking in the mirror and saying, ‘Wow, someone I love, someone I know, has gone to the part of society that I thought was never a possibility in this realm.'”
It’s a chance to get to know the community, making sure that everyone who passes by has an opportunity to eat.
“Just realizing that it can happen to anyone. If it can happen to the man whose warm embrace was my home, if it can happen to the person who meant more to me than anything,” Melnyk said.
WATCH: What is NFA
Melnyk says food insecurity is something that can impact anyone. If there’s a token in the bowl and you can’t pay, he’ll give you a meal, no questions asked.
“It makes them feel welcome, it makes them feel included, and they are,” he said.
“I’m happy to share a bit of my day with them and hear about them and how they’re doing, and then we check in the next time.”
His stand will be in Calgary’s East Village from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
More information can be found online.
