More Calgary parents struggle to afford food amid back to school expenses

Calgary parents are back to packing school lunches, and while it may seem like a chore for many, others say it’s a luxury they simply cannot afford.

One in four Calgary students live in a household that has experienced food insecurity over the past 12 months.

Betty Jo Kaiser is with the Calgary Food Bank and says more parents are reaching out to school food programs to support their kids, but at the same time they are going hungry themselves.

“We are working to communicate that the whole family needs food support,” says Kaiser. “And it doesn’t really matter the time of year.”

Statistics show that September is actually one of the most draining months for family finances. Parents are paying a minimum of $300 per child on school fees and over $400 per child on busing.

Then there is the cost of back-to-school essentials which doesn’t even factor in the cost of feeding the family.

Kaiser says many working parents are reluctant to ask for help.

“The stories that we hear about people that are trying really, really hard not to have to ask for additional help, parents skipping a meal, we hear it all,” she says.

“We do ask people what their main source of income is so that we can understand and track it. More and more people are saying ‘hey, I’m working…but my paycheque is not stretching.'”

Kaiser says the Calgary Food Bank’s emergency food hamper program is in place for 365 days a year to support the entire family.

Hampers are booked based on scheduled availability, which is always fluctuating. More information on how to access an emergency food hamper is available at calgaryfoodbank.com.

School food programs across the city were already being stretched to the limit during the 2023-24 school year, with thousands of kids relying on them for meals five days a week.