Enough for All is Calgary’s city-wide approach to reducing poverty by improving access to vital supports and changing policies and systems, so fewer people are pushed into poverty in the first place.
Enough for All is Calgary’s community-owned poverty reduction strategy.
The original strategy was developed through an extensive community consultation in 2012-2013, and was adopted unanimously by Calgary City Council and the United Way of Calgary and Area’s Board of Directors in 2013.
Vibrant Communities Calgary was appointed the steward of the strategy, serving as a backbone organization to guide its implementation, with the community remaining its collective owner.
In 2019, Enough for All underwent a refresh and evolved into Enough for All 2.0.
Approach
Vision
We live in a community where there is enough for all.
Mission
We will create opportunities to align and leverage the work of hundreds of organizations and thousands of Calgarians to reduce poverty in our city.
Principles
Promoting shared leadership
Engaging voices of people with lived experience in poverty
Focusing on dignity of all
Increasing multi-sectoral engagement
Employing trauma-informed approaches
Mobilizing awareness and empathy of inter-generational trauma
Reducing racism and discrimination and promoting diversity in our practices
Offering relevant, accessible and timely services and supports
Implement the 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Goals
The goals of Enough for All establish a clear line of sight to how we are approaching poverty reduction together. Our strategy is guided by the voices of lived experience.
Communities are essential to poverty reduction because they enable people to work together to address social and economic challenges. Communities also give people the network of support they need in times of stress, crisis or change. Increasing social inclusion and giving people a place to get together, make friends and be part of their community go a long way toward solving some of the basic problems that keep people in poverty.
Financial vulnerability affects many people in Calgary. Over the past several decades, wages have not kept up with the rapidly increasing cost of living. Most of those living below the poverty line belong to households in which at least one person is working. Many more are living above the poverty line, yet experience financial vulnerability due to low levels of saving and high levels of debt. To effectively address poverty, we must provide people with opportunities to earn sufficient incomes and build financial assets. This requires both financial empowerment and increased economic participation, as well as adequate income supports for those unable to find work, work full-time or work at all.
The urgency of poverty among Indigenous people in Calgary cannot be overstated. As stated in Article 1 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, “Indigenous peoples have suffered from historic injustices as a result of their colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories and resources, preventing them from exercising, in particular, their right to development in accordance with their own needs and interests.” In addition to the cultural, socio-economic, systemic and psychosocial consequences poverty has on a population, it stymies the long-term potential and progress of individuals and the larger community.
To achieve its three primary goals, Enough for All includes 10 Levers of Change that represent specific areas of focus that must be addressed to reduce poverty in Calgary.
Addressing poverty requires a diverse set of perspectives and approaches. E4A Champions are businesses, nonprofits, government, and community groups working together to enhance community well-being and reduce poverty.
Breaking down silos and collaborating across different sectors is critical to a thriving community. Creating a line of sight between action and impact, VCC checks in with Champions and tracks progress on poverty reduction through an annual evaluation.
Vibrant Communities Calgary strives to be as inclusive as possible with our materials. We have translated our vision, mission and principles into the following languages:
Beyond stewarding Enough for All, VCC is guided by its own strategic plan. VCC’s inaugural 2024–2027 Strategic Plan sets priorities and actions to advance a more inclusive, resilient, and thriving Calgary, aligned with its purpose to inspire change, reduce poverty, and improve well-being.
