There are many efforts in Calgary that work to address the needs of food-insecure households. One unique program is I Can for Kids’ grocery gift card program. Previously a summer food pack program for school-aged children, in 2020, I Can for Kids made the shift to providing a year-round grocery gift card program to families living on low incomes. Researchers at the University of Calgary conducted in-depth interviews with parents and front-line social service agencies to explore their experiences and perceptions of iCAN’s grocery gift card program. Lead researcher Yun Lee discusses some of her findings in the video below.

Read the study Experiences and perceived outcomes of a grocery gift card programme for households at risk of food insecurity. Also check out some of the key findings of the study and how further research on I Can for Kids’ program may have the potential to provide more evidence in support of income-based responses and policies to food insecurity.