Shaping the next chapter of Enough for All

Over the past several months, Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) has been listening to new and seasoned voices about what is needed to address poverty in Calgary. Together with non-profit leaders, lived experts and Indigenous elders, we have been looking at the Enough for All (E4A) poverty reduction strategy through different lenses, identifying what has been working, what has not, and what opportunities there are for clarity and change.

The original strategy was approved in 2013, followed by the first refresh in 2018. As VCC approaches the latest E4A refresh, we are pairing our learnings from the past decade with our understanding of what Calgarians are experiencing today. While the realities of poverty remain, the social, economic, and environmental conditions that shape people’s experiences continue to change. Calgary is growing and evolving and the strategy is designed to evolve alongside Calgary to respond to emerging challenges, shifting priorities, and new opportunities.

VCC has been connecting with E4A Champions, social sector organizations and service providers, Indigenous Elders and community members, people with lived experience of poverty, business and economic development organizations, researchers, funders across Calgary to gather insights and perspectives for the next chapter of E4A. Through over 65 engagements involving 55 organizations and more than 260 people, insights, experiences, and expertise are helping to inform the strategy's future direction.

Key things we heard through engagements:

The importance of being a part of something bigger. E4A is collective work that invites people and organizations to the table and helps convene around complex challenges while driving change through connection, policy, and research.
Storytelling that continues to bridge the realities and insights of lived experience and frontline agencies with policy-level actions to reduce poverty.
A focus on measurement to more plainly track which actions are moving the needle on poverty reduction, while also understanding the need for diverse and abiding relationships to guide and strengthen the work.
The need for clearer roles for those advancing E4A, including VCC as the steward and Champions.
Clarity on the purpose of levers of change and how they relate to pathways in and out of poverty.

As part of this refresh journey, we’ve also learned that the E4A strategy continues to be guided by Kimmaapiitisiin, a Blackfoot teaching centred on love, compassion, kindness, and empathy. This concept is action-based and responds to how poverty needs to be addressed. It’s about care and walking alongside people as we work collectively to achieve the vision of a Calgary where everyone has enough, and towards a city where all people can meet their basic needs, participate fully in community life, and experience a sense of belonging and well-being.

As the next chapter of Calgary's poverty reduction strategy is written, it is informed by everything we heard through the engagement process and reflects on over a decade of evidence, collaboration, and collective learning.

VCC is excited to share the refreshed strategy later this year. We are grateful to everyone who has taken the time to shape the E4A strategy. Broad community insights ensure that the refreshed strategy reflects Calgary today while also looking to the future.