One in four Canadian households are considered food insecure and, with grocery prices expected to rise four to six per cent in 2026, community organizations say the pressure is being felt.
For Calgary Meals on Wheels, rising food costs are a daily operational challenge with immediate consequences for clients, according to CEO Esther Elder.
“Those increases are not theoretical; they are real,” Elder said. “It puts immediate pressure that affects whether someone’s getting a meal that day.”
Calgary Meals on Wheels, the largest branch in Canada, marked its 60th anniversary in 2025. The non-profit provides nutritious meals to more than 10,000 unique clients annually through home delivery, community programs and schools.
Clients include seniors, families, students, and individuals experiencing food insecurity across Calgary, but Elder emphasizes that roughly 60 per cent of their support is to children and youth.
The organization produces roughly 6,000 meals per day in its commercial kitchen, relying on ingredients such as proteins and fresh produce — items Elder said are “experiencing the steepest price growth.”
“Our own cost to produce meals has risen,” she said. “When prices rise, we can’t cut protein or nutrition without undercutting health outcomes.”
The continued effect
For Meals on Wheels, Elder said costs cannot be compared “dollar-to-dollar” because increases have been compounding over the past five years. However, she noted that per-client costs have continued to rise while demand has increased by about 10 per cent year over year.
“When food costs are rising faster than incomes, people are forced into impossible choices — rent or groceries, medicine or meals — and we see that pressure every day in our work,” she said.
To keep pace, the organization expanded its freezer and cooler capacity by approximately 2,000 sq. ft. in 2025, bringing total space to 18,000 sq. ft. to manage higher production volumes. Even with that expansion, Elder said the demand is being felt across the organization, specifically with program intake calls.
“When you’re dealing with people who are really under pressure, and there might be stigma or embarrassment to even reaching out, those calls take a lot longer,” she said. “Sometimes our team is on a call for half an hour to 40 minutes, because we really want to make that initial connection. We want to reassure them that it’s OK.”
The Calgary Food Bank
Food support organizations across the city report similar pressures as grocery prices outpace incomes.
In the 2025 Work That Isn’t Working report, published by The Calgary Food Bank, Lucy Harry and Gorana Jeftic write that “the number of clients who are working and accessing the food bank has been increasing over time.”
The report also outlines that Alberta and Saskatchewan have the lowest minimum wage rates in the country, sitting at $15 per hour and unchanged since 2018.
This contrasts with the Vibrant Communities Calgary “living wage” calculations that estimate an income required to cover basic expenses to be $24.45 per hour in 2024.
“Everything has gone up, but my income has remained relatively the same,” said one survey-respondent in the report. “My rent has gone up considerably… and add that to the skyrocketing price of food … It has been really challenging.”
Founded in 1982, the Calgary Food Bank now operates two warehouses, 24 satellite locations and works with more than 80 food partners to redirect surplus food. In 2024, it moved to a points-based distribution model to provide clients greater choice and dignity.
A Calgary Food Bank client described the strain simply: “Being on social assistance, my budget is extremely tight.”
By community, for community
Calgary Meals on Wheels raises more than $3 million annually and operates with the support of about 400 active volunteers across five depots. Elder emphasized that volunteers keep costs lower while addressing social isolation.
“They build relationships with the client. It’s a friendly face at the door,” she said, noting volunteers also deliver birthday gifts, holiday hampers and handwritten cards from elementary school students.
“So it’s more than just a meal. It’s also a way of connection.”
Elder said the organization uses a sliding fee scale, prioritizes nutrition, offers choice and dignity, and accommodates dietary needs, all of which wouldn’t be possible without the support of the community.
“Calgary has done an outstanding job of standing beside us and ensuring we meet that need,” she said.
Despite that support, Elder said the trend is deeply concerning.
“Food insecurity isn’t going away, and that’s heartbreaking. It’s a basic need,” she said. “There’s more and more people subscribing to our services, not less, and that is a very sad reality.”
Elder encouraged anyone in need of nutritious food delivery to reach out.
“We are here for you, and we are here to support you,” she said. “We understand, and we will meet you where you are at.”