Several community organizations have banded together with the goal of reducing poverty in Calgary by 50 per cent by 2023.
The campaign, called Enough for All, launched on Tuesday and is a collaborative effort from Vibrant Communities Calgary, the City of Calgary, United Way of Calgary and Momentum.
It will run for approximately two years and is financially supported by the United Way, the Calgary Foundation and the city.
READ MORE: Nearly 1 in 5 Canadian children living in poverty: report
“Poverty makes it hard to be optimistic about the future,” United Way CEO Lucy Miller said. “It impacts high school completion rates, childhood development, accessing and maintaining employment and overall health and well-being.”
According to campaign organizers, one in 10 Calgarians live in poverty. “That is a community the size of Red Deer,” a Tuesday news release stated.
“In Calgary, one in five people are concerned about not having enough money for food, and one in three people are concerned about not having enough money for housing.”
READ MORE: Women more likely than men to face poverty during retirement
“In our community, we understand the basic truth that our neighbour’s success is our success,” Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said. “However, that also means our neighbour’s failure is our failure.”
“We all need to take action to fight poverty now and this campaign helps citizens discover what they can do to make a real and positive difference.”
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