News Release

For immediate release

October 1, 2019, Calgary, AB – The month of October is “End Poverty Month”. It was initiated to raise awareness for the serious social issue of poverty. It is centered around the United Nation’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty held every year on October 17th.

More than 100,000 Calgarians live in poverty.

Several events are taking place throughout the month of October to build public awareness and highlight Calgary’s work around reducing poverty in our communities, including:

• Early October – Opportunity for All Youth hiring event is being hosted by The City of Calgary’s Youth Employment Centre. Opportunity for All Youth is a national initiative aimed at providing job opportunities for 40,000 young people across Canada who are not currently in school, training or working. It focuses on the hiring, retention and career progression of youth age 16 – 24 who are job-ready but have challenges to obtaining employment. All job interviews have been scheduled in advance.

• October 17 – Blaze your own Trail event at Marlborough Community Association (636 Marlborough Way NE) from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. hosted by Poverty Talks! – a 12-member steering committee of advocates with current or recent lived experience of poverty. The event will feature several community members sharing photo stories, Spoken Word Poetry and speeches about their community involvement, overcoming challenges and achievements. This event is free and tickets are available here.

“I am pleased to proclaim October as End Poverty Month in Calgary,” says Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “When members of our community have the resources they need to live up to their potential, we all benefit. The City of Calgary is proud of our poverty reduction strategy – Enough for All. I believe Calgary can accomplish this goal and hope such proclamations will no longer be necessary in the future.” To view or download a copy of the Proclamation, please click here.

“People whose daily lives are impacted by low income are not only unable to meet their basic needs—they can’t fully contribute to the community or realize their career potential, either,” says Jeff Loomis, Executive Director, Momentum. “We’ve seen that effective poverty reduction strategies have social and economic impacts both for individuals living on low incomes and for the community at large. That’s why all Calgarians should care about End Poverty Month.”

“Poverty is a complex social issue that no one individual or organization can tackle alone given the multi-dimensional root causes that must be addressed,” said Karen Young, President and CEO, United Way of Calgary and Area. “But together, through Enough for All, we can eradicate poverty in Calgary and ensure that everyone is provided equitable opportunities to build a better future, reach their full potential, and participate in society in a meaningful way.”

“All Calgarians have a role to play in reducing poverty in our community,” says Meaghon Reid, Executive Director of Vibrant Communities Calgary. “The need is urgent and will only be addressed by working together towards a common vision of a strong, supportive and inclusive Calgary. Enough for All gives us the roadmap for this work. This month, we invite Calgarians to reflect on effect poverty has in our community and join us to work towards a stronger and more resilient city.”