Calgary city council in friendly competition to help Calgary Food Bank

The Calgary Food Bank's Mayor's Challenge puts mayor and council against each other for a friendly charity competition.

Calgary city council is on the same page for this one - ensuring families facing food insecurity won’t have to decide between buying food or buying presents.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas launched the 37th Annual Mayor’s Christmas Food Drive on Nov. 22 and the Councillor’s Challenge is part of it.

This portion began Monday as all members of council were at the food bank helping to bag potatoes.

“Through the entire month of December, all of mayor and council will be raising food and funds for the Calgary Food Bank,” said Melissa From, president and CEO of the Calgary Food Bank.

“It will all add up to an accumulation of points, and we will have a winner.”

It goes through 11 pallets of potatoes everyday.

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal has won this competition several times.

The Calgary Food Bank helps 800 households every single day and next week will open a new location in downtown Calgary where it hopes to welcome an additional 200 households a day.

“This will help us serve the community just a little bit better and make sure food is accessible to everyone in our city,” From said.

She adds food insecurity and poverty are not seasonal issues.

“We are serving 800 households a day, every day, this is not a December inflection point. This is an everyday statistic,” said From.

“It’s just important for us that our community remembers that and as we roll into 2026, maybe folks are thinking about their New Year’s resolutions and what they want to do different in the new year. I encourage them how they can give back to community.”

The Calgary Food Bank was started 43 years ago by community for community, and it doesn’t receive any ongoing operational funding from any level of government.

“We are entirely funded and supported by the community,” said From. “The incredible thing about the city of Calgary is the way people give back.”

From says that giving back includes donating food, cash or time. She says there are 300 volunteers at the food bank every day.

For more information on how you can help or what items the Calgary Food Bank needs visit calgaryfoodbank.com.