60 years of Calgary Meals on Wheels

Humble Beginnings

In January 1964, the Hospital Chaplaincy Committee of the Calgary Presbytery of the United Church voiced concerns about elderly patients being discharged from hospitals without adequate support during recovery. The United Church Women were tasked with studying the issue and recommending a solution. Their efforts led to the creation of a pilot meal service program, which was officially named "Calgary Church Women's Community Care” – the precursor to Calgary Meals on Wheels.

A Timeline of Growth and Impact

1965 – The Calgary Church Women’s Community Care was incorporated under the Societies Act of Alberta on November 30, 1965, and began operations out of donated space at The North Hill Family YMCA. The program served its first 8 clients on November 15, 1965. As demand grew, the need for larger facilities became apparent. Hillhurst United Church offered a kitchen for the program's exclusive use, becoming its headquarters for the next seven years.

1972 – On May 26, 1972, and without service disruption, moved to a leased facility at 828 - 4 Avenue SW, provided by The City of Calgary for 10 years. This relocation allowed for expanded kitchen capacity and service expansion.

1976 - Received charitable status and renamed Calgary Meals on Wheels. By this time, daily service had expanded to more than 425 clients per day.

1982-83 – The City of Calgary offered a larger building (a former LRT garage) that required significant renovations. By 1983, the organization relocated to MacLeod Trail, tripling its space. Over the next 30 years, this facility supported the preparation of more than 6 million meals.

1996 – Introduced frozen meal options to better serve a growing and diverse client base.

2000 - Launched the Hot Soup Program, providing free soup lunches to students across Calgary schools to support child nutrition.

2013 - Built a custom, 24,000 sq. ft. facility with a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen in the Great Plains Industrial Park, designed to handle high-volume meal production with efficiency and precision. The expanded space allowed Calgary Meals on Wheels to extend support to surrounding communities through a new regional program.

2014 - Partnered with the Calgary Police Foundation’s Integrated School Support Project, providing meals for vulnerable students. Also began supporting “fun lunches” organized by Parent Associations at schools.

2016 – Partnered with Calgary School Districts to deliver breakfast and lunch programs to high-needs schools, ensuring children received consistent, nutritious meals.

2020 – Adapted operations during the global pandemic, significantly increasing meal production to meet an urgent surge in demand.

2022 - Reached a historic milestone by serving more than 1 million meals in a single year.

2024 – For the third consecutive year, surpassed 1 million meals and produced a record-breaking 1.4 million meals through three key program pillars: Home Delivery, Schools, and Community. Supported approximately 9,500 clients and provided approximately 5,700 meals daily across the city.

2025 – Celebrates 60 years of service with the expansion of freezer and cooler capacity, enabling the preparation and storage of an additional 180,000 meals annually to meet growing demand.

A legacy built on compassion, community, and commitment to nourishing lives.

We’re celebrating 60 years of nourishing our community!

For six decades, Calgary Meals on Wheels has been delivering fresh, affordable meals to vulnerable Calgarians—without missing a single day. Our dedication goes beyond just food; it’s about supporting our neighbors with care and consistency.

As food insecurity rises in Alberta, we remain committed to ensuring everyone has access to nutritious meals. With the support of our incredible community, we’ll keep showing up—just as we have for the past 60 years.

Upcoming Events:

Casino - June 12, 13 at Cowboys Casino

As many of you know casino fundraising makes a huge impact on the financial stability of charitable organizations in the province of Alberta. Volunteering your time to spend a day or two with us is a huge support to the programs we offer. Please review the available slots and click on the button to sign up. Volunteer signup here

MORE INFORMATION COMING

For more information about events including invitations, sponsorship & volunteer opportunities please contact us at events@mealsonwheels.com

60th anniversary sponsorship package

Our facility was custom-built in 2013 to meet the needs of that time. Back then, Alberta's food insecurity rate was 11%, and we produced about 376,000 meals annually. Today, with food insecurity more than doubling, we are still operating from the same facility, now producing over 1 million meals each year. With your help, we hope to raise $100,000 towards this expansion through our Buy A Brick campaign.

With growing community needs, our freezer and cooler space has reached full capacity. Our fridge and cooler expansion will add a total of 2000 sq ft and will allow us to make and serve an additional 180,000 meals per year.

In addition to our regular fundraising campaigns, we were fortunate enough to be chosen as the charity recipient for the 2025 Willow Park Charity Golf Classic. For more information on this, please visit our page dedicated to this event.

Your support in this milestone year will ensure we can expand to meet demand and continue serving our neighbours for generations to come. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient community.