This morning, CAPRA hosted a community discussion around two central themes: The 2016 living wage calculation for Red Deer and Central Alberta, and Developing local alternatives to payday lending Read the full living wage report More information on living wage About 60 people were in attendance, and after the new living wage levels were announced, […]
Monday, October 17th, was the annual International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. On this day, 5 members of CAPRA, along with City Councillors Frank Wong and Diane Wyntjes, as well as two staff members from the Hampton Inn & Suites, gathered downtown on the Ross Street Patio in Red Deer to bring awareness to […]
The Lending Cupboard Society of Alberta has, for the past several months, been conducting a Community Needs Assessment (CNA), in an effort to learn about the current and potential needs of the Central Alberta region. While this needs assessment will help The Cupboard project demand for its services and thus effectively plan for its future, the board […]
Did you know that $31 billion dollars worth of food is wasted in Canada annually? Over 40% of this waste comes directly from our very on pantries, costing each of us an average of $28 per week. With 1 in 10 houses in Alberta facing food security issues, environmental concerns on the rise and the […]
On September 19th and 20th, the City of Red Deer organized a two-day community “summit”, to talk about housing, and the 5 Year plan to end homelessness. Held at the Pidherney Centre, key community stakeholders and representatives from all levels of government met to have intensive conversation about housing for city’s vulnerable. Here is a […]
On October 29th there will be a Truth and Reconciliation Summit at the Banff Centre in Banff, Alberta. Though the event is only open to local residents, they will be live streaming this event. Click here to watch the live steam The Truth and Reconciliation is a component of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. […]
CAPRA has talked a lot about how child poverty impacts brain development. We’ve also talked about the correlation between childhood trauma and poverty. There are additional elements to the relationship between childhood trauma and poverty. Up to two-thirds of children report having adverse childhood experiences. Those experiences can lead to later health issues and even […]
The story of Lola Lathon is, unfortunately, a familiar one: a woman whose meagre wages prevent her from accessing good-quality food, and force her to turn to food banks for support. In a June New York Times article, the Houston-based mother described how she has to skip meals to afford the gas to get to […]
The CAPRA Food Security Action Team has had a busy spring, handing out seed packets to encourage local food growth. As urbanization continues to rise, many people have lost touch with where their food comes from. The Food Security committee wanted to offer Central Albertans the opportunity to experience the joy and satisfaction of growing […]
Gaining popularity across Canada is a new way of ensuring that people have access to the food they need: gift cards. A movement that began in Woodstock, Ontario is now being explored by many communities (including some right here in Central Alberta!), wherein clients are given gift cards to spend on non-taxable items rather than receiving a […]
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