Calgary Co-op Cares

Donor Spotlight

Started in 1956, the first Calgary Co-op store was opened by local farmers, ranchers and food producers. They now have over 440,000 members, 3,850 employees and stores throughout Calgary and the surrounding areas. With a focus on supporting local farmers and ranchers from the beginning, community has always been at the heart of everything they do. 

This is evident in the ongoing support that Calgary Co-op affords to the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter. The Calgary Co-op Foundation provides support to some of our most vulnerable community members, including: seniors, children, the homeless and families at risk. Through the Foundation, members, vendors and employees can donate online and in-store, with the Foundation matching donations up to $25,000. As one of the charities supported by them for several years, we have been the grateful recipient of over $80,000 in donations. 

Financial support is not the only way Calgary Co-op is supporting families experiencing family violence and abuse. They have organized donation drives at store level, ensuring that our families have the basic essential items they need when they arrive at the Emergency Shelter facility. They helped us launch our “Feeding Families at the Emergency Shelter” initiative, sharing their community kitchen space at their Midtown location, and supporting the program in a variety of ways. 

In March of 2020, when the impacts of COVID-19 became clearer and tighter restrictions were put in place, Calgary Co-op reached out to see how they could best support the agency and our clients. Knowing that it was more difficult for victims to make a phone call to our Helpline or ask for help from someone they know, we had quickly developed text and email options for victims to reach out to us. Calgary Co-op was there to share these options with the community through in store and online messaging to their members and beyond. 

“Enriching our member communities is very important to Calgary Co-op,” says Sage McIntosh, Communications Director, “Supporting the important work of the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter on behalf of our members, helps ensures the agency can continue to provide critical support to women, children and their families when they need them most.”

Calgary Co-op have shown over and over that we are all working “Together for Good”. We are extremely grateful to Calgary Co-op, their members, vendors and all their staff for their support. On behalf of the clients we serve, thank you for Taking a Stand Against Family Violence and Abuse.