OCTOBER 17 · INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY
Poverty Costs
More than
Money
Poverty is often spoke about as if it is only about income: whether someone has a job, earns enough or falls above or below a certain line defined by the government.
Money matters of course, but poverty is about so much more.
1 in 9
Calgarians live in poverty
1 in 4
Calgarians experience food insecurity
35.2%
Average income gap for Calgarians living in poverty
3,314
Calgarians experienced homelessness in 2025
What is poverty?
In Canada, poverty is defined as the condition of a person who is deprived of the resources, means, choices, and power necessary to acquire and maintain a basic level of living standards. This definition encompasses material, social, and spiritual poverty, where individuals lack the financial resources, social support, and sense of purpose to thrive in society. Women in Need Society and the Canadian Poverty Institute believes poverty is a multi-dimensional condition involving material, social and spiritual poverty.
Material poverty
exists where people lack the material and financial resources to thrive.
Social poverty
exists where people are isolated and lack the formal and informal supports necessary for resilience.
Spiritual poverty
exists where people lack meaning and purpose in their lives.
WINS is Calgary’s solution to alleviating poverty for women and their families in Calgary.
WINS is Calgary’s solution to alleviating poverty for women and their families in Calgary.
At WINS, we recognize that poverty is multidimensional. That’s why our work goes beyond addressing immediate needs. We connect women and their families with practical supports, community resources, skills and opportunities that create pathways toward greater stability.
Material Poverty
Meeting Essential Needs
Through our Community Resource Hubs and House to Home program, women and their families can access free clothing, furniture, household essentials, resource navigation and referrals to trusted community services. These supports help ease financial pressures, create safe and comfortable homes, and provide a foundation for greater stability and well-being.
WINS provides free employment training and pathways to employment, helping women build practical skills, gain valuable experience and strengthen their confidence to enter the workforce. Employment opportunities within WINS offer participants a supportive environment in which to develop their abilities and take meaningful steps toward financial independence and long-term stability.
WINS also operates seven public thrift stores across Calgary, providing affordable, gently used clothing, furniture and household goods—all generously donated by Calgarians. Every purchase supports the local community: all store revenue remains in Calgary and is reinvested in WINS’ programs and services.
By ensuring essential goods and employment supports are within reach, WINS helps alleviate material poverty while fostering dignity, independence and stronger families.
Social Poverty
Building Connection Through Formal and Informal Supports
Across WINS’ five Community Resource Hubs, our Community Support Workers provide personalized, compassionate support - meeting women wherever they are in their journey and helping them move toward greater stability and independence.
Our Community Resource Hubs offer a soft place to land: a welcoming environment where women feel heard, respected and free from judgment. Support does not end once an immediate crisis has passed. WINS continues to foster meaningful connections and a sense of belonging long after stability is achieved.
Through partnerships with more than 160 Calgary agencies, WINS connects women and their families with community resources and helps them navigate barriers related to food and housing insecurity, domestic violence, employment, education, mental health and social isolation.
By creating trusted relationships and stronger support networks, WINS helps alleviate social poverty and ensures that women and their families do not have to face life’s challenges alone.
Spiritual Poverty
Foster Purpose, Dignity and Belonging
WINS recognizes that it takes a community to help a woman and her family move from surviving to thriving. Our educational and social programs create welcoming spaces where participants can learn, share their experiences and build lasting friendships and personal connections.
From English-language and financial literacy classes to sewing groups and community birthday parties celebrating our youngest participants, each program offers opportunities to develop skills, build confidence and experience the joy of belonging.
By nurturing hope, purpose and connection, WINS helps alleviate spiritual poverty. We encourage every participant to recognize her inherent value, discover her strengths and see the meaningful contribution she makes to her family and community.
POVERTY IS RARELY ONE THING
For women and their families experiencing poverty, these challenges can intersect. An immediate need for food, clothing or household essentials may exist alongside isolation, barriers to employment or a lack of connection and support.
At WINS, we believe addressing poverty means seeing the whole person.
That's why our work goes beyond meeting an immediate need. Through practical supports, community connections, educational programs and employment opportunities, WINS helps women and their families build pathways toward greater stability, confidence and belonging.
Dignity is not a reward for overcoming poverty.
It’s a fundamental human right.
Most women first come to WINS seeking help with an immediate material need—an emergency food hamper, personal hygiene products or essential items for their families. Meeting these urgent needs is the first step. It creates the stability needed to begin addressing the social and spiritual dimensions of poverty, including isolation, a lack of belonging and the loss of hope or purpose.
At WINS, food opens the door to so much more. Once immediate needs are met, women can connect with personalized support, community resources, educational programs, employment training and opportunities to build meaningful relationships. Together, these supports help women and their families move from surviving to thriving.
By donating to our Thanksgiving fundraising campaign, Food Is the First Step, you help a local woman overcome an immediate barrier while opening a pathway toward greater stability, connection and financial independence.
Poverty is more than money—and your gift can be the first step toward lasting change.
