KEEPING
HEARTS
WARM
THIS WINTER
Calgary is ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world.
But is it?
The Reality
Calgary remains one of the toughest places for women to thrive, with 64.3% of female residents earning below the poverty line. In addition, 14% of Calgary’s total population lives in low-income conditions, showing how widespread financial hardship is in the city.
The Struggle
Rising costs in Calgary make essentials like winter gear a heavy burden for vulnerable households. For female-led single families, the pressure is even greater — buying winter clothing for their children can mean skipping meals or missing a rent payment.
The Need
Like proper nutrition and shelter, warm winter clothing is a need, not a choice. For families already struggling, ensuring children are safe and warm during harsh Calgary winters is not optional — it’s a matter of dignity, health, and survival.
*Source: Economist Intelligence/June 2024 **Source: CityNews Calgary: Calgary parents struggle to afford kids winter clothes** *** Calgary Poverty Profiles Enough for All
Impact
Support
Empower
Community
In 2024, WINS Calgary made a significant impact by repurposing over 7.1 million pounds of donations, distributing $1 million in essential goods, and empowering women through job training and skill development.
Volunteers
Commitment
With the dedication of over 29,000 volunteer hours, our community of supporters at WINS Calgary continues to uplift and empower women, providing them with dignity, hope, and a sense of belonging.
Services
Opportunities
At WINS Calgary, we offer a range of services and opportunities aimed at empowering women, including job training, skill development programs, social connection and community programs.
Join Us
Make a Difference
Join WINS Calgary in our mission to empower women and make a lasting impact in the community. Your support can help us continue to provide essential services and opportunities for women in need.
More Than Warmth
Creating Lasting Change All Year
Through WINS, every donation and every act of kindness transforms lives in Calgary, not just in winter, but all year long.
Share a Jacket, Spread a Smile
Women in Need Society is proud to partner with Jacket Racket, a long-standing local initiative dedicated to ensuring Calgary children have access to warm winter gear throughout the school year.
Now in its 36th year, Jacket Racket works in collaboration with Calgary schools and community partners to collect, sort, clean, mend and distribute warm winter jackets, snow pants and other essential winter items to approximately 2,000 students in Calgary schools annually. These items are provided directly to students identified by teachers as lacking adequate winter clothing— demonstrating our community’s collective commitment to dignity, safety, and care for children and youth.
As part of this partnership, WINS is welcoming Jacket Racket’s volunteers and organizers into its 30,000 sq. ft. Donation Centre from mid-October until the end of November to sort and organize their donations for the season. Additionally, WINS is providing transportation support to move collected items to and from the WINS warehouse to a distribution location where school staff will be able to access donations for their students.
“The partnership just made sense,” says Karen Ramchuk, President and CEO of WINS. “Jacket Racket and Women in Need Society share the same mission, vision, and values—ensuring Calgarians have access to essentials for their health and safety. Jacket Racket put out a call for help, and WINS answered.”
Between September 2024 and February 2025, WINS distributed more than 20,000 coats through its thrift stores—many provided free of charge through the House to Home program thus showing the need for such programs.
WINS is proud to support Jacket Racket’s mission to support Calgary’s educators by ensuring their students stay safe and warm this year.
Learn more about
However, the need doesn’t end there.
Help Us Keep All Hearts Warm This Winter!
There is a public need for winter gear for all Calgarians with over 20,500 coats sought out through WINS stores last winter alone. Many of these coats were provided at no cost through our partner agencies to Calgarians in need. Forecasts indicate the demand for winter clothing in 2025 will be even higher
