Rooftop Community Garden

The Cause

The funding will be used to expand the rooftop community garden at Southcentre Mall that repurposes unused rooftop space to create a sustainable, local solution to contribute to the increasing demand for fresh, nutritious sources of food for Calgarians in need. The anticipated seasonal production of hundreds of pounds of fruits, vegetables and herbs that will be harvested from the garden will help to fill an urgent need for fresh produce in the Made by Momma kitchen. A continuous supply of healthy ingredients is needed in order to prepare the thousands of servings of meals for these families.
Food inflation rates of over 11% have made meeting this demand even more challenging. We know that over 20%, or more than 1 in 5 Calgarians, are facing food insecurity and struggling to feed their families. The community needs this, and Made by Momma needs your help to make sure we can support families in crisis!
This unique opportunity will:
• Provide fresh produce,
• Help ensure nutritious meals for families facing crisis or adversity,
• Be a sustainable and environmental initiative,
• Reduce food insecurity,
• Support families facing adversity and crisis,
• Nourish Calgary’s most vulnerable.

“We are proud to be able to make the contribution of space and resources to this important sustainable program that will provide much needed nourishment to families in our community for years to come,” says Alexandra Velosa, Marketing Manager, Southcentre Mall. “Partnering with like-minded organizations like Made by Momma allows us to actively engage in our commitment to supporting Calgarians through initiatives that meet their physical needs, while also serving them with dignity and respect.”

Who Will it Benefit?

This funding will support vulnerable families facing situations of adversity or crisis. Currently, we are supporting over 12,000 individuals every year, and the number continues to increase. We provide services for mothers of young children (at least one child in the home age 5 or younger) affected by short-term or life-changing illness, injury, or adversity. The number of mothers that we can assist depends on the resources available from our volunteer group and the donations received at any given time. Children under the age of 5 are the most vulnerable and do not have access to external supports such as school or community programs.
Situations facing the families we support might include, but are not limited to: Mothers struggling through postpartum depression, families affected by cancer or other life-threatening illnesses, families whose children have severe childhood illness or special needs, the hospitalization of a child or parent, mothers and children who have left a situation of abuse, families transitioning from a homeless shelter into Calgary housing, loss of home due to fire or flood, new immigrants to Calgary/Canada, loss of job and families struggling financially, birth of multiple babies, pregnant and parenting teen mothers, supporting single mothers attending school, parents with children who are struggling after the death of their spouse, and many of these circumstances have been compounded by the complex challenges presented by COVID-19.