The lineup of yellow school buses outside Calgary Co-op locations yesterday told a familiar story of community compassion. For the 32nd consecutive year, Calgarians showed up in force for the annual Stuff a Bus Food Drive, bringing bags of non-perishables to help stock the Calgary Food Bank’s shelves ahead of the holiday season.
I spent the day at the Oakridge Co-op location, where volunteers in bright orange vests directed donors toward a school bus that was rapidly filling with food donations. The scene played out similarly across all 22 Co-op locations throughout the city.
“We’re seeing incredible turnout this year,” said Melissa Johnson, communications director for the Calgary Food Bank. “Last year we collected over 40,000 kilograms of food, and early counts suggest we’re on track to exceed that today.”
The drive comes at a critical time. Calgary’s Food Bank has reported a 28% increase in client visits compared to this time last year. Economic pressures, including inflation and housing costs, have pushed more Calgarians toward food insecurity.
Tom Wilkins, a 65-year-old retired electrician who donated three bags of groceries, told me he remembers when he needed the food bank’s help after the oil downturn in the 1980s. “This city showed up for me back then. I’m just paying it forward,” he said while unloading canned goods from his trunk.
The event’s success relies on partnerships between Calgary Co-op, Calgary Transit, and an army of volunteers. Calgary Transit provided the buses and drivers, while Co-op created pre-packaged donation bags available for purchase at all locations.
Mayor Priya Thomas made appearances at several locations, emphasizing community resilience. “What makes Calgary special isn’t just how we weather tough times, but how we take care of each other through them,” she told a small crowd at the Deerfoot Meadows location.
The most requested items this year included pasta sauce, canned vegetables, peanut butter, and baby formula. Volunteers I spoke with noted that donors seemed particularly conscious of nutritional value this year.
“People are asking us what’s most needed and selecting donations thoughtfully,” said Janice Kim, who has volunteered at the event for eight years. “I’ve seen fewer random pantry cleanouts and more deliberate shopping for needed items.”
The Calgary Food Bank serves approximately 2,500 families weekly. According to their recent impact report, 40% of clients are children, and nearly a third of households using the food bank reported having at least one employed adult.
Local businesses made their presence felt as well. Westland Insurance brought 30 employees who collected donations at the Crowfoot location, while Calgary-based energy company EnStream contributed $25,000 worth of food items.
Single mother Claudia Espinoza brought her two children to donate. “I want my kids to understand that community matters,” she explained while her children, aged 7 and 9, carried bags to the bus. “Sometimes we need help, and sometimes we give help. That’s how Calgary works.”
By late afternoon, several buses had already made trips to the food bank’s central warehouse to unload. Staff there worked quickly to sort donations into categories.
The timing of the drive is strategic. Food bank usage typically spikes in January and February after holiday expenses have stretched family budgets thin. These donations will help bridge that critical gap.
The event also collected over $85,000 in monetary donations. The food bank notes that each dollar donated translates to roughly $5 in food value through their bulk purchasing arrangements.
As darkness fell across the city, volunteers continued loading the last donations. Calgary Transit driver Karam Singh, who has driven for the event for five years, watched as his bus filled completely.
“Every year I think we can’t possibly fit more,” Singh laughed as volunteers squeezed in the final donations. “And every year, somehow we do.”
The Stuff a Bus tradition continues to be a defining pre-holiday event for Calgary, demonstrating that even in challenging economic times, the city’s spirit of generosity remains intact.
Final totals from the food drive will be announced early next week, but organizers were already calling this year’s event a success based on preliminary counts and volunteer participation.
As I left the Oakridge location, volunteers were starting to pack up. A woman hurried across the parking lot with two grocery bags. “Am I too late?” she called out. Three volunteers immediately responded, “Never too late!” and rushed to help her make her donation.
In that small moment was the essence of Calgary’s community spirit – stepping up for others, regardless of the hour.
