The Calgary Foodbank

The Calgary Foodbank

In response to CBMG Political Action Committee member Jen Peddlesden’s letter to food bank manager Dolores Coutts regarding a Calgary Herald Swerve article (see Issues link), the Political Action Committee was invited to meet with the Calgary Interfaith Foodbank. Food bank staff gave Jen House and Jen Peddlesden  a full tour of the food bank on Monday 23, 2013. What an amazing operation! When touring the Baby Room, they were able to make some requests to make the Food Bank more breastfeeding and International Code friendly. The Food Bank also runs an additional Milk Program for children and pregnant/nursing mothers, supplying milk and Nestle Good Start for formula-fed babies (purchased by the food bank).

Actions following this productive meeting will be:

1) Exchange the Ross/Enfamil-sponsored baby magazine (with coupons) they hand out in baby baskets for an Alberta Health Services brochure about feeding baby.

2) Send address/link for obtaining “10 Tips for Successful Breastfeeding and “10 Reasons to Breastfeed” brochures free from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

3) Provide the Foodbank with a simple handout to go into baskets which have powdered formula about safe use. mixing and storage.

4) Take the baby bottle image off of the referral form for the milk program.

The Political Action Committee provided Ms Coutts with some La Leche League Canada brochures with telephone/online breastfeeding help, a complimentary copy of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from the Calgary Chapter of LLLC, some breastfeeding rights/thank you cards from the Alberta Breastfeeding Committee  and brochures from the Calgary Mother’s Milk Bank.