What happens after a family receives a food hamper?

That question became the focus of a recent six-week community project completed by a group of Mount Royal University nursing students in partnership with Made by Momma.

Working alongside our team, the students explored how food insecurity impacts local families and how community organizations can provide support that is both practical and meaningful. Through family surveys, staff interviews, research, volunteer experiences, and community food drives, they gained a deeper understanding of the realities many families face when navigating difficult seasons of life.

One of the most important lessons they learned was that food support is about much more than food.

Every week, approximately 50 to 60 non-perishable food hampers leave our Resource Centre and make their way to families across Calgary. These hampers support families experiencing a wide range of circumstances, including illness, financial hardship, housing instability, newcomer experiences, postpartum challenges, domestic violence, and other unexpected crises.

As the students quickly discovered, no two families are the same.

Each family has unique needs, cultural backgrounds, dietary considerations, household sizes, and life experiences. What works well for one family may not work for another. Providing meaningful support requires listening, learning, and adapting to those differences.

Through surveys conducted with families receiving food hampers, the students gathered valuable feedback about the support currently being provided.

The results were encouraging.

Nearly nine in ten families reported that the amount and variety of food they received met their household’s needs. For our team, this feedback was a meaningful reminder of the impact that community donations, volunteers, and supporters make every day.

At the same time, families also identified opportunities to make food support even more helpful.

One finding stood out in particular: access to food is only one part of the equation.

Some families may be unfamiliar with certain ingredients. Others may have limited kitchen equipment, dietary restrictions, cultural food preferences, or simply little time and energy to prepare meals while caring for young children. A hamper can provide ingredients, but families still need the tools and confidence to transform those ingredients into meals.

More than 60 percent of surveyed families expressed interest in receiving simple recipes using common hamper ingredients, highlighting that access to food is only one part of meaningful support.

In response, the nursing students developed easy-to-follow recipe cards designed specifically for families receiving food hampers. Their goal was to help families make the most of the food available to them, reduce food waste, and build confidence in the kitchen.

For us, this recommendation reflected something we believe deeply at Made by Momma: support is most effective when it is shaped by the people receiving it.

The project also gave students the opportunity to witness the power of community in action. Throughout their placement, they connected with volunteers, organized food drives, engaged with local businesses, and saw firsthand how donations and community partnerships come together to support local families.

Behind every food hamper is a network of people who care.

Every donated item, volunteer shift, financial contribution, and community partnership helps ensure families receive support when they need it most.

We are incredibly grateful to the Mount Royal University nursing students for their curiosity, compassion, and commitment to learning from the families we serve. Their work provided valuable insights and practical recommendations that will help strengthen our food support programs moving forward.

Most importantly, their project reinforced a lesson we continue to learn every day: meaningful support begins with listening.

When we listen to families, we gain a better understanding of their needs, identify barriers, and discover new ways to provide care that is responsive, respectful, and impactful.

Because every family deserves to feel supported, understood, and cared for.