Vibrant Communities Calgary takes the reins on poverty reduction

Community partners gathered today to transition the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative’s (CPRI) Enough for All strategy implementation from The City of Calgary to Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC).

The Enough for All strategy is a community-driven poverty reduction strategy that addresses the root causes of poverty. The CPRI was launched in 2011 by Mayor Naheed Nenshi. The City of Calgary and United Way of Calgary and Area worked together to develop and begin implementation of the strategy. The shift to VCC will enable greater community participation and ownership of the Enough for All strategy by all sectors.

“Poverty hurts us all. We must fight hard, together and within our communities, to meaningfully reduce poverty in Calgary,” says Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “This strategy was created by the community, and Vibrant Communities Calgary is in the best position to make this plan a reality. All Calgarians have a role to play to make the Enough for All strategy a success.’”

VCC is a non-profit organization which works towards all citizens fully participating in their communities and addressing the root causes of poverty in Calgary. This organization grew from work started by United Way of Calgary and Area.

“VCC has a long history of working together with the community to find long-term solutions to the poverty issues facing our city and guiding implementation of the strategy is a natural fit,” says Franco Savoia, director of VCC. “This shift will further strengthen our community’s collective efforts to go beyond Band-Aid solutions and address the systematic issues that often lead to poverty in the first place.”

While VCC will take the lead on the Enough for All strategy, The City of Calgary and United Way of Calgary and Area will remain active and committed to contributing to the strategy and its implementation.

“United Way is proud to partner with Mayor Nenshi and The City in building strong communities,” says Dr. Lucy Miller, CEO of United Way of Calgary and Area. “We’ve worked together over the past four years developing and implementing the Enough for All strategy. United Way has also made significant investments in the areas of financial literacy and community hubs. Reducing poverty is one of our key focus areas at United Way. We remain committed to the Enough for All strategy and look forward to working closely with VCC in the future.”

For more information visit www.vibrantcalgary.com.