A northwest Calgary community support group has reached a significant milestone, celebrating six years of providing barrier-free access to food through its innovative Little Free Food Library. Brentwood Cares, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, marked its anniversary with a special event highlighting its ongoing commitment to addressing food insecurity in the community.
From Pandemic Response to Sustained Community Initiative
The Brentwood Cares initiative originated in April 2020 when neighbors and social workers came together during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Founder Liza Lorenzetti explained that the group formed out of concern that community members might not have enough food to eat or might be too fearful to access traditional resources during the crisis.
"At the same time these resources were shutting down and going into hibernation, one of our friends found a book library that was unused and gave it to us," Lorenzetti said. "We got it up and running by April 2020, turning it into the Little Food Library—a micro food pantry offering barrier-free food access right on the corner of Boulton Road in northwest Calgary."
A Growing Need for Food Support
What began as a pandemic response has evolved into a sustained community service that has grown significantly over six years. Lorenzetti noted that the need for food assistance has increased substantially since the initiative began.
"What we didn't know then is that six years later, the need would increase," she said. "As someone who was a social worker for 37 years, the idea of barrier-free access to food as a right is something that brings me a lot of joy."
Expanding Capacity and Community Impact
In 2025, the Little Food Library received a significant upgrade through collaboration with migrant rights organizations including United Filipino Workers and Migrante Alberta. These groups transformed an old filing cabinet into a larger, more functional pantry with a wooden shelter built around it.
This expansion allows the pantry to store a wider variety of items including bread, meat during winter months, and seasonal fruits and vegetables. The pantry serves a diverse community, including residents of a low-income seniors' residence located directly across from Lorenzetti's home.
"What I often hear from the seniors is that they might have the very basics covered, but can't think about spending their money on a treat," Lorenzetti explained. "So we always make sure that we've got biscuits, granola bars and different treats out there that the seniors might appreciate."
Celebrating Six Years of Service
To mark the six-year anniversary, Calgary House Concerts hosted a Pay What You Can Food Bank Booster Concert featuring musician Jay Coda Walker. The event, held at the Brentwood Sportsplex, supported both the Little Free Food Library and the Veterans Association Food Bank.
The celebration highlighted how the initiative has grown from a single food pantry to part of a broader network addressing food insecurity across Calgary.
A Growing Network of Micro Food Pantries
Brentwood Cares member Cam Howey noted that the organization's micro food pantry is now one of dozens listed on the City of Calgary Food Map, representing a significant expansion of community-based food support systems.
"There are now dozens of micro food pantries across Calgary responding to the need for food," Howey said, emphasizing the growing demand for such services.
Howey pointed to economic factors contributing to increased food insecurity, noting that Alberta's minimum wage has remained unchanged since 2018 while living costs have risen dramatically.
"Since 2018, the cost of food is up 38.8 percent in Alberta, and shelter is up 34 percent," he explained. "The current gas price surge isn't in there, but that's just creating further strain on families."
Increasing Pressure on Food Support Systems
The economic pressures have significantly impacted traditional food support institutions as well. Howey cited data showing that emergency food hampers distributed by the Calgary Food Bank have increased more than fivefold since 2020.
"They had a post last year talking about emergency hampers being at 1,000 hampers per day," he said. "To put that in perspective, when we started helping out in 2020 delivering food hampers, I think it was around 179 emergency hampers in 2020. That's more than fivefold. Here in Calgary, there's tremendous need."
More Than Just Volunteerism
Lorenzetti emphasized that the Brentwood Cares initiative represents more than simple volunteer work—it's built on fundamental principles of community care and mutual support.
"It's built on love for someone other than yourself, understanding that people you don't know are actually your neighbors," she said. "It's about putting that good out in the world at a time where it feels like the voices of kindness, of compassion and care are being drowned out by something else. So the library gives us hope. It's a gift back to all of us."
As Brentwood Cares enters its seventh year of operation, the organization continues to demonstrate how community-led initiatives can provide essential support while fostering connections among neighbors. The Little Free Food Library stands as both a practical resource for those facing food insecurity and a symbol of community resilience in challenging times.
