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SUMMER ISSUE | SUMMER 202 2
THE ONTARION
As the demand for food on campus skyrockets, organizations like the Student FoodBank are struggling to keep up. CREDIT: UNSPLASH
Campus community fridge combats food insecurity amongst U of G students The student-led project offers nutritious food to anyone who might need a hand amidst rising grocery costs and reduced food aid opportunities EMILY BRAY
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ood insecurity has been plaguing students on university campuses for decades. Who hasn’t heard a thousand jokes about university kids living off of ramen and ketchup packets? However, with food prices on the rise in Canada at a time when people are already facing pandemic-related financial pressures, hunger is a bigger issue on campuses than ever before. The campus community fridge project, which made its debut in fall 2021, is MealCare Guelph’s grassroots response to this growing demand for food amongst students. Located in the University Centre building at the heart of campus, the fridge is regularly stocked with fresh and healthy
foods sourced from U of G community members, as well as MealCare Guelph volunteers. MealCare Guelph is the local, U of G-based chapter of a larger student-led organization that seeks to combat food insecurity nationwide. It was started in 2019 by students Kiana Gibson and David Sahai, and now boasts over 20 volunteers who spend their time diverting edible food waste—such as leftover food prepared in university kitchens— away from landfills and into the hands of community members in need. The community fridge isn’t the typical type of project that MealCare Guelph has taken on in the past. However, the organization’s leaders saw it as an inventive new way to further Meal-
Care’s mission on campus. “In the summer of 2020, our community fridge lead, Tyra Boug, noticed a community fridge project that started in Waterloo. She thought this was an amazing idea and knew it aligned perfectly with MealCare’s values, since it addresses two of MealCare’s primary concerns: decreasing food waste and supporting those experiencing food insecurity,” said MealCare Guelph’s co-president, Jessica Seifried.
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According to a 2020 study conducted by Statistics Canada, 40 per cent of post-secondary students are food insecure, meaning that they may not know where their next meal is coming from on any given day. Moreover, data collected by University of Guelph researchers in 2020 found that 11 per cent of Guelph students skip at least one meal every day due to financial constraints. Alanna Wyllie, coordinator for the Guelph Student FoodBank, points out that some students may be more affected by food insecurity than others. “With tuition prices being so high, especially for international students, it is sometimes difficult for them to access nutritious foods,” she said in an email to The Ontarion.
In the past, these students would have been able to turn to existing sources of food aid, such as the Student FoodBank, for help. However, the FoodBank has been struggling more than ever to keep up with rising demand. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an increase in demand for our services as food prices rise…The COVID-19 pandemic has presented several challenges to how we operate at the Student FoodBank, especially in terms of fundraising,” said fellow coordinator Kandace Blaker. Because of this, the FoodBank has had to temporarily suspend its intake of new students seeking help, as it is already operating at maximum capacity. The community fridge initiative is therefore filling a gap in
