7. Campus community fridge combats food insecurity amongst U of G students

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

Food 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 MealCare’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.

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

the current food aid system at U of G by making food more accessible to all students—not just those who are able to submit successful FoodBank applications.

“You do not need to qualify for need to use the fridge like you would for a food bank, which makes it more accessible for those who need the support but might not qualify for the food bank,” said Seifried.

“Food security lies on a spectrum. Someone may be food insecure on one day but not on another. Therefore the fridge is there to support them on either day.”

However, Seifried emphasizes that the fridge is open to all members of the U of G community, not just those who feel food insecure. “Using the fridge means that you are helping to reduce food waste, so we try to communicate that it is for everyone. Having it used by everyone [also] helps to de-stigmatize its use.”

De-stigmatizing the use of free food resources has been a major part of MealCare’s mission with the community fridge. In a society that values financial independence, struggling to pay for food can feel humiliating for many students, which is why the fridge operates through an anonymous honour system.

“One of the benefits of the community fridge is that it allows people to take what they need with no questions asked. This means that the use of our fridge is anonymous, so we don’t keep track of who uses it and why,” Seifried said.

The community fridge project is also pushing back against the common misconception that food aid programs only provide users with canned and boxed non-perishables. In addition to providing fresh produce, the fridge is also stocked with delicious, high-quality meals made by Owl of Minerva, a local Korean restaurant.

MealCare connected with Owl of Minerva over social media to ask whether they would consider donating leftover food, to which the restaurant immediately agreed.

“Owl was super open to hearing [about] our process and working with us to help the community immediately upon opening! They were so kind and they committed to donating freshly prepared Kajatang, their most popular selling item, four times a week,” said Seifried. “They’ve donated over 194 soups to date and we are so thankful for their partnership.”

Overall, Seifried says that community responses to the project have been encouraging. “A lot of our users have indicated that they are very grateful for the fridge and have been happy with it…The anonymous feedback we have received has been very positive.”

Those looking to help contribute to the fight against food insecurity on campus are encouraged to consider donating to the fridge.

“We are always looking for more donations,” said Seifried. “Some items that individuals can donate are fresh produce and non-perishables that are unopened.”

Businesses can also donate meals that they have prepared themselves, so long as the food was made in an inspected kitchen and is labeled with an ingredient list, a note of potential allergens, the location where the food was prepared, and a best before date.

However, for those who may not be able to afford to donate, Wyllie says that starting conversations about food insecurity with peers is a great way to help combat the issue.

“Making people aware of the issues students on campus are facing can help to de-stigmatize asking for help.”

As we move into the newest phase of the pandemic, both MealCare Guelph and the Student FoodBank are hopeful that food insecurity amongst U of G students will begin to ease up.

“We are confident that summer 2022 will be a time of positive change,” said Blaker.

U of G community members can access the fridge anonymously in the University Centre from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, as well as 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. It can be found on the first floor beside the Booster Juice.

For more information about the fridge project, as well as other food security initiatives at U of G, visit @mealcare_guelph on Instagram. You can also email foodbank@uoguelph. ca to learn more about the kinds of food items students are currently in need of.