The University of Guelph Student FoodBank is expected to experience a crunch at the beginning of next semester due to students now being allowed to opt out of the fees that have supported it in the past.
Students are currently selecting which individual fees they will support with their tuition, said Clarissa Shepherd, coordinator of the Guelph Student FoodBank.
“Most of our budget comes from student fees — for now,” said Shepherd.
The effect it will have on the shelves depends on how many students choose to opt out of supporting the on-campus food bank.
“Next semester is when we are going to feel the effect, because for us right now, we are lucky that we have a bit of a reserve from previous coordinators who have done fundraising for us,” said Shepherd.
The fee to opt in is $2.39 for undergraduates and $2.38 for graduate students per semester.
Shepherd hopes students will choose to opt in, whether they use the food bank or not.
“Food insecurity doesn’t have to mean you don’t have anything in the cupboard,” said Shepherd. “If you are living off of ramen noodles, please come and grab a few items just so you are not getting scurvy.”
Aside from canned goods and other non-perishable items in stock, the Student FoodBank has its own garden and also receives a weekly shipment of fresh fruits and vegetables from The SEED, as well as a weekly shipment from the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming.
The Student FoodBank also receives pre-made food items from the university’s hospitality program, called the Meal Care Program. Currently, the Student FoodBank has a refrigerator stacked with quiches.
People using the food bank require no proof of need to receive food items, it is open to all registered U of G students.
Shepherd notes there are people with ongoing needs, others may need it just once or a couple of times a semester.
“We want to make sure it’s as barrier free as possible because food insecurity is a difficult subject for a lot of people,” said Shepherd. “We want to make sure the people that come in here are comfortable and don’t feel like they are being interrogated or questioned or anything like that.”
Some of the non-perishable items are purchased by the Student FoodBank or come from the Guelph Food Bank. The Student FoodBank also takes in donations, but Shepherd said it is best to check first because of space concerns in the small office at 620 Gordon St.
“That’s the biggest thing with us — we would love to take as much as people would give if we had the space for it,” said Shepherd. “Because we have limited space we want to make sure we are giving items that people need the most.’
“If people are able to donate money straight up, that’s awesome because then we can just use it to buy the items that we need,” she added.
Among the current non-food needs at the food bank are laundry, dish and bar soap, shampoo and conditioner, sponges and reusable bags. Food items in need include peanut butter, rice, tuna, fresh produce and healthy canned soups.
Many of the students who use the food bank are international students, said Shepherd.
“Some items are more cross-cultural than others. We are always looking out for that,” she said.
The Student FoodBank also provides cooking classes and workshops.
“If we see something isn’t moving, then we will watch if they are picking it up and putting it down and see if we can have conversations and engage people to raise awareness about what it is and what it’s good for,” said Shepherd.
