Feed the Pack campaign at varsity games supports campus Food Cupboard
A new fundraising campaign partnering the SA Food Cupboard with the college’s varsity teams is set to begin Sept. 19 to address increasing food insecurity among students.
The partnership entails special Feed the Pack game days where ticket proceeds will be donated to the Food Cupboard. Food donations can also be made at the game entrances.
The first Feed the Pack games of this varsity season will take place on Friday with the Wolves women’s soccer team playing Cambrian at 6 p.m. Followed by the Wolves men’s soccer team playing Cambrian at 8:15 p.m.
This comes as one of the responses to growing levels of food insecurity among Algonquin College students, according to Food Cupboard coordinator Abby Muir.
“It keeps going up,” said Muir. “We gathered data from students visiting the Food Cupboard last fall and found that it was one in 22 students facing food insecurity, which is a crazy number.”
The increase in demand from students facing food insecurity worsened after the Ottawa Food Bank made cuts to all 98 of its local food programs this year, including the SA Food Cupboard which is now receiving around 50 per cent less since these cuts have taken effect.
“It’s been quite a huge impact,” said Muir. “We’ve had to put out notices to the students that they may not receive the same amount of food or the same variety of foods.”
Alongside the new campaign with the varsity teams, the Food Cupboard is also looking to raise funds through other events on campus, such as the SA thrift store. They also accept food donations and monetary donations in Room E114.
Students have noted the difficulties of affording food while in school.
“It’s just a really important thing that everyone needs to be aware of,” said Isabella Schwartz. “I know a lot of classmates who struggle with the prices of food.”
Schwartz offered a suggestion for students struggling with food insecurity.
“Meal prep. It’s cheaper, you save a lot of money doing it and you save a lot of time as well, especially as a college student,” said Schwartz.
Ward Elali, another student at Algonquin College, said she wasn’t surprised by the numbers of students facing food insecurity because of the financial challenges while in school.
“Everything now is very expensive and it’s very hard to maintain a living with school and other necessities,” said Elali. “Try to save and be on a budget at the same time, that’s what I’ve been doing.”
As more students at Algonquin face the pressure of food insecurity, the Food Cupboard provides a service that is personalized to each student with a one-on-one process.
“It can seem kind of scary and intimidating to ask for help, but there are no worries there. We’re completely confidential and we try to meet students where they’re at,” said Muir.
The SA Food Cupboard in Room B102 of the Ottawa campus. For more information about the Food Cupboard, you can visit their website. Intake forms and appointment bookings to visit the Food Cupboard can also be made on their website for students new to the food cupboard.
