What’s happening at the campus Food Cupboard in the lead up to the holidays?
While many are immersed in the festive spirit as the holidays approach and the semester draws to a close, for some Algonquin College students food insecurity has become a greater challenge.
To address this, the campus store, Connections, first introduced a new initiative during its annual “Family & Friend Holiday Sale” on Nov 20. During the event, customers voluntarily donated at the checkout to support the Food Cupboard, helping students who faced food insecurity on campus.
“Since it’s the first time we’re doing it, I don’t really have a specific amount that I’m looking for,” Abby Muir, the Food Cupboard coordinator said. “But I walked by the Connections store the other day and I saw that it was super busy, which made me very excited, because any contribution to the Food Cupboard is valuable.”
The Need Behind the Holiday Fundraiser
The Food Cupboard has provided crucial support to countless students facing food insecurity in recent years, but Muir said that one of their current challenges is balancing student awareness of the service with ensuring resources reach those who truly need assistance.
“Usually we see a big rush of students at the very beginning of the semester, and now we’re kind of in a little bit of a slower period right now, but it’s still increasing. Like crazy,” Muir said. “So I would hope we try to balance it so that, you know, there is enough awareness for people that need it, but not so much awareness.”
At the Food Cupboard, popular items are often basic essentials that are indispensable but can be costly in grocery stores.
“Most popular items are always the fresh items like fresh milk, eggs, meat, fresh fruits and vegetables,” Muir said. “Beans and canned vegetables and canned meat are really popular as well, because they are good for students who are looking for a sort of quick meal, if they’re rushing between classes or going to work.”
How Do Students View the Food Cupboard?
Although the Food Cupboard provides timely assistance to students, many still hold misconceptions about using the service.
“I’ve never heard any friends of mine are using the Food Cupboard, and yes, I understand people might feel embarrassed about that,” said Alexandria Milne, a Level-3 business marketing student. “But actually, everyone has a really busy schedule and some people can really hard to find a job these days.”
Milne compares this phenomenon to the growing trend of thrifting, which has become popular across generations.
“I know thrifting used to be for people who can’t afford pricey clothing, but now it’s a trend,” Milne said. “So maybe we also need to change that stereotype.”
The Future of the Fundraising Initiative
The Connections store’s fundraising initiative has also provided new resource support for the Food Cupboard. While there is no clear fundraising goal or amount yet, this effort opens the door for more extensive fundraising opportunities in the future.
Chadwick Brennan, a Level-1 project management student at the college, believes that broader promotion is needed to encourage more participation.
“People typically don’t tend to donate at checkout, so this isn’t the best way to get people to do it,” Brennan said. “Maybe setting up donation stations around campus, like other food banks. You’d see donation baskets around the campus, and if you have something extra from home, you could drop it in there.”
Muir also mentioned that, in addition to material donations, many departments and student organizations on campus are working together to raise resources for the Food Cupboard.
“As you’ve heard, we have connections with the college, and we’re trying to get creative with our collaborations and with our food drives and stuff like that,” Muir said.
If you would like to learn more or support the work of the Food Cupboard, please visit the AC food security fund page. If you are facing challenges with food or winter essentials, don’t hesitate to reach out to them.
