Campus food bank launches month-long food drive

As students return to post-secondary studies, the Students’ Union (SU) Campus Food Bank at the University of Calgary is launching a month-long food drive. After re-opening in September, students are looking to the community to come together (remotely) to help re-stock the shelves.

“We are proud to re-open the SU Campus Food Bank to support our campus community,” says Assad Ali Bik, SU vice-president student life. “The Fall Harvest Food Drive is a call to action to ensure we are able to continue this support through the fall and winter months.”

Every day from Oct. 1 to 31, the SU will share ideas via social media on little things everyone can do to support the food bank. There are three ways to participate: as an individual, as a team, or anonymously. Details and a list of high-demand items are available online. 

Ali Bik adds that any support is appreciated. “One dollar, one can of food, or 100, it doesn’t matter.” Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off at the Information Centre in MacEwan Student Centre. Larger donations are accepted by appointment, and a GoFundMe page has been created for monetary donations during the Fall Harvest Food Drive.

During the summer, the food bank had to remain closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, and students who needed support were directed to other community resources; however, food insecurity remains a concern for students who struggle to afford their education, and scheduled curbside pickup appointments are now in place to maintain physical distancing.

“With tuition increasing, cost of living going up, and many students unable to find work over the summer due to COVID-19, we know that students will be facing tough choices, and we don’t want the choice to be between food and education,” says Ali Bik. “We want to make sure that students know that we’re open, and we’re here to help during this challenging time.”

The SU Campus Food Bank has been independently operated by the Students’ Union for more than 27 years and provides emergency, seven-day food hampers to students and other members of the campus community.