2023 Client Survey
Report & Responses

Provide more education on and enforcement of the rules on food quantity and foods meant for only those with specific dietary restrictions

We have made an intentional decision not to “enforce” the rules on food allocation by checking clients’ grocery baskets, given our commitment to preserving client dignity. That said, we will continue to prioritize fairness and equity in food access by improving signage, and incorporating service education into our volunteer training. All volunteers are trained in providing clients with information and answering any questions on the CFB’s food allocation guidelines. We are also exploring options for “specialty” shopping hours to ensure we have stock for gluten free clients, for example, but this would limit your flexibility in booking an appointment.

Increase availability of halal meat, fish, and fresh fruits/veggies

Unfortunately, these items are more difficult to obtain in the donation supply chain. Food available for free to food banks is often non-perishable (canned, etc), so we have to buy a lot of our meat and fresh produce. As you probably have observed, meat and vegetables have risen the most in price with inflation, so we’re always looking for less expensive options to ensure we can provide you with these items. We are in the process of partnering with more local farms and halal butchers to increase the availability of halal meat and fresh produce at the CFB. We currently have two summer student staff working on expanding our cultural food inventory by seeking out new suppliers. We will also introduce a new part time client services coordinator role in the fall to continue open communication with clients and incorporate their feedback into our operations.

Provide more meat options for single person households

Clients with households of different sizes have provided feedback on increasing the availability of meat options. As these items are more difficult to obtain in the donation supply chain, we are in the process of partnering with more local farms to increase the availability of meat at the CFB. Recent research published by Community Food Centres Canada has shown that 1 in 5 single adults in Canada live in poverty, and we will be reviewing our food limits in light of this report.

Increase the quantity of food one can take

The current CFB guidelines on food allocation are in place to ensure equitable and fair access for all clients. Unfortunately, the campus food security situation is so dire that more than 20% of our clients are having to go to other Edmonton food supports at least twice a month. If you would like more information on additional food support services, please talk to a staff member. We are in the process of working on an off-campus resource database for clients. Stay tuned!

Have more consistency between morning and evening stock

This is an issue we are actively trying to work through. We are dependent upon a few regular sources of food, including two weekly trips to the Edmonton Food Bank and monthly pallets from Food Banks Alberta, plus food orders from H&W, Sysco, and Wholesale Club to complement what we can’t access free. This means that every week is a juggling act, trying to ensure we get the timing right but aren’t spending too much or contributing to food waste. For context: in 2019-20 we spent about $20,000 on food in addition to what we access through food bank supply chains. In 2022-23 we spent more than $100,000 on food to meet demand above and beyond what we can access for free.

Increase open hours/days and allow walk-ins

We hear you! With our usage skyrocketing, it has become very busy in the store and sometimes we end up having a line, even for people with appointments to shop. As much as we would like to be open for longer hours and on the weekends, we are limited by the availability of volunteers as we are almost 100% volunteer run. Furthermore, during our “closed” hours, volunteers are helping to restock the shelves, repackage foods, receive food shipments, and perform the many other tasks necessary to prepare the CFB for client appointments. If you’re a client and would like to help out, we love when clients become volunteers! (Email volunteer@campusfoodbank.com)

Also, we are happy to accept walk-ins provided there are slots available. However, once we reach the maximum number of appointments that day, we can no longer accept more appointments as this would put excess strain on the volunteer and food resources. However, exceptions can be made in emergencies, in which case, please ask to speak with a staff member. For context, we now see up to 60 clients per day in a four hour period, and we want to do our best to ensure that the food selection is good for those who booked ahead.

Have more flexibility in appointment frequency

The current CFB guidelines on appointment frequency are in place to ensure equitable and fair access for all clients at our current level of food stock. If you would like more information on additional food support services in the community, please talk to a volunteer or staff member. We are in the process of working on an off-campus resource database for clients. Stay tuned!

Going forward, we also plan on creating options for more customized appointments (e.g., option of less frequent appointments but with greater food allocation for clients who live far away from campus).

Have easier parking

To book a parking spot, please use this link: Parking booking calendar. Please feel free to contact the CFB (780-492-8677; info@campusfoodbank.com) if you’re having trouble booking parking and we will help walk you through it. As the university does not provide the CFB with free parking, this is a cost we’ve taken on ourselves and so we can only provide one parking spot.

Offer delivery service for those who experience difficulty walking due to disability

We are currently working with the Alumni Association to recruit more volunteer drivers in order to provide delivery service. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer driver, or you know someone who might be, please get in touch via volunteer@campusfoodbank.com.

Improve the booking system (appointment reminders and confirmation emails)

Please know that we know the Link2Feed system is clunky. Unfortunately, this is the database that all food banks in Canada use, so we cannot switch to another appointment booking system. However, we are working on alternative solutions to offer reminders and confirmations. If you’re a tech nerd and have suggestions, please get in touch!

Have a database of items available in food bank

We have no way of determining what will be in stock at the CFB at the time of appointment booking, as our stock changes on a day-to-day (and sometimes hour-to-hour) basis. We do not have sufficient resources to create and sustain a real time database of items available. That said, we will continue to make social posts of items we have in excess that can be picked up.

Ensure more quality control (e.g., limit expired products on shelves)

Campus Food Bank staff and volunteers take food safety very seriously. However, with the hundreds of pounds of food that enter and leave the store each day, sometimes things get missed. We are incorporating more quality control training into volunteer training and we are working on a Food Quality Policy to guide our food donation acceptance. We enthusiastically encourage you to report any quality control issue to staff or volunteers at the time you observe them, so we can do our best to solve the issue quickly and make adjustments to our processes as necessary. If you are curious about the information we use to determine if an item is safe, we use the Food Banks Canada guidelines for food shelf life.